# SOAP Client

# WSDL Mode

First, create a new SoapClient object, passing the URL to the WSDL file and optionally, an array of options.

// Create a new client object using a WSDL URL
$soap = new SoapClient('https://example.com/soap.wsdl', [
    # This array and its values are optional
    'soap_version' => SOAP_1_2,
    'compression' => SOAP_COMPRESSION_ACCEPT | SOAP_COMPRESSION_GZIP,
    'cache_wsdl' => WSDL_CACHE_BOTH,
    # Helps with debugging
    'trace' => TRUE,
    'exceptions' => TRUE
]);

Then use the $soap object to call your SOAP methods.

$result = $soap->requestData(['a', 'b', 'c']);

# Non-WSDL Mode

This is similar to WSDL mode, except we pass NULL as the WSDL file and make sure to set the location and uri options.

$soap = new SoapClient(NULL, [
    'location' => 'https://example.com/soap/endpoint',
    'uri' => 'namespace'
]);

# Classmaps

When creating a SOAP Client in PHP, you can also set a classmap key in the configuration array. This classmap defines which types defined in the WSDL should be mapped to actual classes, instead of the default StdClass. The reason you would want to do this is because you can get auto-completion of fields and method calls on these classes, instead of having to guess which fields are set on the regular StdClass.

class MyAddress {
    public $country;
    public $city;
    public $full_name;
    public $postal_code; // or zip_code
    public $house_number;
}

class MyBook {
    public $name;
    public $author;

    // The classmap also allows us to add useful functions to the objects
    // that are returned from the SOAP operations.
    public function getShortDescription() {
        return "{$this->name}, written by {$this->author}";
    }
}

$soap_client = new SoapClient($link_to_wsdl, [
    // Other parameters
    "classmap" => [
        "Address" => MyAddress::class, // ::class simple returns class as string
        "Book" => MyBook::class,
    ]
]);

After configuring the classmap, whenever you perform a certain operation that returns a type Address or Book, the SoapClient will instantiate that class, fill the fields with the data and return it from the operation call.

// Lets assume 'getAddress(1234)' returns an Address by ID in the database
$address = $soap_client->getAddress(1234);

// $address is now of type MyAddress due to the classmap
echo $address->country;

// Lets assume the same for 'getBook(1234)'
$book = $soap_client->getBook(124);

// We can not use other functions defined on the MyBook class
echo $book->getShortDescription();

// Any type defined in the WSDL that is not defined in the classmap
// will become a regular StdClass object
$author = $soap_client->getAuthor(1234);

// No classmap for Author type, $author is regular StdClass.
// We can still access fields, but no auto-completion and no custom functions
// to define for the objects.
echo $author->name;

# Tracing SOAP request and response

Sometimes we want to look at what is sent and received in the SOAP request. The following methods will return the XML in the request and response:

SoapClient::__getLastRequest()
SoapClient::__getLastRequestHeaders()
SoapClient::__getLastResponse()
SoapClient::__getLastResponseHeaders()

For example, suppose we have an ENVIRONMENT constant and when this constant's value is set to DEVELOPMENT we want to echo all information when the call to getAddress throws an error. One solution could be:

try {
    $address = $soap_client->getAddress(1234);
} catch (SoapFault $e) {
    if (ENVIRONMENT === 'DEVELOPMENT') {
        var_dump(
            $soap_client->__getLastRequestHeaders()
            $soap_client->__getLastRequest(),
            $soap_client->__getLastResponseHeaders(),
            $soap_client->__getLastResponse()
        );
    }
    ...
}

# Syntax

# Parameters

Parameter Details
$wsdl URI of WSDL or NULL if using non-WSDL mode
$options Array of options for SoapClient. Non-WSDL mode requires location and uri to set, all other options are optional. See table below for possible values.

# Remarks

The SoapClient class is equipped with a __call method. This is not to be called directly. Instead this allows you to do:

$soap->requestInfo(['a', 'b', 'c']);

This will call the requestInfo SOAP method.

Table of possible $options values (Array of key/value pairs):

Option Details
location URL of SOAP server. Required in non-WSDL mode. Can be used in WSDL mode to override the URL.
uri Target namespace of SOAP service. Required in non-WSDL mode.
style Possible values are SOAP_RPC or SOAP_DOCUMENT. Only valid in non-WSDL mode.
use Possible values are SOAP_ENCODED or SOAP_LITERAL. Only valid in non-WSDL mode.
soap_version Possible values are SOAP_1_1 (default) or SOAP_1_2.
authentication Enable HTTP authentication. Possible values are SOAP_AUTHENTICATION_BASIC (default) or SOAP_AUTHENTICATION_DIGEST.
login Username for HTTP authentication
password Password for HTTP authentication
proxy_host URL of proxy server
proxy_port Proxy server port
proxy_login Username for proxy
proxy_password Password for proxy
local_cert Path to HTTPS client cert (for authentication)
passphrase Passphrase for HTTPS client cert
compression Compress request / response. Value is a bitmask of SOAP_COMPRESSION_ACCEPT with either SOAP_COMPRESSION_GZIP or SOAP_COMPRESSION_DEFLATE. For example: SOAP_COMPRESSION_ACCEPT \| SOAP_COMPRESSION_GZIP.
encoding Internal character encoding (TODO: possible values)
trace Boolean, defaults to FALSE. Enables tracing of requests so faults can be backtraced. Enables use of __getLastRequest(), __getLastRequestHeaders(), __getLastResponse() and __getLastResponseHeaders().
classmap Map WSDL types to PHP classes. Value should be an array with WSDL types as keys and PHP class names as values.
exceptions Boolean value. Should SOAP errors exceptions (of type `SoapFault).
connection_timeout Timeout (in seconds) for the connection to the SOAP service.
typemap Array of type mappings. Array should be key/value pairs with the following keys: type_name, type_ns (namespace URI), from_xml (callback accepting one string parameter) and to_xml (callback accepting one object parameter).
cache_wsdl How (if at all) should the WSDL file be cached. Possible values are WSDL_CACHE_NONE, WSDL_CACHE_DISK, WSDL_CACHE_MEMORY or WSDL_CACHE_BOTH.
user_agent String to use in the User-Agent header.
stream_context A resource for a context.
features Bitmask of SOAP_SINGLE_ELEMENT_ARRAYS, SOAP_USE_XSI_ARRAY_TYPE, SOAP_WAIT_ONE_WAY_CALLS.
keep_alive (PHP version >= 5.4 only) Boolean value. Send either Connection: Keep-Alive header (TRUE) or Connection: Close header (FALSE).
ssl_method (PHP version >= 5.5 only) Which SSL/TLS version to use. Possible values are SOAP_SSL_METHOD_TLS, SOAP_SSL_METHOD_SSLv2, SOAP_SSL_METHOD_SSLv3 or SOAP_SSL_METHOD_SSLv23.

Issue with 32 bit PHP (opens new window): In 32 bit PHP, numeric strings greater than 32 bits which are automatically cast to integer by xs:long will result in it hitting the 32 bit limit, casting it to 2147483647. To work around this, cast the strings to float before passing it in to __soapCall().