How can I learn web service development?

[KevinF]

I would like to learn how to develop web services. I've done C++ and Java programming and a bit in various scripting languages but I have never developed anything for the web beyond simple web pages.

I have an idea for an innovative web service messaging program. So, I'd like to learn how to program in javascript/AJAX and implement the Jabber protocol.

Can anyone recommend any web sites or books? Thanks.

 

[KevinF]

Also, what software aids in the development of web services? I don't swear by the notepad only approach, especially since my goal is to get a working prototype ASAP.

 

[kamper]

Webservices aren't a really easy thing to dive into, at least in big languages like c++ and java. There's two roads you could take, I think.

One is to go with a scripting language like python (or perl or php or ruby...). That'll generally simplify all the nasty bits so that you get used to writing and calling them. Look for a webservices toolkit in whichever language you want and google for articles on it. That should turn up some basic tutorials.

Going full blown with, say, java and notepad would be suicide. Going with a combo of eclipse, tomcat, axis and the eclipse web tools project might get you up and going a little better, but it certainly won't be less complex.

I don't have any specific recommendations for places to learn as the little that I know I've learned on the job. If you pick up a book, I'd recommend looking for something that teaches you a specific toolkit that you can use along with the general technology ideas. Otherwise it might very well be too hard to implement stuff.

 

[KevinF]

Any other suggestions?

 

[notfred]

"web services", if you're talking about things like SOAP are basically just XML webpages. Essentailly you create a set of classes, or pages, or whatever, each of which takes a certain set of arguments, and returns an XML string.

There's no magic to them. Essentially, you get something like this:

function webService(string arg1, string arg2, string arg3, string etc){
System.out.print("<response><element>" + arg1 + "</element><element>" + arg2 + "</element><element>" + arg3 + "</element></response>";
}

You can do this with any language that you can attach to a webserver, which is pretty much all of them.

 

[JohnKimble]

Originally posted by: notfred
"web services", if you're talking about things like SOAP are basically just XML webpages. Essentailly you create a set of classes, or pages, or whatever, each of which takes a certain set of arguments, and returns an XML string.

There's no magic to them. Essentially, you get something like this:

function webService(string arg1, string arg2, string arg3, string etc){
System.out.print("<response><element>" + arg1 + "</element><element>" + arg2 + "</element><element>" + arg3 + "</element></response>";
}

You can do this with any language that you can attach to a webserver, which is pretty much all of them.

/me Passes out.

 

[kamper]

Originally posted by: notfred
"web services", if you're talking about things like SOAP are basically just XML webpages. Essentailly you create a set of classes, or pages, or whatever, each of which takes a certain set of arguments, and returns an XML string.

Calling SOAP 'just xml' is a huge oversimplification. There's no way you're going to be dumping soap messages out by hand as below.

There's no magic to them. Essentially, you get something like this:

function webService(string arg1, string arg2, string arg3, string etc){
System.out.print("<response><element>" + arg1 + "</element><element>" + arg2 + "</element><element>" + arg3 + "</element></response>";
}

You can do this with any language that you can attach to a webserver, which is pretty much all of them.

Alright, my bad. I missed that the op was looking specifically for ajax stuff and not 'real' webservices.

As for the jabber part op, are you looking to send jabber to a javascript-enabled client (presumably a browser)? You could peak around here: http://jwchat.sourceforge.net/

Also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jabber_clients
and: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jabber_Server_Software

 

[MrChad]

Originally posted by: notfred
"web services", if you're talking about things like SOAP are basically just XML webpages. Essentailly you create a set of classes, or pages, or whatever, each of which takes a certain set of arguments, and returns an XML string.

There's no magic to them. Essentially, you get something like this:

function webService(string arg1, string arg2, string arg3, string etc){
System.out.print("<response><element>" + arg1 + "</element><element>" + arg2 + "</element><element>" + arg3 + "</element></response>";
}

You can do this with any language that you can attach to a webserver, which is pretty much all of them.

Just to add to that, unless you're working with multiple languages and/or platforms, there are usually better and more efficient ways to transmit data than web services.

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: MrChad
Just to add to that, unless you're working with multiple languages and/or platforms, there are usually better and more efficient ways to transmit data than web services.

The point of web services is pretty much to allow multiple platforms and languages to use the same code, though.

 

[fs5]

The easiest way to make a webservice: C# .NET
No doubt about it. I can get a webservice up and running with full WSDL creation in less than 10 mins.

Get Visual Studio Express and start playing around with it.

 

[MrChad]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: MrChad
Just to add to that, unless you're working with multiple languages and/or platforms, there are usually better and more efficient ways to transmit data than web services.

The point of web services is pretty much to allow multiple platforms and languages to use the same code, though.

True, but its recognition as a marketing buzzword means that many managers and architecture groups like using web services in situations where .NET remoting or RMI would be far more appropriate.

 

[SelArom]

Originally posted by: KevinF
I would like to learn how to develop web services. I've done C++ and Java programming and a bit in various scripting languages but I have never developed anything for the web beyond simple web pages.

I have an idea for an innovative web service messaging program. So, I'd like to learn how to program in javascript/AJAX and implement the Jabber protocol.

Can anyone recommend any web sites or books? Thanks.

Code-Magazine has a really good intro-article on programming ajax in .NET. it's a pretty cool magazine, check it out at your local newstand, and if you like it you can get a $10 discount by visiting the polymorphicpodcast.com, a podcast on object oriented programming in .NET. They had a recent show on ajax too, you might want to check that out too.

-SelArom