What are alternative approaches to SOAP and WSDL when dealing with complex class structures in PHP?

When dealing with complex class structures in PHP, an alternative approach to SOAP and WSDL is to use RESTful APIs. REST APIs are simpler to implement and work well with complex class structures by allowing you to define custom endpoints for different resources. This can make it easier to handle the complexity of your classes without the need for strict WSDL definitions.

// Example of implementing a RESTful API in PHP using the Slim framework

require 'vendor/autoload.php';

$app = new \Slim\App();

// Define a GET endpoint for retrieving data
$app->get('/data/{id}', function ($request, $response, $args) {
    $id = $args['id'];
    
    // Retrieve data based on the ID
    $data = fetchData($id);
    
    return $response->withJson($data);
});

// Define a POST endpoint for creating new data
$app->post('/data', function ($request, $response, $args) {
    $data = $request->getParsedBody();
    
    // Create new data based on the request
    $newData = createData($data);
    
    return $response->withJson($newData);
});

$app->run();

function fetchData($id) {
    // Implement logic to fetch data based on the ID
}

function createData($data) {
    // Implement logic to create new data based on the request
}