Sams Teach Yourself ASP.NET in 21 Days, Second Edition By Chris Payne
Table of Contents
Day 17. Consuming and Securing XML Web Services
That's Not ASP!
For ASP developers, allowing clients to access Web applications isn't a new concept. Classic ASP let developers move applications online, allowing clients to access them. It's accessing components of applications over the Internet and using them for other programs that's completely new.
Allowing two separate pieces of an application to communicate with each other remotely is a new concept. Previously, business logic and ASP pages had to be on the same computer (or at least computers on the same network). With ASP.NET, these pieces can be located anywhere, giving rise to truly distributed applications.
Using SOAP to send commands and data via a standard language such as XML is a key factor in the success of Web Services. These SOAP instructions can be sent anywhere, even through firewalls, because they rely on pure text messages.