PHP 5 SoapServer usage?

Question

I'm trying to create a simple SOAP webservice in PHP using the native SoapServer class: http://www.php.net/manual/en/class.soapserver.php

However, the documentation is very poor on this class and i have no idea on how to create a Server, just a client. Can anyone provide some tuts or sample code?

2 points to note that could save you time; first, take the time to understand this bug : https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=49169 ; second, don't rely on schema validation working, in my experience not all XML schema rules are checked. — Robin, Nov 20 '11 at 16:37

score 9 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 11:44

I have also been struggling with this, especially getting code that works well with .Net clients. I have found examples that work well with PHP clients, but often these examples fail when I try to call the service from a .Net client. I am still struggling with this, hence this question of mine asking for help with a simple PHP SoapServer example that returns a string value:

String values returned by PHP SoapServer not received by .Net client

But, although I can't get this basic example working, I have managed to get an example working that returns an array of custom object, so I will share this example here in the hope that it will be helpful to others. This example defines a single operation getUsers which takes a string parameter message, just to demonstrate message passing. This operation returns an array of User objects. The User object also has a field message where I pass back the value received into the service, just for testing purposes. I will post the complete example; wsdl document, PHP server code and C# client code.

WSDL Document

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<wsdl:definitions
    xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/soap/"
    xmlns:tm="http://microsoft.com/wsdl/mime/textMatching/"
    xmlns:soapenc="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/encoding/"
    xmlns:mime="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/mime/"
    xmlns:tns="http://test-uri/soap/export/"
    xmlns:s="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
    xmlns:soap12="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/soap12/"
    xmlns:http="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/http/"
    targetNamespace="http://test-uri/soap/export/"
    xmlns:wsdl="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/">

<wsdl:types>
<s:schema targetNamespace="http://test-uri/soap/export/" elementFormDefault="qualified">
    <s:import namespace="http://microsoft.com/wsdl/types/"/>

    <s:element name="getUsers">
        <s:complexType>
            <s:sequence>
                <s:element minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1" name="message" type="s:string"/>
            </s:sequence>
        </s:complexType>
    </s:element>

    <s:element name="getUsersResponse">
        <s:complexType>
            <s:sequence>
                <s:element name="getUsersArray" type="tns:getUsersArray"/>
            </s:sequence>
        </s:complexType>
    </s:element>

    <s:complexType name="getUsersArray">
        <s:sequence>
            <s:element minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded" name="User" nillable="true" type="tns:User" />
        </s:sequence>
    </s:complexType>

    <s:complexType name="User">
        <s:sequence>
            <s:element minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1" name="id" type="s:string"/>
            <s:element minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1" name="firstname" type="s:string"/>
            <s:element minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1" name="surname" type="s:string"/>
            <s:element minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1" name="message" type="s:string"/>
        </s:sequence>
    </s:complexType>
</s:schema>
</wsdl:types>

<wsdl:message name="getUsersSoapIn">
<wsdl:part name="parameters" element="tns:getUsers"/>
</wsdl:message>
<wsdl:message name="getUsersSoapOut">
<wsdl:part name="parameters" element="tns:getUsersResponse"/>
</wsdl:message>

<wsdl:portType name="TestSoap">
<wsdl:operation name="getUsers">
    <wsdl:documentation xmlns:wsdl='http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/'>
        Function ("getUsers")
    </wsdl:documentation>
    <wsdl:input message="tns:getUsersSoapIn"/>
    <wsdl:output message="tns:getUsersSoapOut"/>
</wsdl:operation>
</wsdl:portType>

<wsdl:portType name="TestSoap12">
<wsdl:operation name="getUsers">
    <wsdl:documentation xmlns:wsdl='http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/'>
        Function ("getUsers")
    </wsdl:documentation>
    <wsdl:input message="tns:getUsersSoapIn"/>
    <wsdl:output message="tns:getUsersSoapOut"/>
</wsdl:operation>
</wsdl:portType>

<wsdl:binding name="TestSoap" type="tns:TestSoap">
<soap:binding transport="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/http"/>
<wsdl:operation name="getUsers">
    <soap:operation soapAction="http://test-uri/soap/export/getUsers" style="document"/>
    <wsdl:input>
        <soap:body use="literal"/>
    </wsdl:input>
    <wsdl:output>
        <soap:body use="literal"/>
    </wsdl:output>
</wsdl:operation>
</wsdl:binding>

<wsdl:binding name="TestSoap12" type="tns:TestSoap12">
<soap12:binding transport="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/http"/>
<wsdl:operation name="getUsers">
    <soap12:operation soapAction="http://test-uri/soap/export/getUsers" style="document"/>
    <wsdl:input>
        <soap12:body use="literal"/>
    </wsdl:input>
    <wsdl:output>
        <soap12:body use="literal"/>
    </wsdl:output>
</wsdl:operation>
</wsdl:binding>

<wsdl:service name="TestService">
<wsdl:port name="TestPort" binding="tns:TestSoap">
    <soap:address location="http://url/to/test_server.php"/>
</wsdl:port>
<wsdl:port name="TestSoap12" binding="tns:TestSoap12">
    <soap12:address location="http://url/to/test_server.php"/>
</wsdl:port>
</wsdl:service>

</wsdl:definitions>

PHP Server Code

<?php
function getUsers($args) {
   $args = (array)$args;
   return array("getUsersArray" => array(  
                                       array("id"=>"1",
                                           "firstname"=>"Barney",
                                           "surname"=>"Rubble",
                                           "message"=>$args["message"]), 
                                       array("id"=>"2", 
                                            "firstname"=>"Fred", 
                                            "surname"=>"Flintstone", 
                                            "message"=>$args["message"])
                                    )
               );
}
ini_set("soap.wsdl_cache_enabled", "0"); // disabling WSDL cache
$server = new SoapServer("test.wsdl");
$server->addFunction("getUsers");
try {
    $server->handle();
}
catch (Exception $e) {
    $server->fault('Sender', $e->getMessage());
}
?>

C# Client Code

namespace WindowsFormsApplication1
{
    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            WebReference.TestService srv = new WebReference.TestService();
            WebReference.User[] users = srv.getUsers("says hello");
            foreach (WebReference.User user in users)
            {
                MessageBox.Show(user.firstname+" "+user.message);
            }
        }
    }
}

That's it. I hope this example is useful to others and saves them the hours that this has cost me!!

Just to follow up on this. I also managed to get an example working with a PHP soap service that returns a *single* object instead of an array. Remove the _getUsersArray_ _complexType_ from the WSDL and replace the reference to this complex type with _User_ instead. Then in the server code, get rid of one of the array of User fields and the wrapping array. So like this: return array("getUsersArray" => array("id"=>"1", "firstname"=>"Barney", "surname"=>"Rubble", "message"=>$args["message"]) ); Obviously, _getUsersArray_ can be changed to a more appropriate name; just change in WSDL aswell. — BruceHill, Nov 21 '11 at 08:07

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 28 '11 at 00:38

Assuming that you intend to provide WSDL listing of PHP-server functions, I think that tutorial on this link is perfect: php servers

it is simple, short and says everything that you need.

... after creating simple servers, only thing that you probably will have problems with are "complex types", and this tutorial solves main problem by recommending using "new SoapParam". Associative arrays returned by PHP will produce intended OBJECTS in some java/asp client-generators.

So, PHP Soap server will be ok for phpclients, c#-asp, java-axis, soapUI... Manually written wsdl with php SoapServer works great.

I do not know why, but it really seems like there is a lack of information about this on the net... ignoring the posts saying "use document-literal instead of rpc-encoded" - it is stupid, unproven or at least unimportant for beginning.

PHP 5 SoapServer usage?

2 Answers2