Cocoa: How do I send/receive XML within a HTTP connect?

FROM : fclee
DATE : Fri May 16 19:59:25 2008

Hello, I'm having trouble determining the best path to follow.

Here's the schema in a nutshell:

[Mac <---- XML/SOAP -----> Server]
.. where an HTTP Post connection is created and a post/reply is synchronously generated.

I want to use Cocoa to do the equivalent in Java:

  StreamConnection xmlstream = null;
  HttpConnection connection = null;
xmlstream = (StreamConnection)Connector.open(SOAP_SERVER_URL + ";deviceside=false",Connector.READ_WRITE,true);
  ...
  OutputStream out = connection.openOutputStream();  // HttpConnection class.
  out.write(xmlreq.getBytes()); // Note: 'xmlreq' is type String.
    ...               
    // ---- Get Response -----
    // Get the connection status
    status = connection.getResponseCode();  // HttpConnection class.

------------------------------

Specifically, I need to:
1) Open a read/write connection to a WSDL Soap server.    <-- using NSURLConnection?
2) Change Request Properties & Methods to reflect a POST connection.  <-- using NSMutableURLRequest?
3) Send a XML (SOAP envelope) to the Server; and  <-- ? inside NSURLConnection?
4) Get a XML response.    <-- via NSURLConnection?

This is a SYNCHRONOUS, HTTP (POST) connection.

====================

Here's my dilemma:
1) I thought about using the Core Foundation (CFNetworking) route:

      // Java equivalent: connection.setRequestProperty("Content-Type", "text/xml; charset=utf-8");       

        CFHTTPMessageSetHeaderFieldValue(myRequest,CFSTR("User-Agent"), CFSTR("Apple iPhone"));
        CFHTTPMessageSetHeaderFieldValue(myRequest,CFSTR("Content-Type"), CFSTR("text/xml; charset=utf-8"));
        CFHTTPMessageSetHeaderFieldValue(myRequest,CFSTR("Accept"), CFSTR("text/html"));

But I don't know how to Synchronously Send/Receive as shown in the Java code, above.


2) If possible, I prefer to use the higher-level NSNetworking scheme: via NSMutableURLRequest.
    I can modify the request to be POST and I think I can modify the header for the Content-Type, etc.

Do I use NSURLConnection to actually TRANSMIT & RECEIVE XML data to the Server like this?

      serverData = [NSURLConnection sendSynchronousRequest:theRequest
                                    returningResponse:serverResponse
                                    error:myError];

3) Then, how do I flush(), close() this connection?

4) or... must I try the CF route?

Regards,
Ric.