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How To Use Soap Service In Postman

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Understanding SOAP Services & Postman

SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) is a messaging protocol used for exchanging structured information between applications. It’s widely used for web services and offers a reliable and standardized way to communicate over the internet.

Postman is a powerful API testing tool that makes interacting with SOAP services, including sending and receiving SOAP requests and responses, a breeze.

Setting up Your SOAP Request in Postman

Step 1: Create a New Request:

  • In Postman, click the “New” button to create a new request.

Step 2: Select the HTTP Method:

  • For SOAP services, typically use the “POST” method to send requests.

Step 3: Define the URL:

  • Enter the endpoint URL of your SOAP service.

Step 4: Set the Content-Type:

  • In the “Headers” tab, set the “Content-Type” header to “application/soap+xml”.

Step 5: Add a Body:

  • In the “Body” tab, select “raw” and choose “XML” as the body format.

Step 6: Construct Your SOAP Request:

  • Paste or manually enter your SOAP request within the XML body. Here’s a basic structure:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<soapenv:Envelope xmlns:soapenv="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/"
                 xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
                 xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
  <soapenv:Body>
    <!-- Your request payload goes here -->
  </soapenv:Body>
</soapenv:Envelope>

Sending Your SOAP Request

Once you’ve defined your SOAP request, you can send it using Postman.

  • Click the “Send” button.

Postman will execute the request and display the response in the “Response” tab.

Analyzing the SOAP Response in Postman

Postman provides various ways to analyze your SOAP response:

1. Raw XML Output:

  • In the “Response” tab, by default, you’ll see the raw XML response from the SOAP service.

2. Pretty Print:

  • Click the “Pretty Print” option to format the XML output for better readability.

3. Code Formatter:

  • Use the “Code Formatter” button to format the response using industry-standard formatting conventions.

4. JSON Transform:

  • Optionally, you can transform the XML response into JSON format using the “JSON Transform” button.

Example: Using a SOAP Weather Service

Let’s use a sample SOAP weather service for demonstration:

1. Endpoint URL:

2. SOAP Request (Getting Current Weather):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<soap:Envelope xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
  <soap:Body>
    <GetWeather xmlns="http://www.webservicex.net/">
      <CityName>London</CityName>
      <CountryName>UK</CountryName>
    </GetWeather>
  </soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>

3. Setting Up Your Postman Request:

  • URL: https://www.webservicex.net/globalweather.asmx
  • Method: POST
  • Headers: Content-Type: application/soap+xml
  • Body: Paste the above SOAP request within the “raw” (XML) body.

4. Sending the Request:

  • Click the “Send” button, and you’ll receive the weather information for London in XML format.

Key Benefits of Using Postman for SOAP Testing

  • Intuitive Interface: Postman’s user-friendly interface makes it easy to construct, send, and analyze SOAP requests.
  • Response Validation: Postman allows you to validate the response against expectations, including checking for specific elements or status codes.
  • Collection Management: Organize your SOAP requests into collections for easier management and reuse.
  • Automation: Postman supports scripting, enabling automation of your SOAP testing processes.
  • Comprehensive Debugging: Postman provides debugging tools to pinpoint issues in your SOAP requests or responses.

Conclusion

Postman simplifies the process of working with SOAP services. Its intuitive features and powerful tools make it an ideal solution for developers and testers needing to interact with SOAP APIs effectively.

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