Comparing REST and SOAP

There is a big debate on the Web around which one of these two protocols is easier, better, or more appropriate to use for development. Proponents of REST praise its light weight, transparency, and ease of use. Proponents of SOAP argue that REST is not even a protocol, that SOAP is more deterministic and robust (due to type checking), and that it is actually easier to use because of the SOAP support that is built into many development tools.

The Watson™ Explorer Engine API supports both the SOAP and REST protocols with identical functionality in order to simplify integrating Watson Explorer Engine into the widest possible range of Web applications. The design of the Watson Explorer Engine API, as explained in API Design, essentially guarantees that the API will always support both SOAP and REST with the same level of functionality. SOAP and REST have different advantages that justify using one or the other in certain scenarios. All things being equal, Watson Explorer Engine application developers often prefer SOAP simply because SOAP applications require significant attention to detail that simplifies developing, debugging, and maintaining complex applications.