A Final Word

In this column we embarked on a new series on Web services. We introduced you to the concept, the motivation behind them, and the benefits you are expected to get from them. We explained several basic terms, such as SOAP, XML, UDDI, and WSDL. We pointed out to you two directories where you can find hundreds of readily-available Web services. Using a Web service necessitates a careful screening of candidates. One criterion to judge by is the Web service's quality, and adherence to its specification. Luckily, there are Web sites that check the interoperability between Web services. We showed you a way to check if the recent regression suite passed or failed. The Web Service Description Language (WSDL) is used to describe the service's interface. We listed the description file of a Web service that returns the weather in a given zip-code area. We went over the WSDL's abstract and concrete definitions.

In this column you have learned:

• About Web services justification
• How to benefit from Web services
• How to use SOAP and UDDI
• How to use development tools for Web services
• How to find Web services on the Internet
• How to find information about a Web service
• How to check interoperability between Web services
• How to write WSDL by example
• How to write the Web service's description elements