-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Downey [mailto:paul.downey@whatfettle.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2005 2:26 AM
To: Rex Brooks
Cc: xml-dev@lists.xml.org; Michael Kay; 'Razvan MIHAIU'
Subject: Re: [xml-dev] What are web services ?
Rex,
I actually think Michael's answer was bang on target. You
only have to look at the archives of the W3C Web Services
Architecture Working Group to see the difficulties involved
when trying to gain consensus on the definition for basic
terms like "Service".
since it is almost guaranteed that the future of computing will be
dominated by the paradigms being developed in this field.
How far into the future are we talking, here?
The whole of computing, guaranteed, really?
Web services do have some significant vendor backing, but
still have some real political and technical issues and so
much to prove. The potential to reach the 'Web'
vision for services remains, but is likely to be somewhat
different to the tower of Babel currently being battled for.
As someone wise said recently (i wish i could remember who):
the future is often out there in the long grass, where no-one
is watching.
Paul
While this is true for the perpetual world of con artists and
grifters, and those on whom they prey, and for the equally
perpetual
professional gadflies whose avocation appears to be to puncture the
also perpetual puffed up human egotists who appear to be born
"experts" on just about everything and whose love of their
own voices
vocally or verbally seems to know no bounds.
However, there is a growing body of standards and practices
for both
loosely coupled but well-bound WSDL and SOAP based web services AND
RESTful web services based largely on structural
capabilities inherent
in the current and future Web Services Architecture
promulgated by the
W3C.
Please be aware when you toss out the makings for new
assaults in this
permathread that asking for or providing short answers for how to
build, publish service descriptions, establish reliable connections
for web service consumers and transact reliable, secure web service
operations to deliver valuable, cost-worthy functionalities
over the
web is not wise and most likely to produce poor definitions
and wider
misinformation than we already have.
Since I have been working for three and half years in the
OASIS WSRP
TC and for the last few months in the newly formed SOA
Reference Model
TC, I can vouch for how difficult it is to develop sound, reliable
specifications, definitions and practices for this arena,
especially
since it is almost guaranteed that the future of computing will be
dominated by the paradigms being developed in this field.
Like it or lump it, you will be dealing with it, so spit
into the wind
at your own risk. However, it is always tremendous fun to
watch while
pedants and gurus expound on these topics.
My own position is to attempt to help shape this new
technology into
more workable pathways and learn it from the inside out while it is
possible to do so. Three years ago it was almost pure hype
with a tiny
proportion of real work and a few major vendors vying to "own" this
space. Now it is due to become, in the world of public
perception,
the province of equally perpetual gurus who have an almost
irresistible compulsion to evangelize in these early stages of
development and who tend to become "bleeding deacons" decrying the
loss of true vision and purpose as what they consider their
brainchildren develop their own lifecycles apart from the
predilections of early adopters and true believers alike.
This opinion is based on observing similar processes over
the course
of the last 30 years of tech development..
Ciao,
Rex
At 10:29 AM +0100 5/30/05, Michael Kay wrote:
OK, here's my answer. The term "web service" means anything the
speaker wants it to mean. Like "service oriented architecture" or
"native XML database" or "electronic business" it's a
fuzzy term that
different people will define in different ways, depending on what
they are trying to sell you.Michael Kayhttp://www.saxonica.com/
From: Razvan MIHAIU [mailto:mihaiu@mihaiu.name]
Sent: 29 May 2005 17:43
To: xml-dev@lists.xml.org
Subject: Re: [xml-dev] What are web services ?
This is not that much off-topic. Please make the courage to
answer :-(
Hi,
Were can I find a good definition of this ? A web
service must be based on SOAP in order to belong in this
category ?
A web service must use XML for transferring data (like
SOAP) ? Can
we have web services without WSDL and UDDI ?
Regards,
Razvan
--
Regards,
Razvan
SCJP preparation material:
www..mihaiu.name/2004/sun_java_scjp_310_035/index.html
www.mihaiu.name/2004/sun_java_scjp_310_035_test1/index.html
www.mihaiu.name/2004/sun_java_scjp_310_035_test2/index.html
www.mihaiu.name/2004/sun_java_scjp_310_035_test3/
index.htmlwww.mihaiu.name/2004/sun_java_scjp_310_035_test4/
index.html
--
Regards,
Razvan
SCJP preparation material:
www..mihaiu.name/2004/sun_java_scjp_310_035/index.html
www.mihaiu.name/2004/sun_java_scjp_310_035_test1/index.html
www.mihaiu.name/2004/sun_java_scjp_310_035_test2/index.html
www.mihaiu.name/2004/sun_java_scjp_310_035_test3/index.html
www.mihaiu.name/2004/sun_java_scjp_310_035_test4/index.html
--
Rex Brooks
President, CEO
Starbourne Communications Design
GeoAddress: 1361-A Addison
Berkeley, CA 94702
Tel: 510-849-2309
--
http://blog.whatfettle.com
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