Open Source Web Services

Web Services is a new paradigm and probably one of the most discussed subjects amongst the IT solution providers. It is a simple concept that enables grand integration of various blocks of existing web infrastructure. It uses XML based messaging standards like SOAP, WSDL, UDDI which will provide solutions to the industry for many more years. Open Source products like Linux, Apache, Perl, PHP are popular robust parts of web infrastructure. The rising need of SOAP based web services has prompted the development of libraries for various open source languages in line with some industry efforts around .NET and J2EE framework.

What does this book cover?

- A comprehensive discussion of Web Services Architecture and chemistry behind it

- XML based messaging standards like XML-RPC, SOAP, WSDL and UDDI and their details

- SOAP implementations in various languages like Perl, Java, PHP, C++, Ruby and Python with real world examples

- In depth coverage of Web Services using Apache AXIS and SOAP::Lite

- EJB Web Services using JBoss

- Case study of designing web services from legacy application

- Embedded Web Services in java applets and devices using Open Source product kSOAP

- A complete chapter on Web Services security considerations and developing secure web services since E-Commerce relies heavily upon security

- The book is organized to provide separate coverage on theoratical and practical aspects of web Services blended with Open Source products

Kapil Apshankar has three years experience in knowldege management, i18n, L10n and manufacturing domains. He works as a team leader for a major software corporation in India. Currently he is working with web services in all their forms to devise ways and means to take this nascent technology to its limits. His other interests include Linux, networking and distributed computing.

Dietrich Ayala has spent the past four years designing and developing web applications. He feels fulfilled when programming with PHP and XML. Dietrich currently works for NuSphere Corporation developing Web Services tools for PHP developers.He holds certifications in E-commerce programming and XML technologies from the University of Washington.

Christopher Browne is a consultant with Sabre Inc., in the Human Resources and Payroll Systems organization supporting these systems for AMR (American Airlines). He has been involved since 1996 with conversions at AMR to use SAP R/3 for financial accounting and for HR and payroll systems. He was previously a Systems Engineer with SHL Systemhouse (now EDS) in their SAP R/3 practice. He is also the treasurer of the North Texas Linux Users Group (NTLUG). Chris holds a Bachelor of Mathematics degree from the University of Waterloo, Joint Honors Co-op Chartered Accountancy and Computer Science, and a Master of Science degree in Systems Science from the University of Ottawa, Canada.

Vivek Chopra has eight years of experience in software design and development, the last two years of which have been in Web Services and various XML technologies. He is the co-author of Professional ebXML Foundations and Professional XML Web Services (both from Wrox Press). He is also a committer for UDDI4J, an open source Java API for UDDI. His other areas of experience and interest include compilers, middleware, clustering, GNU/Linux and mobile computing. He is currently consulting in the domain area of Web Services. Vivek holds a Bachelor's degree in Electronics and a Master's in Computer Science, both from Pune University, India. He lives and works in the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area.

Tim McAllister is a software architect, engineer, author and conference speaker with over a decade of experience in the industry. His work is focused on object oriented analysis and design, distributed systems, Web services, Java, XML and related Internet technologies. Tim currently spends his days at Hewlett Packard, where he says they are "enabling pervasive interoperability of nomadic devices". Until recently he was a senior architect at Nike working with the B2C and B2B teams.

Dr. P.G. Sarang is one of the leading software architects in the industry. With more than 20 years of IT experience, Dr. Sarang provides consulting in architecting and designing solutions to clients worldwide. He is an ex-professor of Computer Engg of University of Notre Dame, USA. Dr. Sarang is an invited speaker at many international conferences and has many research papers to his credit. He is a regular contributor of technical articles in many international journals and has co-authored several books for Wrox. My special thanks to Chandan, Rahul and Madhav for providing valuable inputs during this writing. I dedicate this writing to my son Sanket who co-operated by not bothering me with his studies during the time of writing.