Web services enable the new generation of Internet-based applications. These services support application-to-application Internet communication--that is, applications at different network locations can be integrated to function as if they were part of a single, large software system. Examples of applications made possible by Web services include automated business transactions and direct (nonbrowser) desktop and handheld device access to reservations, stock trading, and order-tracking systems.

Several key standards have emerged that together form the foundation for Web services: XML (Extensible Markup Language), WSDL (Web Services Definition Language), SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol), and UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration). In addition, ebXML (Electronic Business XML) has been specified to facilitate automated business process integration among trading partners.

This book introduces the main ideas and concepts behind core and extended Web services' technologies and provides developers with a primer for each of the major technologies that have emerged in this space. In addition, Understanding Web Services summarizes the major architectural approaches to Web services, examines the role of Web services within the .NET and J2EE communities, and provides information about major product offerings from BEA, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, IONA, Microsoft, Oracle, Sun Microsystems, and others.

Key topics include:

• XML facilities for structuring and serializing data

• How WSDL maps services onto communication protocols and transports

• WSDL support for RPC-oriented and document-oriented interactions

• SOAP's required and optional elements

• Message processing and the role of intermediaries in SOAP

• UDDI data formats and APIs

• How ebXML offers an alternative to Web services that supports reliable messaging, security, and trading-partner negotiations

With Understanding Web Services, you will be well informed and well positioned to participate in this vast, emerging marketplace.

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Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 25 Ratings

good but old - 2008-03-02
Reviewer Rating:
This title is very good for understanding basic WS technologies. But is older for now and some informations are outdated. Reprint with updated information (espec. UDDIv3) would be good.

Good Book - 2007-08-10
Reviewer Rating:
As a glosary is very good, if you where aming to learn how to program a web service it was not very good for me. I would prefer more code samples from the basics to advanced. Definitely you should have a previous knowledge of XML, and maybe even some basic knowledge of webservices before reading this.

Excellent Overview, But Extremely Difficult Read - 2007-05-10
Reviewer Rating:
I recommend this book for everyone beginning Web Services. However, I do so with a word of caution: READ IT SLOWLY AND READ IT TWICE. The book has a great spread of issues but is extremely difficult to sit down and read/work through.

All the issues covered are covered lightly with the exception of the most important topics: WSDL, SOAP, UUDI and ebXML. The only thing it didn't touch on that I wish it would have was REST.

Key pieces of these topics are scattered and you need to be careful to read through and keep notes about where you can find more information (I found myself keeping margin notes on where key pieces of information were in the book at the introduction of each topic).

I recommend it so that you can understand the complexity and get a good overview of the topic, but I would definitely say that the book is only a good place to begin. It will leave your head spinning, but if you have purchased other books on individual topics, it will provide you with a reference on how they tie together.

The book has its ups and it has its downs, but it is worth reading.

A lot of understandble and useless paragraphs - 2007-01-12
Reviewer Rating:
We bought this book trying to find a good overview about what web-service implementation is, what WSDL means what RPC/Document style means, etc, by an expert point of view, I must say at least this is not the case.

There are a lot of paragraphs with useless information, that in the first read you avoid because you don't understand, in the next reads you avoid because they are useless.

Terms are confusing and mixed up, explanations also.

If you like skipping paragraphs it is a good newbie introduction, if you have some background on web-service just avoid it.

Really disappointing

Pretty good overview - 2005-07-26
Reviewer Rating:
This book provides a pretty good overview of web services--although it's a little heavy handed with xml. Bottom line is that i6t would be easy to wal away from this book thinking web services is simply xml schema--and miss the bigger picture.

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