gsoap latest version generates different code than the version we use - c++

Question

We are upgrading our gsoap version from 2.7.8 to the latest version 2.8.33
When our make file runs soapcpp2.exe and wsdl2h.exe with the exact same flags, I don't get the exact same classes and API, so I figured I'll have to tweak them a little bit.
We used to run soapcpp2.exe with these flags: -C -L -x -I
The first noticeable change was classes inheriting from structs soap rather than pointing to them. I was able to solve this compatibility issue by adding -j.
Now, I am encountering another incompatibility where a function
SOAP_FMAC5 int SOAP_FMAC6 soap_serve_request(struct soap *soap)
is absent.
I searched the gsoap code and found it, so I guess there's some way to make gsoap to generate it. Is there really a way to make gsoap generate this function, or will I have to adjust my code/ write the function myself

Answer 1

The gsoap tools have options to support backward compatibility. Run soapcpp2 -h to see your options:
Usage: soapcpp2 [-0|-1|-2] [-C|-S] [-T] [-Ecdt] [-L] [-a] [-A] [-b] [-c|-c++|-c++11] [-d path] [-e] [-f N] [-h] [-i] [-I path:path:...] [-l] [-m] [-n] [-p name] [-Q name] [-q name] [-r] [-s] [-t] [-u] [-v] [-w] [-x] [-y] [-z#] [infile]
...
...
-z1 compatibility: generate old-style C++ service proxies and objects
-z2 compatibility with 2.7.x: omit XML output for NULL pointers
-z3 compatibility with 2.8.30 and earlier: _param_N is indexed globally
Try -z1.
PS. The old proxy and service classes with option -z1 are more simplistic, the new classes generated with option -j are an improvement. But when you're generating service classes with -j the C-like API with global functions are gone (a good thing IMO).