Web Service definition
A web service is a method for different software applications to communicate with each other over the internet. It uses standard formats and protocols to ensure that even applications written in different languages can understand each other.
See also: communication protocol
Key components of a web service:
- SOAP: A protocol that uses XML to structure data for transmission.
- WSDL: An XML-based language that describes what the web service does.
- UDDI: A directory where information about web services is stored.
- REST: An architectural style using standard HTTP actions.
- JSON-RPC and XML-RPC: Simpler ways to make remote procedure calls.
Web service uses:
- Allows diverse systems to work together.
- Enables business-to-business data sharing.
- Provides remote access to specific functions.
- In short, web services are tools that let different software systems talk and work together over the web.
