Microsoft Webservices - What are Web Services?

Author

What are Web Services?

Wicksy

2005-04-16, 4:01 am

Hi all.
I'm doing an assignment about WS's.

Can anyone tell me if this definition is about right:

"a Web Service can be defined as an application or function with an XML
interface that is available for use by external parties on the Internet or a
sub-domain of the Internet (e.g. an Intranet). The service APIs must conform
to the XML standard, and data is usually transferred via SOAP/HTTP."

Also, can anyone give me an example of a software package that generates WS
wrappers for legacy applications? I know they exist, I just need a name. Do
these wrappers simply translate XML to the legacy interface, or do they also
handle the SOAP/HTTP (communications) stuff?

Many thanks in advance.
Wicksy.

Kevin Spencer

2005-04-18, 4:00 pm

I'm afraid that definition is not quite right. Try this one:

A Web Service is an HTTP SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) service that
enables client applications to call and invoke Methods over a TCP/IP
network. It uses HTTP as the transport mechanism, and XML as the
platform-independent data format.

> Also, can anyone give me an example of a software package that generates
> WS wrappers for legacy applications? I know they exist, I just need a
> name. Do these wrappers simply translate XML to the legacy interface, or
> do they also handle the SOAP/HTTP (communications) stuff?

I can't answer this one. I think you may need a better understanding of Web
Services before you can write about this topic.

It's really fairly simple. The idea is to be able to invoke methods that
return serializable classes over a TCP/IP network. This is achieved by
creating a proxy class on the client, which enables the class data in XML
format to be de-serialized back into a class on the client end.

--
HTH,

Kevin Spencer
Microsoft MVP
..Net Developer
What You S

Is What You Get.

"Wicksy" <wicksee@nospam-yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:d3piku$d89$1@news.freedom2surf.net...
> Hi all.
> I'm doing an assignment about WS's.
>
> Can anyone tell me if this definition is about right:
>
> "a Web Service can be defined as an application or function with an XML
> interface that is available for use by external parties on the Internet or
> a sub-domain of the Internet (e.g. an Intranet). The service APIs must
> conform to the XML standard, and data is usually transferred via
> SOAP/HTTP."
>
> Also, can anyone give me an example of a software package that generates
> WS wrappers for legacy applications? I know they exist, I just need a
> name. Do these wrappers simply translate XML to the legacy interface, or
> do they also handle the SOAP/HTTP (communications) stuff?
>
> Many thanks in advance.
> Wicksy.
>

Ken North

2005-05-26, 9:02 pm

> I'm afraid that definition is not quite right. Try this one:
>
> A Web Service is an HTTP SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) service that
> enables client applications to call and invoke Methods over a TCP/IP
> network.

That isn't quite right either.

1. Besides SOAP, XML-RPC and REST have gained traction. For example, Yahoo
Search web services are REST services.

2. SOAP-based web services can communicate over HTTP or other transports.

SOAP uses RPC-style or document-style messaging. The former is an HTTP,
parameter-passing, synchronous communication model, with the consumer and
provider maintaining context. The latter delivers an XML document in the
payload. It can encapsulate state information and support asynchronous
communication.

Useful resources:

1. WebServicesSummit.com has more info about XML, SOAP and web services.

2. "Programming Web Services with XML-RPC"
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/progxmlrpc/

3. XML-RPC implemantations
http://www.xmlrpc.com/directory/1568/implementations

4. Yahoo Search web services
http://developer.yahoo.net/documentation/rest.html

======== Ken North ===========
www.WebServicesSummit.com
www.SQLSummit.com
www.GridSummit.com

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