[XML-DEV Mailing List Archive Home] [By Thread] [By Date] [Recent Entries] [Reply To This Message]

Re: What does SOAP really add?

• To: Didier PH Martin <martind@n...>
• Subject: Re: What does SOAP really add?
• From: Mark Baker <distobj@a...>
• Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 15:39:11 -0400
• Cc: "Simon St.Laurent" <simonstl@s...>, xml-dev@l...
• In-reply-to: <01eb01c1ea30$e87f4830$6401a8c0@didierhome>; from martind@n... on Mon, Apr 22, 2002 at 03:07:11PM -0400
• References: <1019412854.444.19.camel@l...> <01eb01c1ea30$e87f4830$6401a8c0@didierhome>

On Mon, Apr 22, 2002 at 03:07:11PM -0400, Didier PH Martin wrote:
> I think that loosely coupled systems are perfect in the case a request for
> data or document is performed. If the document returned is semi-structured
> or not structured then the receivers will need to perform more processing on
> it to make it useful. Otherwise, if the only thing that we need to do is a
> remote action like, for instance, setting a switch to ON, then an RPC is
> well fitted to the job. When I say well fitted, it is simply in terms of
> economies of code.

That's not true.  Even by such a narrow definition of "well fitted", a
"document" interface wins out because the code to implement it is
shared with many other resources.  Plus it has so many other benefits,
including the biggie, vastly improved visibility.

With REST, you turn a lightbulb on with PUT, because the request is
attempting to explicitly set the state of a resource; the same PUT
used for saving preferences, turning on the TV, or just "editing a
file".

Any task that can be coordinated with RPC, can be coordinated with
REST in a manner more suitable for Internet scale distribution.  If
you're doing anything over the Internet with people that you haven't
previously met and may not trust, RPC is the wrong technology.

MB
-- 
Mark Baker, Chief Science Officer, Planetfred, Inc.
Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA.      mbaker@p...
http://www.markbaker.ca   http://www.planetfred.com

• Follow-Ups:
  • Re: What does SOAP really add?
    • From: "Didier PH Martin" <martind@n...>

• References:
  • What does SOAP really add?
    • From: "Simon St.Laurent" <simonstl@s...>
  • Re: What does SOAP really add?
    • From: "Didier PH Martin" <martind@n...>

• Prev by Date: Re: What does SOAP really add?
• Next by Date: RE: What does SOAP really add?
• Previous by thread: Re: What does SOAP really add?
• Next by thread: Re: What does SOAP really add?
• Index(es):
  • Date
  • Thread