Transcoding

SOAP defines encodings, especially for SOAP-RPC.

Encoding

$obj->array( <$name|undef>, $item_type, $elements, %options )

Arrays can be a mess: a mixture of anything and nothing. Therefore, you have to help the generation more than you may wish for. This method produces an one dimensional array, multidim() is used for multi-dimensional arrays.

The $name is the packed type of the array itself. When undef, the "{soap-enc-ns}Array" will be used (the action soap encoding namespace will be used).

The $item_type specifies the type of each element within the array. This type is used to create the "arrayType" attribute, however doesn't tell enough about the items themselves: they may be extensions to that type.

Each of the $elements (passed as ARRAY) must be an XML::LibXML::Node, either self-constructed, or produced by one of the builder methods in this class, like enc() or typed().

Returned is the XML::LibXML::Element which represents the array.

 -Option      --Default
  array_type    <generated>
  id            <undef>
  nested_array  ''
  offset        0
  slice         <all remaining>
    

$obj->element($type, $name, $value)

Create an element. The $name is for node, where a namespace component is translated into a prefix. When you wish for a "type" attribute, use typed().

When the $type does not contain a namespace indication, it is taken in the selected schema namespace. If the $value already is a XML::LibXML::Element, then that one is used (and the $name ignored).

$obj->enc( $local, $value, [$id] )

In the SOAP specification, encoding types are defined: elements which do not have a distinguishable name but use the type of the data as name. Yep, ugly!

example:

  my $xml = $soap->enc('int', 43);
  my $xml = $soap->enc(int => 43);
  print $xml->toString;
    # <SOAP-ENC:int>43</SOAP-ENC:int>
  my $xml = $soap->enc('int', 42, id => 'me');
  my $xml = $soap->enc(int => 42, id => 'me');
  print $xml->toString;
    # <SOAP-ENC:int id="me">42</SOAP-ENC:int>
    

$obj->href( $name, $element, [$id] )

Create a reference element with $name to the existing $element. When the $element does not have an "id" attribute yet, then $id will be used. In case not $id was specified, then one is generated.

$obj->multidim( <$name|undef>, $item_type, $elements, %options )

A multi-dimensional array, less flexible than a single dimensional array, which can be created with array().

The table of $elements (ARRAY of ARRAYs) must be full: in each of the dimensions, the length of each row must be the same. On the other hand, it may be sparse (contain undefs). The size of each dimension is determined by the length of its first element.

 -Option--Default
  id      undef
    

$obj->nil( [$type], $name )

Create an element with $name which explicitly has the "xsi:nil" attribute. If the $name is full (has a namespace to it), it will be translated into a QNAME, otherwise, it is considered not namespace qualified.

If a $type is given, then an explicit type parameter is added.

$obj->prefixed( $type|<$ns,$local> )

Translate a $ns-$local combination (which may be represented as a packed $type) into a prefixed notation.

$obj->startEncoding(%options)

 -Option--Default
  doc     <created internally with utf8>
    

$obj->struct($type, $childs)

Create a structure, an element with children. The $childs must be fully prepared XML::LibXML::Element objects.

$obj->typed($type, $name, $value)

A "typed" element shows its type explicitly, via the "xsi:type" attribute. The $value will get processed via an auto-generated XML::Compile writer, so validated. The processing is cashed.

When $value already is an XML::LibXML::Element, then no processing nor value checking will be performed. The $name will be ignored.

If the $type is not qualified, then it is interpreted as basic type, as defined by the selected schema. If you explicitly need a non-namespace typed item, then use an empty namespace. In any case, the type must be defined and the value is validated.

example:

 my $xml = $soap->typed(int => count => 5);
 my $xml = $soap->typed(pack_type(SCHEMA1999, 'int'), count => 5);
 my $xml = $soap->typed(pack_type('', 'mine'), a => 1);
 my $xml = $soap->typed('{}mine'), a => 1); #same
    

Decoding

$obj->rpcDecode($xmlnodes)

Decode the elements found in the $xmlnodes (list of XML::LibXML::Node objects). Use Data::Dumper to figure-out what the produced output is: it is a guess, so may not be perfect (do not use RPC but document style soap for good results).

The decoded data is returned. When "simplify" is set, then the returned data is compact but may be sloppy. Otherwise, a HASH is returned containing as much info as could be extracted from the tree.