XML-RPC
XML-RPC is a remote procedure call protocol which uses XML to encode its calls and HTTP as a transport mechanism.[1]
History
XML-RPC was created in 1998 by Dave Winer of UserLand Software and Microsoft[2]. As new functionality was introduced, the standard evolved into what is now SOAP.
XML-RPC was patented by Phillip Merrick, Stewart Allen, and Joseph Lapp in April 2006, claiming benefit to a provisional application filed in March 1998. The patent is assigned to webMethods, located in Fairfax, VA.[3]
Usage
XML-RPC is believed to be simpler to use and understand than SOAP.
JSON-RPC is similar to XML-RPC.
Data types
Common datatypes are converted into their XML equivalents with example values shown below:
Name | Tag Example | Description |
---|---|---|
array |
<array>
<data>
<value><i4>1404</i4></value>
<value><string>Something here</string></value>
<value><i4>1</i4></value>
</data>
</array>
|
Array of values, storing no keys |
base64 |
<base64>eW91IGNhbid0IHJlYWQgdGhpcyE=</base64>
|
Base64-encoded binary data |
boolean |
<boolean>1</boolean>
|
Boolean logical value (0 or 1) |
date/time |
<dateTime.iso8601>19980717T14:08:55</dateTime.iso8601>
|
Date and time in ISO 8601 format |
double |
<double>-12.53</double>
|
Double precision floating point number |
integer |
<i4>42</i4>
or <int>42</int>
|
Whole number, integer |
string |
<string>Hello world!</string>
|
String of characters. Must follow XML encoding. |
struct |
<struct>
<member>
<name>foo</name>
<value><i4>1</i4></value>
</member>
<member>
<name>bar</name>
<value><i4>2</i4></value>
</member>
</struct>
|
Associative array |
nil |
<nil/>
|
Discriminated null value; an XML-RPC extension |
Examples
An example of a typical XML-RPC request would be:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<methodCall>
<methodName>examples.getStateName</methodName>
<params>
<param>
<value><i4>40</i4></value>
</param>
</params>
</methodCall>
An example of a typical XML-RPC response would be:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<methodResponse>
<params>
<param>
<value><string>South Dakota</string></value>
</param>
</params>
</methodResponse>
A typical XML-RPC fault would be:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<methodResponse>
<fault>
<value>
<struct>
<member>
<name>faultCode</name>
<value><int>4</int></value>
</member>
<member>
<name>faultString</name>
<value><string>Too many parameters.</string></value>
</member>
</struct>
</value>
</fault>
</methodResponse>
Implementations
C++
- Libiqxmlrpc
- Ultra lightweight XML-RPC library for C++
- XML-RPC for C and C++
- XmlRpc++
- XmlRpc C++ client for Windows
Objective-C / GNUstep / Cocoa
- XMLRPC Framework
- Cocoa XML-RPC Framework: Open Source XML-RPC framework written for use in Mac OS X Cocoa applications.
Erlang
- XML-RPC for Erlang: This is an HTTP 1.1 compliant XML-RPC library for Erlang. It is designed to make it easy to write XML-RPC Erlang clients and/or servers. The library is compliant with the XML-RPC specification published by http://www.xmlrpc.org/
Java
- Apache XML-RPC: Open source library for Java
- XML-RPC Delight: Convenient serialisation/deserialisation for Apache XML-RPC using Java Annotations and Beans
- [1]: Secure Apache XML-RPC
- Redstone XML-RPC Library: Redstone's Open Source Library - XML-RPC implementation in Java
- XML-RPC Library for Java ME: Open source client-side library for Java ME
XMPP
- pyJabberXMLRPC: Python classes for XMPP
- Jabber-RPC: Over the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol protocol
Other
- JSON/XML-RPC Client and Server: Abstract away the differences between JSON-RPC and XML-RPC
- RemObjects SDK Delphi and .NET package for XML-RPC, in addition to SOAP and others
- RealThinClient SDK: For Delphi/C++
- XML::RPC: Perl module implementation
- xmlrpclib: Included in Python's standard library since 2.2
- Renamed xmlrpc.client in Python 3.
- XML-RPC for ActionScript: For Flash ActionScript 2.0
- as3-rpclib: For Flex/Actionscript 3
- XML-RPC.NET: Open source library for .NET clients and servers
- XmlRpc-Light: Client and server library for OCaml
- S-XML-RPC: Client and server library for Common Lisp
- PHP-XML-RPC: For PHP
- HaXR: Client and server library for Haskell
- xi library with PHP and Javascript XML-RPC: For PHP and Javascript
- Ruby XML-RPC library: For Ruby
- XML-RPC interface to Lua: For Lua
- android-xmlrpc: A light XML-RPC client for Google Android
See also
References
- ^ Simon St. Laurent, Joe Johnston, Edd Dumbill. (June 2001) Programming Web Services with XML-RPC. O'Reilly. First Edition.
- ^ Box, Don (1 April 2001). "A Brief History of SOAP". O'Reilly. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
- ^ Merrick; et al. (11 April 2006). "US Patent 7,028,312". Retrieved 18 September 2008.
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