Calling REST Methods

REST is an entirely different remote procedure call protocol, completely different from SOAP.

In REST, the client does an HTTP Post to the method’s “REST path”. All inputs are structured the same as HTML Form Posts, so no WSDL is required to describe them. Similarly, the output is analogous to a web page returned by an HTML Form Post, so no WSDL is required to describe the method’s output. The service still has to restrict data types of inputs, but this is handled by the REST interface.

Not all SBA Web Services have a REST interface, but some do. No one is currently using the REST interfaces, but they’re available in case needed.

If a legacy SOAP Web Service has a REST interface too, its REST information is displayed just below its SOAP information, like this:

SOAP Component (URL of WSDL file)
SOAP Method (Method Name)
REST Component /rest/elend/legacy
REST Method /rest/elend/legacy/(Method Name)
Inputs in the WSDL:
  • Input 1 name
    		•  (Mandatory/Optional). (Description)
  • Input 2 name
    		•  (Mandatory/Optional). (Description)
  • etc.
    		•
    Output in the WSDL:
    (Description)

    This layout allows all the legacy inputs to be shared, since they’re the same between SOAP and REST.

    If a flexible SOAP Web Service has a REST interface too, its REST information is similarly displayed, like this:

    SOAP Component (WSDL Address)
    SOAP Method (Method that expects a structure), only input is structure (input name)
    Or: (Method that expects a JSON string), only input is JSON string (input name)
    REST Component /rest/elend/legacy
    REST Method /rest/elend/legacy/(Method Name)
    Or: /rest/elend/flexible/(Method that expects a JSON string), only input is JSON string
    Keys of the Input Structure:
  • Key 1 name
    		•  (Mandatory/Optional). (Description of its value in the input structure)
  • Key 2 name
    		•  (Mandatory/Optional). (Description of its value in the input structure)
  • etc.
    		•
    Keys of the Output Structure:
  • Key 3 name
    		•  (Description of its value in the output structure)
  • Key 4 name
    		•  (Description of its value in the output structure)
  • etc.
    		•

    This layout allows all the flexible keys to be shared, since they’re the same between SOAP and REST.