Web Services: Difference between revisions
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==Definition== | |||
'''Web Services''' are usually defined as "''A standard means of interoperating between different software applications, running on a variety of platforms and/or frameworks''" [http://www.w3.org/2002/ws/Activity]. While many possible mechanisms could be found to satisfy this definition, in practice Web Services today (Nov 2007) are commonly implemented using two [[XML]] protcols: [[SOAP]] - the actual message formatting protocol - and [[WSDL]] - the service definition protocol. Again, many low-level transmission mechanisms might be employed to facilitate the message exchange, but in practice almost all common implementations utilise the [[HTTP]] protocol and it's [[HTTP POST|POST]] request. | |||
==VDF Implementation== | |||
Within Visual DataFlex Web Services are implemented through two mechanisms: one for creating services and the other for creating clients. | |||
===VDF Web Services=== | |||
Visual DataFlex's Web Service mechanism relies on having Microsoft's [http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/iis/default.mspx IIS] (Internet Information Services) running on the "''server''" machine. A service is developed by first [[Web_Service_Basics#Creating_a_WebApp_Project|creating]] a [[WebApp]] project (program) within the [[Workspace]] (if one does not already exist - it is always named "WebApp" and there can be only one such in any Workspace), then [[Web_Service_Basics#Creating_a_Web_Service_Object|creating]] a Web Service object which will be deployed wihin it. | |||
In the Web Service Object (which will have a source file extension of ".wo") you then create methods ([[Functions]] and/or [[Procedures]]), which you will subsequently [[Web_Service_Basics#Publishing_a_Method|publish]]. | |||
===VDF Web Service Clients=== | |||
Cornerstone of a modern [[SOA|service oriented architecture]] | Cornerstone of a modern [[SOA|service oriented architecture]] | ||
