Issue - 47 - Which Version of WSDL should we use?

[ws-bpel issues list editor<peter.furniss@choreology.com>]

This issue has been added to the wsbpel issue list. The issues list is posted as a Technical Committee document to the OASIS WSBPEL TC pages on a regular basis. The current edition, as a TC document, is the most recent document with the title in the "Issues" folder of the WSBPEL TC document list - the next posting will include this issue. The list editor's working copy, which will normally include an issue when it is announced, is available at this constant URL.

Issue - 47 - Which Version of WSDL should we use?

Status: open
Date added: 8 Aug 2003
Submitter: Liu, Kevin
Date submitted: 07 August 2003
Document: Specification
Description: The BPEL4WS 1.1 draft uses WSDL1.1. Given the time the draft was 
created, it's very reasonable that WSDL1.1 was used.  As time elapses and 
WSDL1.2 is about to emerge, it may be the time for us to reconsider which 
version of WSDL should BPEL 1.2 (or whatever number we choose to version 
our deliverable) be based on. The decision may have significant impact on 
our workload and maybe schedule.

WSDL1.2 is still under construction, but it's already obvious that some key changes will be made to the core WSDL language. For example, portType will be called "interface", support for interface inheritance (sort of) will be added, and most importantly for BPEL, the message construct will most likely be removed (the W3C web services description WG has just reached consensus in its F2F last week that). Hopefully the public will have access to a relatively stable draft by November as the W3C group is targeting to produce a last call draft by then.

We are facing a timing issue here. Our charter gives us 9 months to produce a TC draft. Let's assume that we will get the job done on time, and we will have a new version of BPEL delivered in February 2004. Though nobody can tell for sure at this point of time, but it's likely that WSDL1.2 (at least part 1 for the core language) may be released in about the same time frame, if not earlier. If we will not be able to meet our deadline in February, WSDL1.2 may already been there for a little while when we do our release.

I would like suggest that the TC consider to:

1. Assess the necessity for establishing a form liaison with the W3C WSD working group to coordinate schedules and get updates on key feature changes

2. Assess the impact of relevant WSDL changes on BPEL
Changes: 8 Aug 2003 - new issue

---

To comment on this issue, please follow-up to this announcement on the wsbpel@lists.oasis-open.org list (replying to this message should automatically send your message to that list), or ensure the subject line as you send it starts "Issue - 47 - [anything]" or is a reply to such a message.

To add a new issue, see the issues procedures document.