Real World Web Services

Book Description

The core idea behind Real World Web Services is simple: after years of hype, what are the major players really doing with web services? Standard bodies may wrangle and platform vendors may preach, but at the end of the day what are the technologies that are actually in use, and how can developers incorporate them into their own applications? Those are the answers Real World Web Services delivers. It's a field guide to the wild and wooly world of non-trivial deployed web services. The heart of the book is a series of projects, demonstrating the use and integration of Google, Amazon, eBay, PayPal, FedEx, and many more web services. Some of these vendors have been extremely successful with their web service deployments: for example, eBay processes over a billion web service requests a month! The author focuses on building 8 fully worked out example web applications that incorporate the best web services available today. The book thoroughly documents how to add functionality like automating listings for auctions, dynamically calculating shipping fees, automatically sending faxes to your suppliers, using an aggregator to pull data from multiple news and web service feeds into a single format or monitoring the latest weblog discussions and Google searches to keep web site visitors on top of topics of interest-by integrating APIs from popular websites most people are already familiar with. For each example application, the author provides a thorough overview, architecture, and full working code examples. This book doesn't engage in an intellectual debate as to the correctness of web services on a theological level. Instead, it focuses on the practical, real world usage of web services as the latest evolution in distributed computing, allowing for structured communication via Internet protocols. As you ll see, this includes everything from sending HTTP GET commands to retrieving an XML document through the use of SOAP and various vendor SDKs.

Customer Reviews:

On par, but nothing special... good for testing, though.......2007-05-25

While the samples are straight-forward, to the point and easy to follow, the book doesn't really provide enough under-the-cover view. Generally speaking, if you are looking for some insight into WS used with Google, eBay, FedEx, etc. this is a wonderful book.

If you are looking into information for things such as "using Axis for real-world WS", this just scratches the surface.

However...

This book provided a wonderful set of quick, easy test setups for use against generic WS implementations (such as those provided in B2Bi software) for comparative results. The peer into the provider-specific details made it wonderful to have provide expected output and check the diffs on files.

Recommended for QA, unit testing, automated testing, etc.
Recommended for those interested in quick samples but not in a core understanding of the technologies.

Very specific.......2007-04-23

I thought that this is a book very specific to certain aspects of web services and examples are overly detailed...I dont expect the book to be compiled mostly with elaborative examples.

Decent Book.......2006-03-17

Real World Web Services by Will Iverson is more of a "here's an example of something someone might want to do" type book. The book contains a lot of Java source code to connect to some web services from big names like eBay, Google, and FedEx. Whether these examples are useful or whether the reader can glean out other uses of the code depends on the skill the reader has in programming. The book also goes over some basic concepts and tools the reader can use to get started with web services. All in all, Real World Web Services will give you a taste of what web services are, yet leaves out the low level details of how it works.

Great bridge from theory to practical..........2005-02-14

Since Domino 7 will start to incorporate web services more readily into application development, I figured it was time to start getting a little more versed on the subject. To that end, I got a copy of Real World Web Services by Will Iverson (O'Reilly). Coupled with a detailed tutorial/reference manual, this is a really good selection.

Chapter List: Web Service Evolution; Foundations of Web Services; Development Platform; Project 1: Competitive Analysis; Project 2: Auctions and Shipping; Project 3: Billing and Faxing; Project 4: Syndicated Search; Project 5: News Aggregator; Project 6: Audio CD Catalog; Project 7: Hot News Sheet; Project 8: Automatic Daily Discussions; Future Web Service Directions; Index

While the book is smallish (206 pages), there's a lot of value packed in it. Iverson takes you from the beginning of simple HTTP request and responses, through data scrapping, into RPC technology, and then finally into web services. The overview really helps you to understand how we got to where we are. He explains how to set up a simple test development environment as well as what you'll need, and then it's directly into the example projects. Here's where the book shines. These projects connect to live data sources such as Amazon, Google, FedEx, and eBay, so you're not dealing with simple examples that don't translate to the real world. Each of the projects are applications that you could easily see yourself using on a daily basis, either exactly as written or with some moderate tweaking. And since you're learning the mechanics of connecting with that service, it's easy to extrapolate the information into the areas that might interest you more.

If you have no background in SOAP or WSDL, I'd recommend you get a foundational book that has a good tutorial and reference material. You won't get it from this book, nor should you expect to. It's not his intended purpose for the book. But this is the book that will help you go from theoretical to practical, and that's worth its weight in gold.

Very good book if you're looking to take the next step in your web services development...

not what I was hoping for.......2005-01-31

I was very disappointed with this book. I was hoping for something that would go into detail of the various Web Services solutions offered by Amazon, Google, etc. Instead it is just another Java book filled with mostly code (is it a sin to use prose anymore?) and lacking in any kind of detailed discussion at all. It basically talks about very specific problems, offers some code, then moves on to another specific solution. I found it completely uninteresting.

The only person I would suggest this book for is someone who wants code to Cut and Paste without really understanding what they are doing. And good luck to them ;-)

Hacking with Ruby: Ruby and Rails for the Real World

Average customer rating:

Hacking with Ruby: Ruby and Rails for the Real World
Mark Watson
Manufacturer: Manning Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1932394745

Book Description

Enterprise software development is labor-intensive. And it is made more costly than necessasry by some of the most popular technologies which can be needlessly complex. The combination of Ruby and Ruby on Rails provides a simple, stable platform for cost-effective software development.

Customer Reviews:

Totally over-rated and out of date.......2004-03-03

I purchased this book from Amazon mainly relying upon the reviews written by other people. As it turns out I can only assume that the other reviews were paid for either by the author or by the press.

The book is REALLY HARD TO READ, we are talking as dry as the sphinx's arm pit. The CD rom that comes with it contains the examples, however these are a mish-mash of VB6 and some .Net neither of which run easily. The .Net versions require updating in Visual Studio and can have some odd results. Some examples are even written with the server component in VB6 and the client in .Net - confusing to say the least.

If you want to learn how to practically implement a Web Service using VB then you should NOT look at this book. Most of the first 4 chapters are all about XML schemas and what they mean - with no "Real World" examples of how to create them in VB just the code of the schemas already created.

And another thing there is a large chunk of information about a "Real World" authentication and encryption implementation, however and I quote "I recommend that you use off-the shelf security implementations" - The author wouldn't even use this code! Microsoft has a Web services extension designed for authentication which the author doesn't mention anywhere.

Very disappointment to have spent good dollars on this book. I will be trying desperately to get my money back from Amazon.

Excellent book.......2003-08-19

I need not say more. Its the best book I have read on web services.

Real World XML Web Services is an AWESOME BOOK!!!.......2003-08-17

Web Services. I can't believe there is anyone left alive in the technology sector that hasn't heard these two words. Everywhere you look there are articles, books, and web sites that talk about this technology. Do a book search for "Web Services" on amazon.com and you will be quite amazed how many Web Services books there are. With so many available picking one buy may seem overwhelming. The good news is it just got a little easier to do.

Real World XML Web Services is an absolute "must have" for anyone who wants to learn more about XML Web Services. Even if you are not a VB/VB.net developer you will find great value in this book. It goes into extensive detail, and will surely teach even more savvy Web Services folks a thing or two.

Because of the books detail level, I don't think that it is a first-read on the subject though. I think that someone who really doesn't know much about Web Services will be drowned in the detail (which is incredible). A person can get more out of this book by doing some tutorials, and experimenting with Web Services first. Then, after having a good base of understanding is when this book should be cracked.

Summary

Chapter 1. Introduction to Web Services.
This is a brief intro chapter that gives some history and background info about Web Services. Some of the overview consists of typical Web Service architecture, and when to use (and NOT to use) Web Services.

Chapter 2. XSD: The Web Services Type System.
Great chapter. Goes into the concepts of XSD. Topics include the XSD Type System, XSD and XML namespaces, authoring XSD Schemas, and a ton of information about XML Serialization.
.
Chapter 3. SOAP: Invoking Web Services.
This chapter covers what SOAP is, SOAP architecture, SOAP message formats, RPC with SOAP, and also covers error handling.

Chapter 4. Describing Web Services.
A chapter all about the Web Services Description Language (WSDL), which is the language used to describe Web Service interfaces. I liked this chapter a lot because Yasser does a great job of really illustrating and explaining it well. Clear, easy to follow examples are used to drive concepts home.

Chapter 5. The Microsoft SOAP Toolkit.
As you might have guessed, this chapter is all about using the Microsoft SOAP Toolkit to invoke and expose Web Services. If you would like to know more about the toolkit you will like this chapter. Exposing and invoking Web Services via the high and low-level API's is covered, as well as using header handlers to invoke and expose.

Chapter 6. .NET Web Services.
This chapter discusses creating .Net Web Services with Visual Studio .Net, as well as customizing the WSDL of the Web Service to meet your needs.

Chapter 7. SOAP Header and Fault.
All about SOAP headers and SOAP Fault. There is some great information about communicating errors in a common way so that any platform can get to it.

Chapter 8. Interface-Based Web Service Development.

Explains about Interfaces and the .Net Web Services world. Defining interfaces, implementing multiple interfaces, and programming against interfaces are some of the topics covered.

Chapter 9. Handling Data IN.NET Web Services.
This is a chapter that shows how to take data from many different types of sources and be able to manipulate it using XML Schemas, ADO.Net, and the XML Framework. Typed Datasets are also covered.

Chapter 10. Reusable Infrastructure with Soap Extensions.
This chapter teaches how to built a flexible and reusable infrastructure using SOAP extensions.

Chapter 11. UDDI: A Web Service.
This huge chapter pretty much tells us everything about UDDI that you could want to know. The chapter starts with an explanation of what it is and what it is made of. Then the chapter goes into different usage scenarios and various other UDDI topics. Programming, querying, and publishing Web Services with UDDI are just some of the other topics covered. This is an excellent chapter.

Chapter 12. Other SOAP Toolkits.
This chapter talks about Web Services Interop . Different clients are discussed including JAVA clients, VB 6 clients, and NET clients.

Chapter 13. A Web Service Walkthrough.
This chapter wraps up the book by walking the reader through building a Web Service. This is a great way to end the book as it ties together all the things that were discussed.

Appendix A: Data Type Mappings
Appendix B: .NET Web Services Tips and Tricks.

Two good appendixes that give us more information, as well as tips and tricks.

I give this book a 10 out of 10. Yasser did a fantastic job on it. Again, although I do not think this is a "first read" book on Web Services, I believe it is a "must have" Web Services book. Any developer that works with, or wants to work with Web Services will find it valuable.

Real World XML Web Services ROCKS!!!!!!!!.......2003-08-10

Summary

Chapter 6. .NET Web Services.
This chapter discusses creating .Net Web Services with Visual Studio .Net, as well as customizing the WSDL of the Web Service to meet your needs.

Chapter 7. SOAP Header and Fault.
All about SOAP headers and SOAP Fault. There is some great information about communicating errors in a common way so that any platform can get to it.

Chapter 8. Interface-Based Web Service Development.

Explains about Interfaces and the .Net Web Services world. Defining interfaces, implementing multiple interfaces, and programming against interfaces are some of the topics covered.

Chapter 10. Reusable Infrastructure with Soap Extensions.
This chapter teaches how to built a flexible and reusable infrastructure using SOAP extensions.

Chapter 12. Other SOAP Toolkits.
This chapter talks about Web Services Interop . Different clients are discussed including JAVA clients, VB 6 clients, and NET clients.

Appendix A: Data Type Mappings
Appendix B: .NET Web Services Tips and Tricks.

Repetitive,disjointed and painful to read.......2003-05-25

This is a good book but suffers from bad writing style.
The author uses many "and/or" clauses one is forced to
pause to understand what he is really attempting to say.
He also asks questions in the middle of an explanation.

For example on page 38 section 2.4.7 he says:
"An element doesn't need to have content;it may be empty. An empty element is an element that has no text content and no child elements. Would such an element be of complex or simple type? it depends; if the element has attributes it is of complex type. Note that attributes are not considered part of an element's content, therefore whether or not an element has attributes has nothing to do with whether or not the element is empty: an empty element may nor may not have attributes."

Does the author have to use 108+ words to tell us that an empty element is just that. Empty!
For example read his last sentence and see whether you understand what he is talking about.

He could simply state the last part: "an empty element may or may not have attributes" for us to understand. Where "therefore whether or not an element has attributes has nothing to do with whether or not the element is empty:" came from I have no idea!

I am not sure whether the author is affected by English as a second language or whether he bothered to understand what he was writing. In an attempt to simplify the content he ends up in verbosity and ruins what would have been a good book.

Book Description

Semantic Web: Real-World Applications from Industry offers a glimpse into the opening door of semantic technologies by means of concentrated examples of semantic applications in real business environments. For quite a while, there has been evidence from academic research and early industrial prototypes that semantic technology can help humans and machines substantially in accessing and using the unprecedented, and exponentially growing, amount of information that the World Wide Web provides. Now semantic technology is moving from academic and industrial research into real products and applications. This book provides a series of case studies which demonstrate how real benefits can be derived from the adoption of semantic technology in popular business domains, such as telecommunication, B2B integration, healthcare, education, and others.

Semantic Web: Real-World Applications from Industry summarizes state-of-the art expertise and practical experiences from outstanding technology showcases. This volume was written as a joint effort of leading experts in the field of semantic technology from various backgrounds and countries, including industry, academia, and government agencies. It combines a detailed description of the challenges and technical solutions with a discussion of the actual results and a wealth of lessons learned, which will be invaluable for future investments into semantic technology.

Semantic Web: Real-World Applications from Industry was designed for industry professionals and researchers interested in the current state and future of semantic technology. This book is also suitable as a secondary advanced-level text or reference for students in computer science.

Foreword by Michael L. Brodie, Chief Scientist, Verizon Communications, Cambridge, USA

Internet Resources and Services for International Real Estate Information: A Global Guide (Global Guides to Internet Business Resources)

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Internet Resources and Services for International Real Estate Information: A Global Guide (Global Guides to Internet Business Resources)
Sheau-yueh J. Chao
Manufacturer: Oryx Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1573563730

Book Description

You're investing in real estate, relocating to a new state, or maybe moving to a new country. You go to the Internet, an endless source of information. But is it current? Is it accurate? Can you even find what you need? Here is an analytic guide to nearly 2000 real estate Web sites. Data for more than 220 regions, states, and countries are divided into six sections representing the major continents. The book runs the gamut with data resources for broad geographical regions right down to individual localities (including U.S. states). Indexes to Web site titles, key content, sponsors, and country of origin make this guide essential to everyone from real estate practitioners (developers, bankers, and investors, etc.) to students and researchers in the field.

Web Services Explained: Solutions and Applications for the Real World

Average customer rating:

Web Services Explained: Solutions and Applications for the Real World
Joe Clabby
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall PTR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

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jp-unknown1 | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 0130479632

Customer Reviews:

Not.......2002-12-16

This book contains some useful information, but has several serious flaws. The useful information in the book can also be found in several other books and online sources, including the online excerpts from the book. The marketing hype for this book qualifies as false advertising, in my opinion. For example, "All you need to know to plan an intelligent Web services strategy", "Detailed guidance for choosing the right vendor", and "Up-to-the-minute comparisons of Microsoft's .NET and Sun's J2EE".

The book purports to offer a non-technical explanation of topics which are inherently technical. It contains a few simplifications of technical matters which are misleading in important ways. For example:

"The use of 'objects' is a fundamental concept in Web services, because it enables the assembly of large, compound applications faster than by today's monolithic methods. And, because programmers do not need to constantly recreate objects from scratch (they just plug in the appropriate object and away we go)..." (pg. 24)

Anyone who knows much about software engineering will know that this is very misleading. Code re-use is facilitated by object-oriented methods, but reuse is possible with non-object oriented methods, and is by no means guaranteed to be successful with object-oriented methods (...and away we go).

The book defines a Web service as an application or application component which makes use of XML, UDDI, WSDL, and SOAP. UDDI is "a 'registry standard' that allows applications to be listed and located". UDDI would allow applications to find services or components on the web in an automated fashion. Support for and use of UDDI is currently very limited. The author suggests that the current limited use of UDDI is a major drawback for web services in general. This too is misleading: there are many valuable web services which have been and will be implemented without using UDDI. For most current applications, UDDI would be of little value, because the task would remain for an analyst or programmer to determine whether and how the available services might be used.

The most serious flaw in this book is the editorial disaster which is Chapter 9, "Should We Adopt .NET, or J2EE?".

The 'objective comparison' of these 2 competing platforms for web services begins with excerpts from a white paper by the Middleware Company, which specializes in Java server-side application development. The author describes the paper as "fairly objective", an assessment with which I firmly disagree. Microsoft apparently sent a memo to the author, stating a number of disagreements with the Middleware paper. The author, Mr. Clabby, pastes excerpts from the Microsoft memo, mixed in with repetitions of the previously included material from the Middleware paper, in a confusing jumble. In my opinion, the Microsoft response incorporates some good points. Mr. Clabby should have taken the time to rewrite (and then proof-read) Chapter 9.

In the end, the book does not deliver "specific recommendations", but states (correctly, in my opinion) that what any enterprise should do about web services depends very much on the specific circumstances of that enterprise. These circumstances will include the particulars of the enterprise's business, and the readiness of the enterprise's technical staff to deal with web services. One recommendation I would make, and which this book implies but does not state explicitly is that for any enterprise, the time to start learning about web services is probably now. This book can contribute to that process, but parts need to be taken with a grain of salt, and it certainly does not provide "all you need to know"...

Average customer rating:

Its All Hype

Great Buy!

Great Tips for the Internet

Very helpful guide to AOL and the Net!

Wired in a Week 7.0: "Must-Know" Tips Plus Real Life Examples and Step-by-Step Instructions
AOL's Online Advisor, Regina Lewis , and Regina Lewis
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0446679135

Book Description

The basic primer for the millions of people who havent yet joined the internet party.Chat rooms, instant response messaging, stock quotes, shopping onlinewe all know that the Internet puts the world at your fingertips. Now AOL, the leading Internet provider, has written the book that will allow beginners to get online and surf the net like a pro within a week. Readers will never again be afraid of their computer, and will wonder what they ever did without it.

Customer Reviews:

Its All Hype.......2002-11-08

This book is an AOL marketing ploy to enocurage how spectacular AOL is and really lacks any useful substance. The must-know tips and such are easily found elsewhere and there is no need to read the book.

Great Buy!.......2002-02-16

This book is great to have whether you are interested in learning about AOL or the web in general. This was the best gift I've gotten. I definitely recommend it.

Great Tips for the Internet.......2002-02-15

Wired in a week is a terrific book! You can run through this book and grasp the outlines quickly - There's some great material in there. What a great book to keep by your computer for quick reference. This book aided in my internet experience, helped me locate information quickly, get rid of unwanted mail, and really taught me that there is more out there than email. I would definitely recommend this book to every internet user!

Very helpful guide to AOL and the Net!.......2002-01-17

I bought this book to go with the new computer my husband bought for us over the holidays. It's really helped me with lots of great online tips. I would definitely recommend it to other Internet enthusiasts.

Perspectives on Web Services: Applying SOAP, WSDL and UDDI to Real-World Projects (Springer Professional Computing)

Average customer rating:

Review of Web Services
IBM SOA Explained
If you had time or money for just one book on web services...
Textbook Review
A must-have for successful webservice projects

Perspectives on Web Services: Applying SOAP, WSDL and UDDI to Real-World Projects (Springer Professional Computing)
Olaf Zimmermann , Mark R. Tomlinson , and Stefan Peuser
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Accessories:

ASIN: 3540009140

Book Description

Contains everything that a project team needs to know about the development and deployment of Web services with the IBM WebSphere product family. Included will be examples for all development artifacts in a format that can be reused in the reader’s project. It combines the authors’ own practical experiences with consolidated information on the latest product capabilities in a unique approach that allows the book to be easily accessible to a broad spectrum of readers. Finding a balance between a euphoric/optimistic and down-to earth/realistic view on the subject, this book will be an essential part of every Web service developer’s bookshelf.

Customer Reviews:

Review of Web Services.......2007-01-10

I like this book and am still reading it and I think I can pick up lots of skills and knowledge about Web Services. One more thing I want to mention here is that I accidentally hit a button on amazon web pages for purchasing this book so I ended up buying 2 copies of this book, a hard copy and a soft copy. I should get refund on the soft copy becuase I never review it online. The following is the part of the order info for the soft copy:

Order #: D01-8384140-5827130
Subtotal of items: $ 11.99
------
Total before tax: $ 11.99
Estimated Tax: $ 0.00
------
Total: $ 11.99
------
Total for this Order: $ 11.99

IBM SOA Explained.......2006-03-19

This book excells in explaining the IBM Toolsets and their applicability in the Web Services and SOA area. Unfortunately they are for version 5 and a version 6.x addendum would be great.
Having said that working the examples into version 6 format is good practice and not too much sweat.
This book provides all the coverage you need if you are dealing with the IBM WebSphere kit (all the IBM Redbooks are also a great help!)

If you had time or money for just one book on web services..........2005-11-10

If you had to time or money for just one book on Web Services, this would be it. The book truly delivers on different perspectives namely, business, training, architecture, development, operational and "future". You start by learning enough to convince your boss (or clients, in my case) of the benefits of using your approach and then proceed to master the whole XML based implementations as well. Dense read, though: there is enough material in each chapter to cover an entire book. If you are a java programmer, it makes it even better, most probably because the book came out in 2003 when Microsoft .NET was still pretty clueless about all this web services stuff anyway. Even the J2EE world is way ahead of the book in terms of implementation. Still an excellent read, so my only request would be...a second, updated edition!

Textbook Review.......2004-08-09

Review:

"Perspectives on Web services: Applying SOAP, WSDL, and UDDI to Real-World Projects" Zimmermann O., Tomlinson M., Peuser S.; Springer-Verlag New York, Inc., Secaucus, NJ, 2003.

This voluminous text is essentially about the classic man-machine relationship model.

The reviewer became interested in this topic and monitored the slowly evolving field until 1962 when he published a paper entitled "Shaping and Controlling Human Behaviour in Man-Machine Systems"; Proceedings of The Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Industrial Administration and Engineering Production Group, Vol. 177, Number 34, pp 935-950; 1963 (1 Birdcage Walk, Westminister, SW 1).

He presented the Performance System Spectrum with Man at one end and the Machine at the other. In between these two extremes he defined and illustrated a multitude of combinations including Simple Man-Machine, Complex Man-Machine, Men-Machine, Man-Machine-Man, Man-Machine-Men, and Men-Machine-Men.

By 1963, time-sharing and remote operator terminals had evolved and the computer systems were mainframe...the personal computer and the Internet, if they were envisioned at all, would have been considered purely science-fiction. In relation to the Men-Machine-Men system, he wrote: "...the total system has become so complex, with so many inputs from and outputs to human(s), that design engineers tend to move towards a fully automated system..." In the more than four decades which followed, the flood of computerized systems (and computer acronyms) increased as anyone reading this can testify. And that brings us to today...and Web Services.

We shall see that Web Services satisfies the definition and is a Men-Machine-Men system. To quickly understand what Web Services is the average reader shouldn't start with the text under review but with an excellent article, "The Web Within the Web," Enrique Castro-Leon, IEEE Spectrum, February 2004, pp 42-46. Examining this paper first and then delving leisurely into "Perspectives on Web Services: Applying SOAP, WSDL, and UDDI to Real-World Projects" will have a higher payoff even for those readers who are experienced software engineers, developers, analysts, and systems architects.

Castro-Leon presents a concise thumbnail view of this emerging concept. He argues that "...dusty, musty databases filled with useful data that would be far more useful if linked with other, equally dusty databases; enormous databases that are locked up inside ancient mainframes and quaintly archaic minicomputers; lonely databases residing on specialized file servers throughout an enterprise (pronounced business); even modern databases on Web servers...(are) stuck in long-obsolete proprietary formats or accessible only through hypermodern scripting languages..." Further, "... Web services are a way programmers can make their databases available across the Web , let other programmers access them, and tie these disparate databases together into services that are novel, perhaps even wonderful..." This, of course, is the basic reasoning for improving the Machine part of the Men-Machine-Men performance system.

"...Web browsers have liberated us from the tyranny of specific hardware and the near monopoly of the Windows operating system...(because of)...the Hypertext Transfer Protocol, which provides a standard for the way Web pages are downloaded from a Web site to a computer, and the generic nature of Web pages themselves..." The Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) ",...was designed to encode things that will be viewed by people, rather than processed by another machine. HTML mixes formatting commands...with data because it was designed as a display language..." Castro-Leon continues: "...if Web services are to build powerful networks of collaborating databases and services, the first step is replacing HTML with something more compatible with the world of databases, something that can be understood by another computer...such a new language has been developed...a subset of HTML, called XML, for Extensible Markup Language..."

This movement to improve the Machine subsystem did not end with the invention of XML. There had to be some mechanism to move XML data rather than HTML across the Internet. This was SOAP --- Simple Object Access Protocol --- a generic wrapper which is an envelope recognized and accepted by Web browsers and servers. Together, XML and SOAP give Web Services interoperability.

However, another specification was needed called UDDI ---Universal Discovery, Description and Integration --- which, as Castro-Leon states, "...lets Web Services look for databases (by Machine) in the same way that Google lets humans look for Webpages..." But the process didn't end with the development of UDDI. There had to be a standard which allowed the Machine to determine what is at a site once it has been identified. This standard was WSDL --- Web Services Description Language. All of these protocols took years to develop....and the improvements continue to this day.

Having presented an overview of Web Services from Castro-Leon, it is now time to review the 648 page text entitled, "Perspectives on Web Services: Applying SOAP, WSDL, and UDDI to Real-World Projects" This is in essence a "how-to" or a "cook" book, using an old world term, which goes into exquisite detail about how these software elements work inside the Machine and how to utilize them effectively and profitably. One might describe it as a "Web Services for Dummies" type of text but written at a much higher intellectual and professional level. The occasional humor is within acceptable limits and not extreme.

In the Men-Machine-Men model, the Machine is represented by all of the computer systems in the Internet world-wide and includes SOAP, WSDL, and UDDI as software and all of the hardware world-wide. The Men at one side are all the humans dealing with the Internet as users while the Men on the other side of the Machine are all the software people feeding the Machine world-wide with data and graphics which are then manipulated inside the Machine by SOAP, WSDL, and UDDI. You can visualize that the users might have a population of millions and possibly billions of individuals and the software people might represent a population of millions of individuals. That is why this volume on Web Services is an important reference today as the system is being implemented --- but there is a cautionary poem by the systems guy Kenneth Boulding regarding this Machine:

A system is a big black box
Of which we can't unlock the locks,
And all we can find out about
Is what goes in and what comes out.

Perceiving input-output pairs
Related by parameters
Permits us, sometimes, to relate
An input, output, and a state.

If this relation's good and stable,
Then to predict we may be able.
But if this fails us - heaven forbid
We'll be compelled to force the lid!

Having forced the lid --- you are now inside the Machine! The book is structured using the "goto" branching command. The authors encourage the reader to study a section and then decide to continue on or "goto" a different section. In fact, they suggest not reading from cover-to-cover at all but selecting those parts directly related to the reader's job role.

The text is neatly divided into Perspectives chapters which follow a typical project sequence: Business, Training, Architecture, Development, Operational, Engagement, and Future. The authors state that they and their anticipated readers are "technical people" and their approach in writing was shaped in that way

Chapter 1 is The Business Perspective. In 30 pages they discusses definitions, EAI (Enterprise Application Integration), B2C (Business-to- Consumer), B2B (Business-to-Business), A2A (Application-to-Application), H2A (Human-to-Application), and potential inhibitors to decision-making. The Case Study of a fictitious insurance company is introduced which will be threaded throughout the book. Some of the flowchart models are clearer than others.

Chapter 2 is The Training Perspective. A better term for this perspective would be the "technical information" found in a manual used by individuals for self-instruction to learn about the software. 123 pages are devoted to a tutorial of concepts and technologies but the reader is not expected at this point to be able to apply them.

There is an overview of WebServices concepts and detailed information on the XML markup language including namespaces and schema. Attention to given to SOAP message formats and encoding. This is followed by WSDL, the interface description, containment structure of WSDL documents, and binding-related document elements. There are descriptions of UDDI's registry structure, identifier bag, category bag, binding template, tModel structure, linking to a UDDI registry, an API (Application Programming Interface) overview, and brief mention of WSIL (Web Service Inspection Language). There many well-designed coding sheet examples which would make sense to experienced programmers but probably not to novices.

About 86 pages are assigned to Chapter 3: The Architecture Perspective. The authors provide an introduction to Web Services architecture oulining paradigm changes, J2EE (Java 2 Enterprise Edition) and defining Web Services as the software part of the Machine. WSA (Web Services Architecture) is explained with the use of stacks and a disclaimer is provided since not all of the terms are universally accepted. WSA building blocks and component walkthrough is covered. Explanations are given for WS principles, Generic vs. Generated API, design patterns, business patterns, architectural patterns (microflow, intermediary, and interceptor/pipeline) and process choreography including public-to-private process mapping. Architectural decisions are outlined along with service matchmaking. In addition, NFRs (Non-Functional Requirements), gaps and countermeasures and SOAP Section 5 encoding are discussed. Finally, XML-based, WS, and application layer security are explained. There is a useful FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section ending the chapter.

Chapter 4 is The Development Perspective. Consisting of 192 pages, this chapter has a considerable amount of meat and consequently may cause indigestion for the vegetarians among us. The authors state that a reader should have a "...solid reading comprehension of J2SE and J2EE APIs..." It is written at a fairly deep level of detail related to reader motivation and categorizes this interest as: casual, steady or junkie. There is an emphasis on "goto" branching. Most of the coding examples are also found on Springer websites.

The introduction to the development of WS in Java presents the WebSphere Studio Workbench and Eclipse.org. WebSphere SDK (WSDK), the Emerging Technologies Toolkit (ETTK), and Apache SOAP 2.3 are described with some caveats regarding known flaws. This is followed by JAX-RPC and Apache Axis, definitions, an introduction to WS for J2EE and JSR 109 and the WSDK Toolkit.

At this point, starting on page 259, the first example or case in The Case Study is considered --- all the prior pages having been dedicated to technical information to bring the reader up to speed. The authors refer to the example as a "sample" and it is, of course, a simulation where the case problem is run on the WS model being described so the reader can learn how to do it later in real-life. More precisely it is a training simulation testing (with some debugging) of the solution provided by the authors....the author's terminology will be used here.

The case scenario involves several fictitious insurance companies. In terms of the Performance System Spectrum, this scenario deals with the Men-Machine-Men model with Men being Internal Users and the Machine processing risk and fraud management matters. Business logic requirements are considered and "The Great Debate" over Apache Soap or JAX-RPC occurs, followed by configuring and building the sample. To build RPC/Encoded Services for Java the bottom-up and top-down approaches are reviewed. There is a discussion of building EJB (Enterprise Java Beans) WS with Apache SOAP, and using the WS Wizard. The process of exploring and modifying generated files is described. Building EJB WS with JAX-RPC and JSR 109 follows, In addition, exploring generated server side files, updating the project build paths, modifying generated files, and testing the deployed service are briefly delineated.

The reader is encouraged to build RPC/encoded services from WSDL first creating WS from WSDL using Apache SOAP and then testing the WS client. There is also the process of creating WS from WSDL using JAX-RPC/JSR 109 and updating the WSDL document and installing the SOAP Router, and finally testing the WS. A section is devoted to programmatic access to WSDL, using the WSDL4J toolkit, testing the JWSDL application and creating JWSDL clients with JAX-RPC and JSR 109. The reader learns to use WS-Inspection to build service indices from Java and also with Apache Soap and to configure WSIL4J.. There many excellent figures illustrating this part of the simulation. At this point, the text moves ahead to the use of UDDI.

There are discussions of UDDI access from Java and browsers, using UDDI with Apache SOAP and also with JAX-RPC and JSR 109, using other Web Services bindings, creating a document/literal Service from WSDL and a document/literal Service Client. A secton is dedicated to orchestrating Web Services and use of the Process Editor. The reader learns about using attachments with SOAP, using SOAP headers and finally exporting the completed sample. While space is assigned to finding more information, there isn't any for FAQ which could have been useful at this stage. Some System Administrators have argued that constructing the application in this chapter was the easy part. The next stage deals with implementing it in a production environment and might be viewed as more difficult.

Chapter 5 presents The Operational Perspective which the authors have truncated to 79 pages and rely on the experience of the reader to fill in some technical gaps. There are many specific references to coding samples in .zip format on Springer websites. This chapter deals with the system architecture hosting the software and we are now deep inside the Machine in the Men-Machine-Men system --- and continually aware of Boulding's admonition: "....If this relation's good and stable, Then to predict we may be able. But if this fails us - heaven forbid, We'll be compelled to force the lid!..."

There is a discussion of topology, standalone topology, additional components,and clustered and managed topology. Reference is made to the Access Management Subsystem, load balancing and high availability support. At this point, the Case Study simulation of a fictitious insurance company continues and for the remaining pages is interspersed with tutorial information .

There are explanations of Deploying Web Services, the WebSphere Application Server, deployment and configuring the application server. There is information on JDBC configuration, JAAS authentication and Cloudscape, and restarting and testing the installation. Next comes Deploying Services, wsadmin, ANT; working on the private UDDI Registry, including configuring and adding WSDL documents to the UDDI Registry. Descriptions are provided for testing, clustering, and node agents; working with the IBM HTTP Server, starting, testing clusters, and finally cold standby.

Attention is given to Securing the WS Implementation: security threats, countermeasures, WS-Security, and future WS-Security extensions, Securing WS with HTTPS and SSL --- as the simulation continues. The chapter closes with the WS Gateway and how to configure it, deploying a WS to the Gateway, updating and client testing. Frequent mention is made of specific websites to support the simulation so the reader is not completely alone with just the text.

Chapter 6 is The Engagement Perspective of 27 pages and a typical reader would sense that the end is in sight!! This chapter reviews many technical points emphasized in the Case Study simulation and adds the following: Planning a WS Development Project, Outlining Requirements and High Level Design, Planning and Staffing, Running the Project, including testing and going live, Success Factors, Elements of Risk,lessons learned and design advice. There is a final look at the Case Study simulation.

The Future Perspective appears in Chapter 7. The authors briefly identify SOAP Version 1.2, WSDL Version 1.2, UDDI Version 3.0, and grid computing for the immediate future. The Semantic Web including RDF and OWL are mentioned and they provide mid- and long-term visions.

The chapter concludes with "Now enjoy the first project in which you apply and exploit this hot technology!"

There are rather complete coding steps, flowcharts, and screen displays in the boilerplate content of the Appendix including: Building the Case Study Policy Systems, Java to XML Mapping, and C# --- and 87 References for those who desire additional background.

As Castro-Leon in summarizing his IEEE Spectrum article said: "...the semantic Web's benefits won't be seen for some time; Web Services are here today...it will connect almost every island of data, software, and device on the planet..." The reviewer believes that this volume which introduces Web Services is a valuable asset in the drive to improve the Men-Machine-Men system which we call the Internet.

Leonard C. Silvern
Systems Engineering Laboratories
Clarkdale, AZ

A must-have for successful webservice projects.......2003-11-08

My primary reason for buying this book was the eye-catcher word "Real-World Projects" in the subtitle. I'm a professional developer/architect of enterprise size IT-projects and the fastest way for me to learn new things is by using examples. So in fact the "Development Perspective" chapter was the first chapter I've read and found it very useful if you are going to use WebSphere 5 in your project.
I was pleased to see that the next chapter "Operational Perspective" actually deals with questions regarding deployment and configuration. This is something most books are missing and many projects underestimate the importance of these aspects for a successful rollout.
Finally after reading two very useful chapters (written in an enjoyable style), I've decided to give the other chapters also a try and I wasn't disappointed. This book covers all important aspects for a successful webservice project and I strongly recomment it if you are going to start such a project.
During my time as a technical lead at Hewlett-Packard, I've got the opportunity to participate a pretty expensive software architect workshop. I was pleased to see lots of "Does and Dont's" I've learned in this workshop in the "Architecture Perspective" chapter of this book.
I finally ended up in reading all chapters of the book. I haven't read all pages of this book because of my previous knowledge and because of the excellent offered shortcuts within this book. But the time I've spent reading the rest was a rewarding investment. Whatever role you are going to play in a webservice project: you will find something useful within this book.
And finally don't forget: even Grady Booch thinks this book is a must-have. He wrote a nice forword for the book.

At your service: enhanced property Web sites offering tenant and resident amenities improve customer service. : An article from: Journal of Property Management

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At your service: enhanced property Web sites offering tenant and resident amenities improve customer service. : An article from: Journal of Property Management
Emma Johnson
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Property Management, published by Thomson Gale on May 1, 2006. The length of the article is 2392 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: At your service: enhanced property Web sites offering tenant and resident amenities improve customer service.
Author: Emma Johnson
Publication: Journal of Property Management (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 71 Issue: 3 Page: 24(5)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Case Study ZapNote: The Hartford UDDI ZapNote: A Case Study in Real-World UDDI Adoption

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Case Study ZapNote: The Hartford UDDI ZapNote: A Case Study in Real-World UDDI Adoption
ZapThink , and Jason Bloomberg
Manufacturer: ZapThink, LLC
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Binding: Digital

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The Hartford is an early adopter of Web Services and Service-Oriented Architectures (SOAs), in an industry that is leading the economy in the adoption of these technologies. Their insurance-industry focused initiative known as SEMCI supports requests for quotations for insurance to multiple carriers and gets a response in a standard ACORD format. The Hartford required the ability to roll out continuously changing versions of the Services they offered as a part of SEMCI. Further complicating this integration challenge was the fact that the responding carriers used different and constantly changing versions of the insurance industry standard ACORD messages.

To solve this many-to-many versioning problem, The Hartford turned to a UDDI registry to provide a metadata repository to enable integration in a continuously changing environment. The system works by leveraging a Web Services management platform to query the UDDI registry for an appropriate Service version at runtime, thus enabling the loose coupling between Service consumers and the applications they access.

As a result, The Hartford is now able to leverage their SOA to provide greater business agility to their users, and build a "future-proof" enterprise architecture to enable continual change.

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