wsdl file: microsoft only?

[Ed Keen <ed...@interactiveportal.com>]

I was able to get my Apache soap server running fine and then went to get a
Microsoft soap client to talk to it.  But it looks like Microsoft requires
this "wsdl" file on the server.  Is this the case even if I am running
Apache on the server?  None of the Apache examples seem to require this file
(or the wsml file).  If I want a Microsoft soap client to talk to an Apache
soap server, do I *have* to have these files, or is there a way around it?
If someone has a vb example of a Microsoft client talking to an Apache
server (without using wsdl files), please send it to me.

Conversely, if I have a Microsoft soap server, and a Java (Apache) client,
how does that work?  How would my Apache client specify what wsdl file to
use? 

Thanks,
Ed