Changing namespace in PHP SoapClient request? - php

Question

I am looking for a way to change the namespace: "ns1" into "ret", tested the below XML using SoapUI with the namespace set to "ret" and the request was successful. I've "googled", and searched the answers from other related questions here in SO, but no luck. So, I am kind of desperate to find the answer...
Here is the XML that is generated to be sent to request:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<SOAP-ENV:Envelope xmlns:SOAP-ENV="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:ns1="http://retailexpress.com.au/">
<SOAP-ENV:Header>
<ns1:ClientHeader>
<ns1:ClientID>Random-hash-clientID</ns1:ClientID>
<ns1:UserName>Username</ns1:UserName>
<ns1:Password>Password</ns1:Password>
</ns1:ClientHeader>
</SOAP-ENV:Header>
<SOAP-ENV:Body>
<ns1:CustomerGetBulkDetails>
<ns1:LastUpdated>2000-01-01T00:00:00.000Z</ns1:LastUpdated>
<ns1:OnlyCustomersWithEmails>1</ns1:OnlyCustomersWithEmails>
</ns1:CustomerGetBulkDetails>
</SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>
Though, it seems a bit odd that we have to request with the same namespace (ret), but that's how it is...
Here is the PHP code used to generate the above:
$rexHost = '<domain of retail express>';
$rexApi = '<URI of retail express API / wsdl path>';
$rexUser = 'Username';
$rexPassword = 'Password';
$rexApiClient = 'Random-hash-clientID';
$rexApiHost = 'http://retailexpress.com.au/';
$client = new SoapClient($rexHost.$rexApi, array('trace' => true));
$auth = new stdClass();
$auth->ClientID = $rexApiClient;
$auth->UserName = $rexUser;
$auth->Password = $rexPassword;
$header = new SoapHeader($rexApiHost, 'ClientHeader', $auth, false);
$client->__setSoapHeaders($header);
$lastUpdate = '2000-01-01T00:00:00.000Z'; //hardcoded for test
$params = array();
$params[] = new SoapVar($lastUpdate, XSD_DATETIME, null, null, 'LastUpdated', $rexApiHost);
$params[] = new SoapVar(1, XSD_INTEGER, null, null, 'OnlyCustomersWithEmails', $rexApiHost);
try {
$users = null;
return $users = $client->CustomerGetBulkDetails( new SoapVar($params, SOAP_ENC_OBJECT));
} catch (Exception $e) {
Log::info($e->getMessage());
Log::info($client->__getLastRequest()); //laravel logger, where I got the generated SOAP XML request
return false;
}

Answer 1

ns1 is not the namespace but an alias for it. http://retailexpress.com.au/ is the namespace. The namespace definition xmlns:ns1="http://retailexpress.com.au/" defines an alias for the current element and its descendants. A namespace has to be unique and stable. Using a definition and aliases allows for complex URI used as an namespace and short, readable aliases for the serialization.
The following three examples are all resolved to and element CustomerGetBulkDetails in the namespace http://retailexpress.com.au/ by an XML parser:
<ns1:CustomerGetBulkDetails xmlns:ns1="http://retailexpress.com.au/"/>
<ret:CustomerGetBulkDetails xmlns:ret="http://retailexpress.com.au/"/>
<CustomerGetBulkDetails xmlns="http://retailexpress.com.au/"/>
In other words, if the XML/SOAP implementation work correctly it does not matter which alias - ns1 or ret - is used for the namespace.