Web Services: Building Reusable Web Components with SOAP and ASP.NET
David S. Platt
This article assumes you’re familiar with XML and Visual Basic
Level of Difficulty 1 2 3
Download the code for this article: WebComp.exe(93KB)
Browse the code for this article at Code Center: TimeServiceDemo
SUMMARY XML and HTTP are cross-platform technologies especially suited for building applications that can communicate with each other over the Internet, regardless of the platform they are running on. Web Services in the Microsoft .NET Framework make it easy to write components that communicate using HTTP GET, HTTP POST, and SOAP.
An understanding of these concepts, along with knowledge of synchronous and asynchronous operations, security, state management, and the management of proxies by the .NET Framework is essential in building these applications.
This article has been adapted from David Platt’s upcoming book introducing the Microsoft .NET Platform to be published by Microsoft Press in Spring 2000.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
seismic shift is just now beginning in Internet programming. Internet access will soon be built into nearly every program anyone ever writes. You won't use a generic browser, except when you feel like browsing generically. Instead, you will use dedicated programs that are optimized for accomplishing specific tasks. You won't be aware of the program's Internet access (except when it breaks).
An early example of this type of program is Napster, which allows you to search the shared hard drives of thousands of participating users for music files that meet specified criteria, and download the ones you like. The dedicated user interface of a multi-player game is another example of hidden Internet access. And the latest edition of Microsoft® Money does a good job of seamlessly blending Web content (current stock quotes, latest balances, and so on) and desktop content (financial plans you create locally).