The Business Analyst Online API SOAP Services are based on:

• Web Services Description Language (WSDL)
• Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)

The WSDL is a XML document that describes and locates a Web service. The WSDL provides a simple way for service providers to describe the basic format of requests to their services, regardless of the underlying protocol. One of the more popular protocols is SOAP.

The SOAP specification describes the format of a XML-based message sent to a networked service and allows computers to communicate independently of the operating system. SOAP messages can be transmitted to a service via a number of transport protocols, including HTTP.

Value objects are objects that store values or properties. Depending on the WSDL, there can be many different types of value objects. However, there is only one proxy class per SOAP service type. The proxy has both the properties and methods. The methods are designed to create and submit a SOAP request and return a SOAP response. The proxy uses the value objects to construct (serialize) a SOAP request. The proxy also deserializes the SOAP response and constructs value objects to be used by the client. Since SOAP is a protocol which is standards based, mature and widely available, developers can easily consume SOAP services with minimal coding and heavy lifting due to the extensive set of tools that are available in most programming languages and IDEs. In rich client object environments, it is very easy to consume and leverage SOAP services because you are using native objects to store the properties (value objects). Lower level serialization and deserialization of the SOAP requests and responses (proxy) are automatically handled by the consuming client application so the developer only has to worry about developing the application

Business Analyst Online API WSDLs

In order to consume and develop against Business Analyst Online API SOAP service methods in your client application, you will first need to generate a proxy class to consume Business Analyst Online SOAP API in your development environment. This proxy class serializes and deserializes your SOAP Web services requests and responses between your client application and the servers hosting the Business Analyst Online API.

In order to generate this proxy class, your developer tools will need access to the Business Analyst Online API SOAP Services WSDL. This WSDL document describes the structure of currently available Web service for Business Analyst Online SOAP API. Most developer tools that support Web services application development can automatically consume it and create a proxy class which becomes the programmatic interface into Business Analyst Online API SOAP Services.

The Business Analyst Online API SOAP Services BAOReport WSDL which describes for most Business Analyst Online API SOAP Services methods and types is given below:

The Business Analyst Online API SOAP Services BAOReport WSDL - Core Business Analyst Online API Analysis Tasks and Supporting Types

http://baoapi.esri.com/services/BAOReport?wsdl

The Business Analyst Online API uses a token-based authentication scheme. There are a few options for using your Business Analyst Online API subscription credentials (username and password) to securely generate a token. With the Business Analyst Online API SOAP services, you can securely generate a token with the Authentication WSDL given below; you can make a request to the REST Get Token service; or you can leverage the BAOReportHelper class. Please refer to Using Secured Web Services and Tokens for additional information.

The Business Analyst Online API SOAP Services Authentication WSDL for token generation methods and types is given below:

The Business Analyst Online API SOAP Services Authentication WSDL - Token Generation Tasks and Supporting Types

https://baoapi.esri.com/services/Authentication?wsdl

ArcGIS Server Extension Web Service Proxies and Value Objects

The proxy and value objects for Business Analyst Online API Web services only need to be generated once per service type. Once the Web service proxy and value objects have been created, they can be reused with other ArcGIS Server Web services of the same type, even though the proxy class name contains the original service name (dynamic proxies only).

Service Type	Proxy Name	Description
Business Analyst Online API SOAP Services (Analysis Tasks)	BAOReport	Use to access and consume analysis and utility services of the Esri Business Analyst Online API.
Business Analyst Online API SOAP Services (Authentication Tasks)	Authentication	Use to access and consume the authentication services of the Esri Business Analyst Online API.