Web Services Application Examples

[Sandy Weng]

Hi,

I'm a newbie to java web services. In my company, we only use the simplest java servlet and jsp to generate web pages, web input form and access the database directly. I feel it essential to learn new technology. I'm now reading Richard MH's J2EE Web Services. When i am reading it, i always ask myself: how can i apply this to my working environment? But seems that it's just not quite applicable because all my users are using web browser as client and send data via http. We don't have any client software at all. All are server programs.

So, i'm quite curious about the 'outer world'. How do you use j2ee web services? What do you use it for? How much do you feel the j2ee web services help you to build your business application?

[Michael Riecken]

Sandy -

We have a similar situation where we process (re)purchased loans through a web site. [All of this is currently in development] Client banks log onto our site and submit the information - this is done with a purchased .net application - which runs the public web interface.

The .net application talks , via SOAP, to a Tomcat/Axis/JOnAS application to ask it things like "Does the purchase of this loan make sense?" and "What information is the client bank required to enter for us to approve this loan purchase?" - boring stuff.

JOnAS has some beans deployed that actually wrap an ILOG rules engine, that the loan officer types maintain, that run this whole thing.

So - like you - our "client" is a web browser somewhere (The First Bank of Bob, for example). The browser is talking to some .net application, which is talking, via SOAP, to "My" application - which is J2EE/Web Services.

Cool?

+Michael Riecken

[Sandy Weng]

So your application is 3-tiers: web browser, .net application and j2ee web services, right? Your .net application will provide the web interface and then use something like JAX-RPC to send SOAP to your web serivces, right? And the .net application's role is to 'translate' the request to SOAP, right?

I have no experience in .net application at all. What does it do and what's the advantages of it?

Sorry for my stupid questions....

Actually, overall speaking, do you find it helpful to use j2ee web services?
[ May 18, 2004: Message edited by: Sandy Weng ]

[Lasse Koskela]

So your application is 3-tiers: web browser, .net application and j2ee web services, right?

I'd say it's probably more like two 2-tier or 3-tier applications talking to each other.

Your .net application will provide the web interface and then use something like JAX-RPC to send SOAP to your web serivces, right?

Probably yes, except that the JAX-RPC is a Java API and thus cannot be used from .NET.

I have no experience in .net application at all. What does it do and what's the advantages of it?

.NET is Microsoft's latest application development and deployment environment. For more information, I'd suggest turning to the Microsoft Developer Network and other .NET communities like GotDotNet.