1) What are web services?

2) How the web service will work and for what we will be using that?
3) Give an example of web services (i.e. a small hi program for web services)?
4) How to run a web service program?
5) What is the software that we need to run a web service program?
6) What is Eclipse, and say something about Eclipse?

1. What are web services?

A Web service is a software application identified by a URI, whose interfaces and

bindings are capable of being defined, described and discovered as XML artefacts. A

Web service supports direct interactions with other software agents using XML

based messages exchanged via internet-based protocols

2. Why we use web Services?

A Web service is a unit of managed code that can be remotely invoked using

HTTP, that is, it can be activated using HTTP requests. So, Web Services allows you

to expose the functionality of your existing code over the network. Once it is exposed

on the network, other application can use the functionality of your program.

 Connecting Different Applications: Web Services allows different

applications to talk to each other and share data and services among

themselves. Other applications can also use the services of the web services.

For example VB or .NET application can talk to java web services and vice

versa. So, Web services is used to make the application platform and

technology independent.

 Low Cost of communication: Web Services uses SOAP over HTTP protocol

for the communication, so you can use your existing low cost internet for

implementing Web Services. This solution is much less costly compared to

proprietary solutions like EDI/B2B. 

  Loosely Coupled Applications: Web Services are self-describing software

modules which encapsulates discrete functionality. Web Services are

accessible via standard Internet communication protocols like XML and

SOAP. These Web Services can be developed in any technologies (like c++,

Java, .NET, PHP, Perl etc.) and any application or Web Services can access

these services. So, the Web Services are loosely coupled application and can

be used by applications developed in any technologies. For example, I have

heard of people developing Web Services using Java technologies and using

the Web Services in VB or .NET applications.

 Standardized Protocol: Web Services uses standardized industry standard

protocol for the communication. All the four layers (Service Transport, XML

Messaging, Service Description and Service Discovery layers) uses the well

defined protocol in the Web Services protocol stack. This standardization of

protocol stack gives the business many advantages like wide range of choices,

reduction in the cost due to competition and increase in the quality.

3. What is an Eclipse?

Eclipse is an extensible open source development platform mainly written in java. It is

simply a framework consisting of the Java Development Tools (JDT) for building a

development environment from plug-in components.

Eclipse is a multi-language software development environment comprising an

integrated development environment (IDE) and an extensible plug-in system. It is

written primarily in Java and can be used to develop applications in Java and, by
means of various plug-ins, other languages including C, C++, COBOL, Python, Perl,

PHP, Scheme and Ruby

Language packs provides translations into a number of natural languages flavors,

therefore a lot of users use Eclipse as a Java IDE and their ambitions do not stop here.

User can extend the capabilities of eclipse by including Plug-in Development

Environment (PDE). Since Eclipse is written in java, it doesn't mean that it is limited

to the java language. Eclipse supports the plug-in for the programming languages like

C/C++ and COBOL also. The Eclipse framework can also be used as content

management systems.

The Software Development Kit (SDK) of Eclipse includes various development tools

such as Eclipse Java Development Tools, a full model of the Java source files and an

IDE with a built-in incremental Java compiler. Due to the rich featured SDK Eclipse

allows advanced refactoring techniques and code analysis. The IDE also creates a

workspace, a set of metadata over a flat file space allows modifications in the external

files.