"portType" - Port Type Definition Element

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∟"portType" - Port Type Definition Element

This section describes 'portType', a definition element that defines a port type with one or multiple operations. An operation is defined with input-output pattern. An input or output is defined to be of a given message type.

"portType" is a top level element of a WSDL 1.1 document. "portType" is used to define a port type with one or multiple operations with "operation" sub elements. An operation is defined with a sequence of messages to form an input-output pattern with "input" and "output" sub elements.

WSDL supports 4 input-output patterns which defines 4 types of operations:

One-way - input only: The endpoint receives a message.
Request-response - input followed by output: The endpoint receives a message, and sends a correlated message. This type of operation may also output an optional fault message.
Solicit-response - output followed by input: The endpoint sends a message, and receives a correlated message. This type of operation may also output an optional fault message.
Notification - output only: The endpoint sends a message.

The syntax of "portType" looks like this:

  <wsdl:portType ...>
    <-- One-way operation -->
    <wsdl:operation name="nmtoken1" parameterOrder="nmtokens">
      <wsdl:input name="nmtoken2" message="qname2"/>
    </wsdl:operation>

    <-- Request-response operation -->
    <wsdl:operation name="nmtoken1" parameterOrder="nmtokens">
      <wsdl:input name="nmtoken2" message="qname2"/>
      <wsdl:output name="nmtoken3" message="qname3"/>
      <wsdl:fault name="nmtoken4" message="qname4"/>
    </wsdl:operation>

    <-- Solicit-response operation -->
    <wsdl:operation name="nmtoken1" parameterOrder="nmtokens">
      <wsdl:output name="nmtoken3" message="qname3"/>
      <wsdl:input name="nmtoken2" message="qname2"/>
      <wsdl:fault name="nmtoken4" message="qname4"/>
    </wsdl:operation>

    <-- Notification operation -->
    <wsdl:operation name="nmtoken1" parameterOrder="nmtokens">
      <wsdl:output name="nmtoken3" message="qname3"/>
    </wsdl:operation>

    ...
  </wsdl:portType >

Notes on the "portType" element:

name="nmtoken1" - Provides a reference name to this operation.
parameterOrder="nmtokens" - Provides an order of message parts for this operation. This is optional.
name="nmtoken2" - Provides a reference name to this input.
name="nmtoken3" - Provides a reference name to this output.
name="nmtoken4" - Provides a reference name to this fault.
message="qname2" - Specifies the message type of this input by referring to a "message" element
message="qname3" - Specifies the message type of this output by referring to a "message" element
message="qname4" - Specifies the message type of this fault by referring to a "message" element

Here is an example of "portType" element:

  <wsdl:portType name="helloPortType">
    <wsdl:operation name="Hello">
      <wsdl:input name="helloInput" message="hy:helloInputMessage"/>
      <wsdl:output name="helloOutput" message="hy:helloOutputMessage"/>
    </wsdl:operation>
  </wsdl:portType>

In this example,

Port type, helloPortType, is defined with one operation, Hello.
Operation, Hello, is defined as a request-response operation with an input, helloInput, and an output, helloOutput.
Input, helloInput, is defined to be of message type, helloInputMessage.
Output, helloOutput, is defined to be of message type, helloOutputMessage.
No fault message is defined for Hello operation. I can add it later. Let's hope that the operation will not fail.