Zend_Soap_Server

Zend_Soap_Server class is intended to simplify Web Services server part development for PHP programmers.

It may be used in WSDL or non-WSDL mode, and using classes or functions to define Web Service API.

When Zend_Soap_Server component works in the WSDL mode, it uses already prepared WSDL document to define server object behavior and transport layer options.

WSDL document may be auto-generated with functionality provided by Zend_Soap_AutoDiscovery component or should be constructed manually using Zend_Soap_Wsdl class or any other XML generating tool.

If the non-WSDL mode is used, then all protocol options have to be set using options mechanism.

Zend_Soap_Server constructor

Zend_Soap_Server constructor should be used a bit differently for WSDL and non-WSDL modes.

Zend_Soap_Server constructor for the WSDL mode

Zend_Soap_Server constructor takes two optional parameters when it works in WSDL mode:

$wsdl, which is an URI of a WSDL file ^[1] setWsdl($wsdl) .
$options - options to create SOAP server object ^[2] setOptions($options) .

The following options are recognized in the WSDL mode:
- 'soap_version' ('soapVersion') - soap version to use (SOAP_1_1 or SOAP_1_2).
- 'actor' - the actor URI for the server.
- 'classmap' ('classMap') which can be used to map some WSDL types to PHP classes.
  
  The option must be an array with WSDL types as keys and names of PHP classes as values.
- 'encoding' - internal character encoding (UTF-8 is always used as an external encoding).
- 'wsdl' which is equivalent to setWsdl($wsdlValue) call.

Zend_Soap_Server constructor for the non-WSDL mode

The first constructor parameter must be set to NULL if you plan to use Zend_Soap_Server functionality in non-WSDL mode.

You also have to set 'uri' option in this case (see below).

The second constructor parameter ($options) is an array with options to create SOAP server object ^[3] setOptions($options) .

The following options are recognized in the non-WSDL mode:

'soap_version' ('soapVersion') - soap version to use (SOAP_1_1 or SOAP_1_2).
'actor' - the actor URI for the server.
'classmap' ('classMap') which can be used to map some WSDL types to PHP classes.

The option must be an array with WSDL types as keys and names of PHP classes as values.
'encoding' - internal character encoding (UTF-8 is always used as an external encoding).
'uri' (required) - URI namespace for SOAP server.

Methods to define Web Service API

There are two ways to define Web Service API when your want to give access to your PHP code through SOAP.

The first one is to attach some class to the Zend_Soap_Server object which has to completely describe Web Service API:

...
class MyClass {
    /**
     * This method takes ...
     *
     * @param integer $inputParam
     * @return string
     */
    public function method1($inputParam) {
        ...
    }
 
    /**
     * This method takes ...
     *
     * @param integer $inputParam1
     * @param string  $inputParam2
     * @return float
     */
    public function method2($inputParam1, $inputParam2) {
        ...
    }
 
    ...
}
...
$server = new Zend_Soap_Server(null, $options);
// Bind Class to Soap Server
$server->setClass('MyClass');
// Bind already initialized object to Soap Server
$server->setObject(new MyClass());
...
$server->handle();

Note: Important!
You should completely describe each method using method docblock if you plan to use autodiscover functionality to prepare corresponding Web Service WSDL.

The second method of defining Web Service API is using set of functions and addFunction() or loadFunctions() methods:

...
/**
 * This function ...
 *
 * @param integer $inputParam
 * @return string
 */
function function1($inputParam) {
    ...
}
 
/**
 * This function ...
 *
 * @param integer $inputParam1
 * @param string  $inputParam2
 * @return float
 */
function function2($inputParam1, $inputParam2) {
    ...
}
...
$server = new Zend_Soap_Server(null, $options);
$server->addFunction('function1');
$server->addFunction('function2');
...
$server->handle();

Request and response objects handling

Note: Advanced
This section describes advanced request/response processing options and may be skipped.

Zend_Soap_Server component performs request/response processing automatically, but allows to catch it and do some pre- and post-processing.

Request processing

Zend_Soap_Server::handle() method takes request from the standard input stream ('php://input'). It may be overridden either by supplying optional parameter to the handle() method or by setting request using setRequest() method:

...
$server = new Zend_Soap_Server(...);
...
// Set request using optional $request parameter
$server->handle($request);
...
// Set request using setRequest() method
$server->setRequest();
$server->handle();

Request object may be represented using any of the following:

DOMDocument (casted to XML)
DOMNode (owner document is grabbed and casted to XML)
SimpleXMLElement (casted to XML)
stdClass (__toString() is called and verified to be valid XML)
string (verified to be valid XML)

Last processed request may be retrieved using getLastRequest() method as an XML string:

...
$server = new Zend_Soap_Server(...);
...
$server->handle();
$request = $server->getLastRequest();

Response pre-processing

Zend_Soap_Server::handle() method automatically emits generated response to the output stream. It may be blocked using setReturnResponse() with TRUE or FALSE as a parameter ^[4] setReturnResponse() . Generated response is returned by handle() method in this case.

...
$server = new Zend_Soap_Server(...);
...
// Get a response as a return value of handle() method
// instead of emitting it to the standard output
$server->setReturnResponse(true);
...
$response = $server->handle();
...

Last response may be also retrieved by getLastResponse() method for some post-processing:

...
$server = new Zend_Soap_Server(...);
...
$server->handle();
$response = $server->getLastResponse();
...

^[1] May be set later using method.

^[2] Options may be set later using method.

^[3] Options may be set later using method.

^[4] Current state of the Return Response flag may be requested with method.