Java and SOAP

By Robert Englander
May 2002
Pages: 276
ISBN 10: 0-596-00175-4 | ISBN 13: 9780596001759
(3) (Average of 3 Customer Reviews)

Book description

Java and SOAP provides Java developers with an in-depth look at SOAP (the Simple Object Access Protocol). Of course, it covers the basics: what SOAP is, why it's soared to a spot on the Buzzwords' Top Ten list, and what its features and capabilities are. And it shows you how to work with some of the more common Java APIs in the SOAP world: Apache SOAP and GLUE. In addition to covering the basics such as the structure of a SOAP message, SOAP encoding, and building simple services using RPC and messaging, Java and SOAP covers many topics that are essential to real-world development. Although SOAP has native support for an impressive number of object types, the nature of modern programming means that whatever SOAP gives you is not enough. When do you need to add support for your own object types, and how do you do it? How do you handle errors, and how do you add your own information to Fault messages? How do you handle attachments? In an ideal world, you could live entirely within Java, and ignore the SOAP messages being send back and forth: you'd be able to write Java code and let the SOAP APIs work behind the scenes. However, we're not yet in that ideal world, and won't be for some time. Therefore, Java and SOAP pays particular attention to how SOAP messages are encoded. It doesn't just explain the document types, but shows how the documents are used in practice as they are generated by the different APIs. If you ever have to debug interoperability problems, you'll find that this information is indispensable. We've always found that the best software is written by people who understand what's happening under the hood. SOAP is no different. Let's say you need to write a custom serializer to create a SOAP representation of a structure. How do you know that your encoding is efficient? There's one definitive answer: look at the SOAP documents it produces! Java and SOAP also discusses interoperability between the major SOAP platforms, including Microsoft's .NET, SOAP messaging, SOAP attachments, message routing, and a preview of the forthcoming AXIS APIs and server. If you're a Java developer who would like to start working with SOAP, this is the book you need to get going.

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Book details

First Edition: May 2002
ISBN: 0-596-00175-4
Pages: 276
Average Customer Reviews: (3) (Based on 3 Reviews)

Featured customer reviews

Java and SOAP Review, March 24 2004

Rating:

Submitted by Ajith Kallambella [Respond | View]

Overview -

SOAP is what makes the Web Services clock go around. In fact, SOAP can easily be used as a stand-alone channel without incurring the overheads of publish-find-and-bind cycle apparent in Web Services. Java's ever growing XML support makes it a language of choice for anyone considering implementing SOAP.

Why you should read this book -

Whether you are writing a new SOAP service or simply using an existing one, understanding what happens under the bonnet helps make your system more robust.

What this book covers -

This book covers almost everything you have to know about how Java supports the technology - core APIs, SOAP encoding, structure of SOAP messages, attachments, platform interoperability issues and some nice guidelines. It also includes some getting-started examples with two different SOAP servers- Apache and GLUE ? to help the reader understand how SOAP implementation differs. There is some introductory material covering JAX-RPC, JAXM, Apache Axis and WSDL. The chapters are well organized although the writing lacks reader-friendly approach.

Cons -

The book came out in May 2002 and hence a few things are out of date including SOAP spec and Apache implementation. Examples seem rather trivial and lack depth. Advanced SOAP programmers or those considering enterprise integration will be disappointed. Coverage on .NET interoperability is a far cry from even being introductory. I hope the next version of the book will adequately address real integration issues such as performance, transactions, and security.

Ajith Kallambella

http://www.javaranch.com/contact.jsp#AjithKallambella

Java and SOAP Review, May 09 2003

Rating:

Submitted by Gabriel Reid [Respond | View]

I was quite disappointed by this book. I would certainly say that it is my least-favourite of all O'Reilly books that I have purchased.

I found the writing to be generally quite boring and repetitive, with very similar dumps of SOAP messages shown over and over.

The author certainly knows what he is talking about, but this book also perhaps came a bit early for it's subject, and by now would mostly obsolete (Axis is only a very new thing that is lightly touched on at the end of the book)

Java and SOAP Review, June 16 2002

Rating:

Submitted by Varun Kumar [Respond | View]

I think we are reading stuff that is on the leading edge of technology.Any good book for this topic of SOAP and Java would quench the initial thirst for knowledge regarding the subject....

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Media reviews

"Exceptional."--Today's Books, Jan 27, 2003

"'Java and Soap' doesn't just look at the type of message documents, but shows exactly how those documents are practically used as they're being generated by the different APIs. Understand anything in those last two sentences? Yes? You need this book."
--Internet.au, October 2002

"O'Reilly's 'Java and SOAP' (Simple Object Access Protocol) book should be the absolute starting point for every developer who is considering to build a Web Service in Java. The author Robert Englander managed to provide an in-depth look at SOAP. Robert Englanders goal is not to cover all aspects of SOAP itself but instead to give a good understanding of all the major aspects of SOAP. Simple Object Access Protocol is the means for the communication between the objects and their respective systems. In my opinion the book was very well written and it was also highly interesting. The text was fluent and not boring and I think that this book should be read by everyone who wants to start writing Web Services in Java using SOAP."
--Bruno De Maesschalck, Zeus Werkgroep Informatica, Nov 2002

"If you are a Java developer and are wondering what all the hype is about surrounding web services and SOAP, you owe it to yourself to get this book...This book was very valuable to me as I was working on a project involving web services. I was writing Java code on a platform that would allow for a user to enter a command and get information back from the server. The concept of web services was intriguing as it opened up a large set of possibilities for features I could implement. By using the information in this book, I was able to quickly get up to speed with a functional example that worked. I was then able to fill in gaps in my knowledge and expand my examples to connect with additional sources of data. Without the information in this book, it would have taken me a whole lot longer to figure it all out...If you're ready to branch out into the world of web services and want to write and/or use one, you should seriously consider getting this book. If you work through the examples and material, I am confident that you will end up being very successful in getting results in a short time frame."
--Thomas Duff, Portland Domino/Notes User Group, August 2002

"If you're a Java developer who would like to start working with SOAP, this is the book you need to get going."
--http://javaboutique.internet.com July 2002

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