internet applications

I wish I could recommend a better introduction to Java Web Services. David Chappell usually does a good job at explaining new technologies in simplified form; however, he falls short with this one. It comes very close to being a step-by-step, build-up tutorial but falls short. If you already know SOAP, perhaps coming from the .NET world and you just need to make the right connections in the Java world, then this would be a good book for you. However, if you don't know SOAP and you're looking for a thorough understanding of what's going on under the covers before you move on to advanced APIs, then this is not your best bet. Actually, I'm not sure what is. I started writing such a tutorial myself but got distracted by other projects. However, this book is solidly average, nothing necessary wrong with that, and if you can find it at a good discount it's a decent buy.

If you are serious about implementing a web services solution or just curious about this emerging technology, Java Web Services is a must for your bookshelf. This book does not only focus on the spectrum of technologies that make up web services, but also the concepts needed to fully understand the associated architecture and implement a successful strategy.

Although the back cover claims that the book is for the experienced Java developer, you don't have to be a Java or XML expert to read this book. The clarity of the text and the brief overview of technologies before elaborating, will give any reader a worthwhile experience.

Chapter 3 on SOAP is probably the best breakdown of SOAP I have ever read. For this reason, I recommend this book for anyone planning for web services and not only with Java. The examples might be given in Java, but-in keeping with web services architecture-the concepts are platform-independent. The chapter "SOAP: The Cornerstone of Interoperability" gives practical examples; from a simple SOAP message to more advanced topics like routing and faults. Developers will probably be most interested with the SOAP-RPC section, which is essential for consuming web services.

One of the most interesting things about the book is its style. Web services is a whole mess of technologies but, rather then mixing them up, the authors took a very modular approach. This way, each chapter can be read individually without confusion. At the same time, the early chapters get you ready for the more advanced topics down the road.

Enterprise developers should take careful note on the chapters dealing with J2EE and especially JMS. Expect J2EE to be the platform of choice for deploying web services. As web services advance, expect reliability and security to be key factors to the success of their deployment. That is why JMS will be a key component in insuring reliability and is given nice coverage. Maybe they saved the best for last by covering web services security briefly in the last chapter. Many topics were discussed briefly throughout the book. Not because of their lack of importance, but because the technologies or still works in progress. Expect them to be covered in future editions as standards evolve.

In conclusion, Java Web Services will provide you with the knowledge to fully implement a web services solution. The book has examples of both creating and consuming web services and everything in between. I guarantee if you read this you will be on your way to becoming one of the web services elite.

This book covers the topic of web services, primarily from a Java perspective. It assumes a familiarity with Java and XML so as to be able to follow the code examples. The chapters are as follows: Welcome To Web Services, Inside The Composite Computing Model, SOAP: The Cornerstone Of Interoperability, SOAP-RPC, SOAP-Faults, and Misunderstandings, Web Services Description Language, UDDI: Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration, JAX-RPC and JAXM, J2EE and Web Services, Web Services Interoperability, and Web Services Security.

Review
If you read the chapter headings and say "What does THAT mean?", then you probably have a reasonability good idea as to whether this book is for you. As stated in the preface, this is not a "For Dummies" treatment of web services. While it covers all the different technologies that make up web services, it does it at a pretty high level of detail with a lot of code samples in Java.

The good thing here is that many of the examples are given using the Apache Tomcat server as the mechanism for processing the request. This is great in that you can download that software for free from the Apache site. This book doesn't go into detail as to how Tomcat is set up and configured, however. You need to work through that on your own. Once you get to that point, you can use Tomcat to play with the examples that are used throughout the book. While they can look complex and intimidating, you can learn a lot from them.

As a Notes/Domino developer, I learned a lot by reading the book. Am I ready to start developing web services? Not hardly. But I do understand more of the concepts behind how they work. Since web services often use servlets to process requests, Notes/Domino 5 doesn't fit the traditional picture of the technology. But since web services usually involve SOAP XML statements sent to a server, there's no reason you couldn't program a web service in Domino as a web agent that runs when a user submits a web page or runs a URL that activates a server agent. The processing is done and then returned to the client as an XML page. Once you read and digest the basic concepts behind it all, it all starts to come together.

Conclusion
If you are a Notes/Domino developer who is trying to understand "web services", this book could be useful. The book gets progressively more complex and detailed, so you may find yourself skimming at the end. If you are to the point of being ready to run an implementation of a servlet and SOAP engine (like Tomcat), this book will help you get started with your understanding of web services.