Web Services Description Language — an XML document that describes a SOAP service's operations, message formats, and endpoints. Still in use across enterprise and government integrations.

Does it generate client code?

No. The formatter structures the WSDL for human reading. For client generation use language-specific tools (wsimport, svcutil, zeep).

Can I see operations at a glance?

The formatter groups definitions → types → messages → portType → binding → service in the canonical order and highlights operation names in the portType section.

Supported but less common than WSDL 1.1. The formatter auto-detects the version from the namespace.

WSDL Formatter | DevTools Surf

DevTools Surf

Example: WSDL Formatter

A worked example, rendered from real sample data. Sign in to run the tool on your own input.

Input

<definitions name="HelloService" xmlns="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/"><message name="SayHelloRequest"><part name="firstName" type="xsd:string"/></message><message name="SayHelloResponse"><part name="greeting" type="xsd:string"/></message></definitions>

Output

<definitions name="HelloService" xmlns="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/">
  <message name="SayHelloRequest">
    <part name="firstName" type="xsd:string"/>
  </message>
  <message name="SayHelloResponse">
    <part name="greeting" type="xsd:string"/>
  </message>
</definitions>

About WSDL Formatter

Format WSDL (Web Services Description Language) files. Part of the DevTools Surf developer suite. Browse more tools in the XML collection.

Use Cases

Integration engineers reading WSDL files to understand available SOAP services
Backend devs generating client stubs from formatted WSDL definitions
QA engineers reviewing WSDL contracts for API testing
Architects documenting web service interfaces for team reference

Tips

Format WSDL to clearly see service, port, and binding sections
Use indentation to distinguish operations from their messages
Verify namespace declarations are preserved after formatting

Fun Facts

WSDL 1.1 was published by W3C in March 2001, co-authored by engineers from Microsoft, IBM, and Ariba.
WSDL 2.0, finalized in June 2007, was a complete rewrite but saw limited adoption as REST APIs had already gained popularity.
A single enterprise WSDL file can define hundreds of operations and exceed 10,000 lines, making formatting essential.

FAQ

What is a WSDL?: Web Services Description Language — an XML document that describes a SOAP service's operations, message formats, and endpoints. Still in use across enterprise and government integrations.
Does it generate client code?: No. The formatter structures the WSDL for human reading. For client generation use language-specific tools (wsimport, svcutil, zeep).
Can I see operations at a glance?: The formatter groups definitions → types → messages → portType → binding → service in the canonical order and highlights operation names in the portType section.
What about WSDL 2.0?: Supported but less common than WSDL 1.1. The formatter auto-detects the version from the namespace.

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