Re: Web service definition

On Tuesday, August 13, 2002, at 09:12  AM, Brian Connell wrote:
> There must be something better that a definition that starts with 
> 'A Web
> Service is a  software application ....'.
>
> Can I suggest 'A Web Service is a software function ...'
> or
> 'A Web Service represents business logic ...'
>
> IMHO, the second is better as it distinguishes between a 
> representation of
> business logic, and the logic itself.

If people were worried that "transported" might convey the wrong
idea about the protocol stack, I shudder to think of the various
implications that might be drawn from "business logic". Does that
mean no scientific uses, or games, or infrastructure applications?
I don't think we want to go there.

If "application" is unacceptable, let's stay strictly neutral
and say "software system".

And while we're splitting hairs, the phrase "whose interfaces and
bindings" implies that all of the interfaces are so specified, which
is clearly false. The simplest fix is to qualify with "public", viz:


Definition:
A Web service is a software system identified by a URI, whose public
interfaces and bindings are defined and described using XML. Its
definition can be discovered by other software systems. These
systems may then interact with the Web service in a manner
prescribed by its definition, using XML messages conveyed by
internet protocols.

Received on Tuesday, 13 August 2002 09:44:59 UTC