wsbpel message

Subject: Issue - 87 - Optional SOAP Headers

From: ws-bpel issues list editor<peter.furniss@choreology.com>
To: wsbpel@lists.oasis-open.org
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 2003 15:36:50 +0000

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Issue - 87 - Optional SOAP Headers

Status: open
Date added: 27 Nov 2003
Submitter: Yaron Goland
Date submitted: 26 November 2003
Document: Main BPEL Doc
Description: A key feature of the SOAP messaging model is the concept of intermediaries and the ability of intermediaries to insert headers into SOAP messages as they are routed. A direct consequence of this model is that SOAP messages may contain optional headers, that is, headers that sometimes are included in the message and sometimes not. BPEL processes need access to these optional headers because these headers often contain application relevant information, especially in the case where application (as opposed to infrastructure) intermediaries are involved.

Unfortunately WSDL does not define how one should specify an optional message part in an abstract definition. To resolve this ambiguity and to fully support SOAP it is necessary for BPEL to introduce a mechanism that allows the BPEL process to specify that a particular message part in an abstract message definition is optional.
Changes: 27 Nov 2003 - new issue

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