Summary

This chapter was a whirlwind tour of Web services in both the .NET world as well as the Java world. It is definitely a topic that merits an entire book of its own. The chapter showed you the power of exposing your data and logic as SOAP and also how to consume these SOAP messages directly in the thin- or thick-client applications you build.

In addition to pointing out the power you have for building and consuming basic Web services, the chapter spent some time helping you understand caching and performance. A lot of power is built into this model; everyday the Web services model is making stronger inroads into various enterprise organizations. It is becoming more likely that in order to get at some data or logic you need for your application, you will employ the tactics presented here.

The next chapter is going to take a look at SOAP and WSDL in greater detail including how to extend SOAP to give your Web services some advanced features.