Re: "Uh, what do I need this for" (was RE: XML.COM: How I Learned toLove daBomb)

[Sean McGrath <sean.mcgrath@propylon.com>]

[Simon St. Laurent]

>I'm not convinced that
>the trouble in SOAP justifies its benefits, and I strongly recommend
>that people with the freedom to do so explore other XML messaging
>alternatives.  BEEP[2] is an interesting possibility.
>
>[1] - http://www.naggum.no/worse-is-better.html (Richard Gabriel, 1991.)
>[2] - http://www.beepcore.org/


Or even plain vanilla XML request/response payloads over plain vanilla HTTP.
A great combo for messaging based web apps.

I get the impression that there are developers out there who - because
of their backgrounds using APIs - see XML-RPC/SOAP as a natural
progression and the least disruptive route to web enable their
API based, monolithic systems.

For new apps, XML messaging/brokering/orchestration is well
worth a look even if the paradigm is new. It more snugly fits the
architecture of the web and is going to  get ever more
popular IMO.

For existing apps, messaging is still well worth a look as
the whole SOAP/WSDL/UDDI thing will not be completed
until it has overlapped all of CORBA and added some stuff.
Very much the bleeding edge this, and developers would be
well advised to ask themselves if they need to be on
this bleeding edge.

For those considering messaging and looking for
middleware options I recommend taking a look
at the Open Source
XMLBlaster MOM: http://www.xmlblaster.org/.

Sean