WSDL File Elements Description

The following table describes the basic elements in a WSDL document.

Element	Description
<definitions>	Contains the elements that describe a Web service.
<types>	Contains the type definitions that describe the data that is received and sent by the Web service. The <types> element can reference entire XML Schemas and can contain simple type definitions, complex type definitions, and element declarations. The type definitions and element declarations help define the input and output parameters for the Web service. WSDL uses XML Schema as its native type system.
<message>	Specifies the data that is received and sent by the Web service. A <message> element describes a set of input parameters or a set of output parameters. Each <message> element can contain one or more <part> elements. A <part> element associates a piece of data with a name and a type definition or element declaration. The type definition or element declaration referenced by the <part> element can be defined, declared, or referenced in the <types> element.
<operation>	Specifies the messages that are received and sent by the Web service. Within the <operation> element, the <input> element identifies the message whose parts specify the input parameters to the Web service while the <output> element identifies the message whose parts specify the output parameters of the Web service. Essentially, the operation specifies the signature for the Web service. An <operation> element is declared within a <portType> element.
<portType>	Defines a named set of operations. The <portType> element associates a port type name with a set of operations. A <portType> element can contain multiple operations.
<binding>	Specifies the protocol and message format to use to access the operations in a port type. Each <binding> element can specify only one protocol for a port type; however, a WSDL document can define more than one binding for a single port type. A WSDL document should include one <binding> element for each protocol that it supports.
<port>	Associates a binding with a network address. Together, the binding and network address specify how to invoke a Web service. Each port can specify only one network address for a binding; however, multiple ports can be defined for a single Web service. Port elements are defined within the <service> element.
<service>	Groups ports that can be used to call Web services. A <service> element can contain many ports.