According to the wikipedia page, SOAP is a protocol specification.
What does it mean? Aren't all protocols specifications?
In this answer, the author says that SOAP
is a protocol (or at least tries to be)
Tries to be? In the sense that it's not agreed upon?
SOAP is a protocol as per specs. As wiki as well its protocol. As per wiki-
SOAP (originally Simple Object Access Protocol) is a messaging protocol specification for exchanging structured information in the implementation of web services in computer networks. Its purpose is to induce extensibility, neutrality and independence. It uses XML Information Set for its message format, and relies on application layer protocols, most often Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) or Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), for message negotiation and transmission.
As per english dictionary Protocol-
specialized computing a computer language allowing computers that are connected to each other to communicate
As per Network terminology protocol-
In information technology, a protocol is the special set of rules that end points in a telecommunication connection use when they communicate. Protocols specify interactions between the communicating entities. It could exist at various levels, e.g. There are protocols for the data interchange at the hardware device level and protocols for data interchange at the application program level.
If you try to refer all three above explanations, SOAP falls into Application level communication protocol.
