The Web Services Definition Language (WSDL) is an XML-based service description that provides a simple way for service providers to describe the basic format of requests to their systems regardless of the underlying protocol or encoding. WSDL is often used in combination with SOAP and XML Schema to provide web services over the Internet. A client program connecting to a web service can read the WSDL to determine what functions are available on the server. Any special datatypes used are embedded in the WSDL file in the form of XML Schema. The client can then use SOAP to actually call one of the functions listed in the WSDL.

The Fusion WSDL Compiler code generation tool translates an XML Schema Definition (XSD) or Web Services Definition Language (WSDL) source file into computer language C source files. These source files contain an application programming interface (API) that allows programmatic data to be encoded to XML format and decoded to programmatic variables. Each variable is of a type that corresponds to a type, element, or attribute defined within the XML schema document.

Each XSD source file results in the generation of the following C language file:

• An include (.h) file containing C typedefs classes that represent each of the XSD types and global elements contained within the XSD source file
• Multiple C source (.c/.cpp) files containing encode, decode, validation, and utility functions. One encode and decode function is generated for each XSD type
• Utility functions may be generated for a given type or element to initialize, print, or generate test data
• An optional makefile to build the generated code

These files, when compiled and linked with the Fusion WSDL Compiler run-time encode/decode function library, provide a complete package for working with XML encoded data.

Fusion WSDL Compiler is compliant with the 2001 version of the W3C XML Schema standard (http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema). The encode API functions generate valid, well-formed XML messages that are consistent with the encoding procedures described in the standard. The decode API options are capable of decoding an instance of an XML instance that complies with the schema definition.