Generating HTML documentation from WSDL [closed]

O

10

55

What are your approaches to generating some sort of human-readable documentation from WSDLs? In the past I've used WSDL viewer (by Tomi Vanek) and I'm happy with the results, but I'm interested in any possible alternatives.

I've also heard of x3sp, but I haven't tried it.

Orff answered 26/3, 2009 at 14:45 Comment(0)

S

23

I tried several alternatives

TechWriter for Web Services: Really powerful, but HTML output was (see comments) multi-file. Also, comments indicate it is retired, but that is no longer the case.
<oXygen/> XML Editor: It doesn't process embedded schema.
Altova XML Spy: It doesn't process anonymous types.

and ended up tweaking WSDL viewer to my needs.

Sunny answered 24/9, 2009 at 11:26 Comment(4)

The current version of TechWriter for Web Services also supports single page HTML output. – Waterman 12/2, 2010 at 15:30

Same thing here. i went wsdl viewer. soapui pro uses it too haha – Flatter 15/3, 2016 at 22:4

TechWriter was retired... some can share a license number? – Alcoholic 4/5, 2016 at 16:56

I think that the link for techwriter is outdated. This is probably the new one. techwriter.me – Delude 9/10, 2017 at 12:15

T

11

Yes, there is a new one: wsdl2html. It focuses on request/response and removes info that people don't care.

Tong answered 7/6, 2011 at 13:34 Comment(3)

I tried using this but I didn't get a full list of services. Only one of my 27 services was displayed – Arianaariane 10/12, 2013 at 11:21

I like wsdl2html's simplicity, which makes it very convenient to communicate the essential information about a service without confusing the audience. In my opinion, the only important feature that's missing is getting description/comments for operations and elements. – Dremadremann 9/1, 2015 at 2:11

hi, I've updated the link. Now it is hosted on github. – Tong 21/12, 2015 at 9:27

T

11

It's not listed here, but SoapUI has a useful wsdl documentation generator.

Right-click on your project and select "Generate Documentation."

Tillandsia answered 12/5, 2016 at 14:11 Comment(2)

Seems to use the earlier mentioned wsdl-viewer.xsl (which moved to Apache Woden), the output looks the same. – Sketch 20/1, 2017 at 14:18

Worked great. Already had a project created in SOAPUI, and it created a nice html page for me. – Mufi 25/1, 2017 at 15:28

T

8

Use http://code.google.com/p/wsdl-viewer/ and cygwin's xsltproc

xsltproc wsdl-viewer.xsl downloaded-wsdl.xml > documetnation.html

Works like a charm

Trishatriskelion answered 25/2, 2011 at 13:55 Comment(2)

it looked like different product at first, but i can see it'S the same now :)) – Punchboard 25/2, 2011 at 13:56

worked great but doesn't go too deep into the XSD if one accompanies the files externally. i had to use this + Schema viewer as well – Flatter 10/3, 2015 at 20:46

S

5

Now, there is one more tool for this, called "DocFlex/XML WSDLDoc".

It is a new WSDL/XSD documentation generator that will allow you to document any number of both WSDL and XML schema (XSD) files plus any interconnections between them.

There is also an option for automatic inclusion of XSD diagrams generated by either Altova XMLSpy or Oxygen XML. Effectively, any of them can be used as dynamically linked diagramming engine.

KEY FEATURES

Generation of single framed (Javadoc-like) HTML documentation by any number of WSDL/XSD files together. (If you have too many input files, you can pick them all using an Ant-like pathname pattern).
Processing of any number of XML schemas (along with WSDL) including:
- In the form of separate XSD files
- XML schemas embedded in WSDL (within <wsdl:definitons>/<wsdl:types> element)
Processing of any referenced WSDL files and XML schemas, in particular:
- Correct processing of all <wsdl:import>, <xs:import>, <xs:include>, <xs:redefine> elements found across all involved WSDL/XSD files.
- Automatic loading and processing (i.e. inclusion in the documentation scope) all directly/indirectly referenced WSDL/XSD files.
Sophisticated documenting of XSD components (XML schema documentation):
- Support of any XML schema design patterns.
- Possibility of automatic inclusion of XSD diagrams generated by either XMLSpy or Oxygen XML, with the support of all diagram hyperlinks.
Documenting of all interconnections between WSDL definitions and XSD components:
- Hyperlinks from WSDL messages to the details of XSD elements/types describing the message data.
- In XSD element/type details, the list of all WSDL definitions where they are used.
- Copy the annotations of XSD elements/types to the documentation of those WSDL messages (and even operations) where they are used.
Possibility of unlimited customization. WSDLDoc is actually a template set for DocFlex/XML, a software system for development and execution of high performance documentation and report generators from any data stored in XML files.

EXAMPLE

Here is a demo of such documentation (it was generated by a single source file: http://developer.ebay.com/webservices/latest/ebaySvc.wsdl):

eBay Trading API - WSDL documentation

The HTML itself: http://www.filigris.com/docflex-xml/wsdldoc/examples/html/ebaySvc/index.html

LINKS

http://www.filigris.com/docflex-xml/wsdldoc/

Schall answered 8/7, 2014 at 10:29 Comment(2)

I have used the XML doc product for quite some time and I was absolutely pleased by the quality of the product.... too bad that my company didn't have the budget to buy some licenses, but I was glad to buy one for myself... – Quinn 10/7, 2014 at 12:9

It seems commercial product, requires license for full functionality – Tiberius 18/1, 2017 at 5:17

B

4

I just discovered that Notepad++ with the Xml Tools plugin installed can also do xsl transformations. If you provide it the wsdl-viewer.xsl mentioned earlier and the wsdl file, you'll get a nicely formatted html as a result.

Buskus answered 3/2, 2014 at 14:22 Comment(1)

If you use Eclipse with EE features, it allows you to process an XSLT file by simply right-clicking on it, and selecting Run. – Dremadremann 9/1, 2015 at 2:12

C

3

Altova's XMLSpy does generates HTML documentation from a WSDL ... but it isn't free ;)

Cerebral answered 15/4, 2009 at 21:45 Comment(0)

T

1

I know this a poor man's documentation method, but I've used opening the wsdl's XSD in visual studio and doing snag-it prints of that with comments and arrows added for clarity and our customer seems to have liked it without having to use another tool. You also may not have this but could use a version from a free VPC or MSDN subscription I've also used the BizTalk schema editor to view the XSD as well and document it from there using snag-it or another screen capture app. I'd try and use what you have!

-Bryan

Trattoria answered 27/3, 2009 at 0:18 Comment(0)

U

0

You can use "wsimport" which is part of the JDK and run Javadoc on the generated files. Presuming you have put in the annotations it will put them as part of the documentation.

Another tool would be Rational Application Developer which allows you to right click and generate the HTML documentation with pretty hyperlinked pictures.

Urissa answered 4/8, 2010 at 16:5 Comment(0)

M

0

You can use iDocIt! to document a WSDL and export then the documentation to HTML. It is an open source Eclipse plugin downloadable here.

It provides a new approach of creating documentations with thematic grids and thematic roles, but you need not to use them. You can create documentations still as plain text.

Magalymagan answered 12/9, 2011 at 12:23 Comment(0)

Recommended topics

Hot tags