First, let’s see an example from “Processing XML with Java” (Amazon page) also available online here. I’m using the SOAP header example to show you how to generate the exact thing.

    Elliotte Harold
    VISA
    5125456787651230
    2005-12

Here’s how you can generate the above headers using WSF/Perl,

my $name = new WSO2::WSF::WSHeader(
    {'name' => 'Name', 'data' => 'Elliotte Harold' } );

my $issuer = new WSO2::WSF::WSHeader(
    {'name' => 'Issuer', 'data' => 'VISA' } );

my $number = new WSO2::WSF::WSHeader(
    {'name' => 'Number', 'data' => '5125456787651230' } );

my $expires = new WSO2::WSF::WSHeader(
    {'name' => 'Expires', 'data' => '2005-12' } );

my $payment = new WSO2::WSF::WSHeader(
    {'name' => 'Payment',
      'ns' => 'http://namespaces.cafeconleche.org/xmljava/ch2/',
      'data' => [$name, $issuer, $number, $expires] } );

my $client = new WSO2::WSF::WSClient(
    {...,
     'inputHeaders' => [$payment] } );

In the next example it shows the header with the mustUnderstand attribute set, this is how you set it,

my $client = new WSO2::WSF::WSClient(
    {...,
     'mustUnderstand' => 'true',
     'inputHeaders' => [$payment] } );

Next, I’ll take an example from a developerWorks article that shows you how to manipulate SOAP headers in WebSphere. Consider the following header contents (Listing 4 in the article)

    ServiceRequester1
    1.0
    13:20:00

The main difference in this is that it contains a custom prefix for the element CallingApplication. Here’s the WSF/Perl code to generate this header,

my $name = new WSO2::WSF::WSHeader(
    {'name' => 'name', 'data' => 'ServiceRequester1' } );

my $version = new WSO2::WSF::WSHeader(
    {'name' => 'version', 'data' => '1.0' } );

my $timereq = new WSO2::WSF::WSHeader(
    {'name' => 'timeRequestMade', 'data' => '13:20:00' } );

my $capp = new WSO2::WSF::WSHeader(
    {'name' => 'CallingApplication', 'ns' => 'http://SOAPHeaderDemonstration',
     'nsprefix' => 'MyPrefix',
     'data' => [$name, $version, $timereq] } );

my $client = new WSO2::WSF::WSClient(
    {...,
     'inputHeaders' => [$capp] } );

As you saw in the examples, WSHeader class facilitate creating custom SOAP headers with WSF/Perl.