# Newbie: What is WSDL?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-what-is-wsdl/119103>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [November 3, 2007, 4:44am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-what-is-wsdl/119103 "2007-11-03T04:44:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![stedwick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@stedwick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/stedwick)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2007, 4:44am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-what-is-wsdl/119103/1 "2007-11-03T04:44:00Z")

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# Allow downloading Web Service WSDL as a file with an extension

# instead of a file named ‘wsdl’

map.connect ‘:controller/service.wsdl’, :action =\> ‘wsdl’

That’s in the routes file, but what’s it for/mean?

Thanks!

Stedwick

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**Author:** ![stedwick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@stedwick](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/stedwick)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2007, 5:07am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-what-is-wsdl/119103/2 "2007-11-03T05:07:24Z")

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WSDL is for web services like SOAP and defines the interface. A quick  
Google search should tell you more than you ever wanted to know.

-Bill