(a) The version of SOAP isn't up to date with the latest SOAP design-by-committee-evil-standard, so it doesn't work with a lot of SOAP implementations. It would be nice if SOAP::Lite would support multiple SOAP versions.

(b) A lot of times the SOAP you get is kind of fugly, so it doesn't work there either. Plus, complicated SOAP leads to really complicated code, and I don't like SOAP making my code too complicated.

I ended up parsing Soap with XML::Simple and sending requessts with XML created as strings by a functioanl-programming technique and trasmitted by LWP. So, anyhow, roll your own SOAP on a rope... the XML generation by functions was really really awesome and basically allowed you to write xml like...

$response = $Soapy->send($server,$resource,$meth_name,
   xml( 
      xml_foo(
         xml_zorp('state',3),
         xml_gluz('foobar',$alpha),
      ),
      xml_ooooog(72,36,48,'hike'),
   ),
);
[download]

Very lispish. Reading that was much easier than reading all of the "ac:" and "as:" stuff once I was done with the SOAP generator engine. Unfortunately, as it was done within the confines of corporate America, I can't release Soapy.pm -- but I wish I could.