MuleSoft Developer with SOAP Salary in 2024

Where is SOAP used?

Web Services Party

• SOAP throws a wild fiesta where diverse apps boogie-woogie over the internet despite their cultural differences in languages and platforms.

Financial Wizards

• In the land of money, conjurers use SOAP spells for secure bank transactions, making sure your coins don't vanish into thin air!

Healthcare Heroes

• Hospitals pass the health potion recipes (aka patient records) in a secure envelope—SOAP, which only the right doctor can unwrap.

Travel Time Machine

• SOAP is your boarding pass to book flights across the clouds, hotels in fantasy lands, and even rent a dragon (or a car) in realms afar.

SOAP Alternatives

REST

Representational State Transfer simplifies communication via stateless operations using standard HTTP methods. Popular for web APIs. Example: Fetching a user's details via GET request.

GET /users/123 HTTP/1.1
Host: api.example.com

• Simpler than SOAP.


• Uses standard HTTP methods.


• More flexible with data formats.


• Not as robust for transactional operations.


• Less standardized security.


• No built-in stateful operations.

GraphQL

A query language allowing clients to specify exactly what data they need from an API. It's useful for complex systems and multifaceted data retrieval. Example: Query for specific user fields.

{
  user(id: "123") {
    name
    email
  }
}

• Highly customizable queries.


• Optimized data retrieval.


• Strong type system.


• Can be complex to set up.


• Overhead of learning a new query language.


• Efficiency depends on implementation.

gRPC

gRPC is a modern, high-performance RPC framework that leverages HTTP/2 for transport and offers efficient, contract-first APIs. Example: Service stub for client usage in gRPC.

service UserService {
  rpc GetUser(UserRequest) returns (UserResponse);
}

• Supports streaming data.


• Low latency & high throughput.


• Strongly-typed contracts.


• Requires HTTP/2 support.


• Steep learning curve.


• Tooling is less mature than REST.

Quick Facts about SOAP

The Birth of SOAP

You won't need a rubber duck for this one! In the foamy world of web services, SOAP bubbles up as a heavyweight contender. Initially conceived by Microsoft in 1998 as a mechanism for accessing services over the internet, SOAP—a.k.a. Simple Object Access Protocol—gave developers the toasty warm embrace of XML to call remote procedures, while exposing their own web services. It's like a set of walkie-talkies for your applications, just with better range and slightly more verbosity than two kids chatting across a suburban yard.

Version Evolution: SOAP's Age Lines

SOAP has a few wrinkles showing its age, with versions that mark its evolution. SOAP 1.1, which was not a W3C recommendation, bubbled up from the depths in 1999, but it was SOAP 1.2 that got the official nod in 2003, becoming a W3C recommendation. As it matured, this protocol sprouted specifications for message structures, encoding rules, and convention details for procedure calls. Imagine it as the magical growth of a caterpillar into a protocol butterfly, just less colorful and a tad more technical.

XML-Heavy and Namespaced Up!

Here's a juicy tidbit for the coding gourmands: SOAP messages are like stuffed turducken—they're XML documents with a hearty serving of namespaces and encoding types crammed into one envelope. They're chunky, they're robust, and they've got layers! Want a taste of how a SOAP message is meticulously prepared for the data feast? Feast your eyes on this delicacy:

<soap:Envelope xmlns:soap="http://www.w3.org/2003/05/soap-envelope">
  <soap:Header>
    <!-- Header information goes here -->
  </soap:Header>
  <soap:Body>
    <!-- The actual message content goes here -->
  </soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>

What is the difference between Junior, Middle, Senior and Expert SOAP developer?

Top 10 SOAP Related Tech

1. Java

   
   

   Java is like that reliable old friend who never lets you down, especially when you’re dealing with SOAP services. Thriving in the enterprise world, it's the go-to language for building sturdy web services with JAX-WS - Java API for XML Web Services. It’s like the Swiss Army knife in the SOAP toolkit; it can do almost anything except make your morning coffee.

   
   

   
   // Java example for a simple SOAP service
   @WebService
   public class AwesomeSoapService {
       @WebMethod
       public String sayHello(String name) {
           return "Hello, " + name + "! Welcome to the glorious world of SOAP.";
       }
   }
   

   
   



2. .NET Framework/WCF

   
   

   For those who pledge fealty to the Microsoft realm, .NET with Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) is your shining knight. It lets you build or consume flexible SOAP services with the same ease as ordering a pizza online. Just a few clicks, some configuration magic, and boom! You've got a SOAP service that's tighter than a drum.

   
   

   
   // .NET WCF example for a SOAP service
   [ServiceContract]
   public interface ISoapService {
       [OperationContract]
       string GetWelcomeMessage(string name);
   }
   
   public class SoapService : ISoapService {
       public string GetWelcomeMessage(string name) {
           return $"Welcome to the .NET kingdom, {name}!";
       }
   }
   

   
   



3. SOAP UI

   
   

   This is the Sherlock Holmes of SOAP testing tools. Give SOAP UI a whiff of your service's WSDL, and the game is afoot! It effortlessly interrogates your SOAP services better than a parlour game of 'Guess Who?'. With SOAP UI, you can test, mock, and sleuth out any issues in your SOAP services without breaking a sweat.

   
   



4. Apache CXF

   
   

   Roll out the red carpet for Apache CXF, the open-source celebrity in the SOAP world. It's like having an all-access pass to SOAP service development, offering support for both SOAP and REST without playing favorites. Think of it as your go-to command center for controlling the creation and consumption of web services with military precision.

   
   

   
   // Apache CXF example
   @WebService
   public class SoapBox {
       public String proclaim(String statement) {
           return "Hear ye, hear ye: " + statement;
       }
   }
   

   
   



5. Spring Framework

   
   

   Spring - it's not just a season, it's a full-blown SOAP festival! With its dedicated Spring Web Services module, you can cultivate SOAP services as if they're tulips in the garden of enterprise software. Marry Spring’s soothing simplicity with SOAP’s structured elegance, and you’ll understand why developers RSVP to this party.

   
   

   
   // Spring Framework SOAP Endpoint
   @Endpoint
   public class SoapEndpoint {
       @PayloadRoot(namespace = "http://example.com/soap", localPart = "request")
       @ResponsePayload
       public Element handleSoapRequest(@RequestPayload Element request) {
           // Implement your SOAP logic here
       }
   }
   

   
   



6. Postman

   
   

   The Swiss postal service could take tips from Postman on delivery success rates. Though primarily a RESTful affair, Postman also moonlights as a SOAP courier - carrying requests back and forth with the reliability of a homing pigeon, minus the feathers.

   
   



7. XMLSpy

   
   

   XMLSpy is the ninja of XML editing - stealthy, quick, and incredibly efficient. It’s not only cunning with XML, but also reads WSDL files like they’re comic strips. If your SOAP messages need a bit of ninja tuning, XMLSpy leaps from the shadows with a variety of tools faster than you can say “Ninjutsu!”

   
   



8. WSO2

   
   

   If James Bond were a SOAP service, he’d likely have WSO2 as his Q. With gadgets for API management, integration, and service composition, WSO2 brings a license to thrill to the drab world of enterprise service bus (ESB) architecture. One martini with WSO2, and your SOAP services will be going on secret missions in no time!

   
   



9. SoapSonar

   
   

   Ever wished for sonar vision to see through the depths of SOAP services? SoapSonar is that superpower, allowing devs to test and explore services like they’re navigating the Mariana Trench in a submarine. This tool is the SONAR to your SOAPY sea, pinging out test signals and making sure your web services are as watertight as a duck’s backside.

   
   



10. JMeter

    
    

    Just like a gym enthusiast loves to measure their progress, performance testers adore JMeter for stress testing their SOAP services. It hammers your services as if they’re hot iron on an anvil, ensuring they can take the heat and come out stronger—just like a well-toned bicep after a rigorous workout session.

    
    

    
    // JMeter SOAP/XML-RPC Request example
    <?xml version="1.0"?>
    <soap:Envelope>
        <soap:Body>
            <HelloWorld>
                <name>SOAP Avengers</name>
            </HelloWorld>
        </soap:Body>
    </soap:Envelope>