What does the XML-Based protocol, SOAP, define?

The XML-Based protocol, SOAP, stands for Simple Object Access Protocol, and it primarily defines rules for web service message structure. This standard allows different systems to communicate over the web, enabling the exchange of structured information in the implementation of web services. The core characteristic of SOAP is its reliance on XML to format messages, ensuring that the data being exchanged is structured in a way that can be understood by different applications, regardless of their underlying systems.

SOAP specifies the format of messages, how they should be processed, and how to handle web service requests and responses. By adhering to these predefined rules, developers ensure interoperability between diverse systems, which is a key aspect of modern web services.

While workflow processes, API authentication, and data encryption are important aspects of web services and overall security, they are not the primary focus of the SOAP protocol. SOAP is specifically concerned with the messaging framework, making its primary definition centered around the structure of web service messages.