What is a Web Service Simply put a web service is a method of communication between devices over the World Wide Web (WWW) Characteristics: Uses Request/Response messages over HTTP/S Hypertext Transfer Protocol The foundation of data communication over WWW Used to send and receive webpages and files on the internet. Messages are text readable such as XML and JSON XML - Extensible Markup Language (rules for encoding documents that are both human and machine readable) JSON – JavaScript Object Notation (file format that uses human readable text) What is SOAP Simple Object Access Protocol Lightweight protocol for exchanging structured information Use HTTP POST to send XML (Extended Markup Language)\ Provides both Asynchronous and Synchronous Asynchronous – Doesn’t wait for a response; it is NOT immediate; callbacks happen only when the requested resource is ready Synchronous – Expects an immediate return of data; waits for a response SOAP Example - Web Service from a ...