XML Web Services




XML Web services are programmable components that allow you to build scalable, loosely coupled,
platform-independent applications. XML Web services enable disparate applications to exchange
messages using Internet standard protocols such as HTTP, XML, XSD, SOAP, and Web Services
Description Language (WSDL). In this section, you learn about the Web services programming model
and the support .NET provides for developing Web services.

An Overview of XML Web Services

An XML Web service is a component that implements program logic and provides functionality for
disparate applications. These applications use standard protocols, such as HTTP, XML, and SOAP, to
access the functionality. XML Web services use XML-based messaging to send and receive data, which
enables heterogeneous applications to interoperate with each other. You can use XML Web services to
integrate applications that are written in different programming languages and deployed on different
platforms. In addition, you can deploy XML Web services within an intranet as well as on the Internet.