Why does WS-I Basic Profile 2.0 not use WSDL 2.0?

Question

With a new major release of the WS-I Basic Profile specification I was expecting to read about the use of WSDL 2.0. Unfortunatly I could not find this...

I'm hoping someone can shed some light on this.

Answer 1

This is what I know, not a final answer. The WS-I's mission is (was) not to push new standards into the market, but instead defining a common set of minimum standards to ensure interoperability between different WS-* platforms and vendors.

WSDL 2.0 was designed to solve those interop' issues identified in WSDL 1.0/1.1. So there is simply no need for future Basic Profiles. Some quotes from here:

http://www.w3.org/ -- 27 June 2007 -- Today, W3C has finalized a Web services description language with full support of the primary protocol for the Web, HTTP, and the most frequently implemented Web services protocol, SOAP. Web Services Description Language (WSDL) 2.0 incorporates both the improvements for WSDL 1.1 found in the WS-I Basic Profile, and builds in inheritance, import functions, improved description of faults and errors, and full HTTP and SOAP support. Rigorous testing and interop sessions, including week-long programming marathons by the Web Services Description Working Group itself, have produced a solid interoperable standard that delivers on the goals of the initial WSDL 1.1 version, and also meets the needs of Web applications developers today.

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Wide interest in SOAP 1.1 and WSDL 1.1 marked the beginning of Web Services pursuits. The hope of interoperability in the initial, non-standardized versions was not immediately fulfilled in spite of the large number of developers who moved to that model for applications development. WS-I, for example, formed to create profiles based on non-standard versions of the popular Web Services technologies.