I normally love working with XML. XML is simple, clean, extremely flexible, and is generally fun to me, but trying to coordinate the SOAP messages between a PHP NuSOAP server and a client in a VB.NET desktop application has been one headache after another!
From poor documentation for NuSOAP, to trouble with complex return types, to reading the complex types in VB.NET this has been bordering on a nightmare! This is the last time I simply say “a two dimensional array is the simplest way to transport complex data!”
Once I get the current project to a good milestone I plan on writing in depth on my experiences with the whole process, the components, and the lessons learned. Additionally, I think I will try and put a section together that hopefully will help others figure out NuSOAP a little better, because I do think that the framework is really helpful. While there is a built in SOAP server in PHP 5, having the ability and get in there and monkey around with the SOAP server’s guts did come in handy!
Now don’t get me wrong, I still look forward to the next project that involves XML, just hope it isn’t tomorrow!