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Java Web Services In A Nutshell |
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by Kim Topley
Published by O'Reilly Review by Dustin Webb The title of "Java Web Services In A Nutshell" by Kim Topley speaks for itself. Covering Web Services as implemented with Java, it focuses heavily on the Java API for XML-based RPC (JAX-RPC). JAX-RPC consumes so much of this book the author split the topic into two main chapters: Basic and Advanced. After a brief introduction the author takes the reader right into the basic functionality of JAX-RPC stating that “you don't need to know either [SOAP or WSDL] in order to become a JAX-RPC programmer”. He supports this idea by building a basic Web Service client to consume Amazon.com's Book Service. From there Topley covers the SOAP with Attachments API for Java (SAAJ), the Java API for XML Messaging (JAXM) and the Web Services Definition Language (WSDL). These chapters provide the reader with a basic understanding of each technology, how it relates to JAX-RPC and how it can be used to enhance JAX-RPC. Next, Topley moves into the advanced features of JAX-RPC. This chapter was not a short chapter. In fact I think the author himself nailed it when he stated that “[t]his is quite a long chapter.” Topley then explains how to find and consume a web-service with the Java API for XML Registries (JAXR). Here he explains the registry types available and analyzes the features of JAXR explaining which are available for use with each type of registry. Finally, Topley summarizes the various Java tools available to simplify the process of Web Services development. I've always perceived the O'Reilly's "In A Nutshell" series as being a desk reference. Only the last 200 pages or so of this book constitute a desktop reference. It contains a chapter for each package that concisely describes the interface and class definitions in those packages. One thing I found interesting was that it provided a Class, Method and Field Index for quick reference. This seemed like a novel idea until I realized all the same information could be found in the regular index that also included page numbers. Aside from several punctuation errors the book read well. I suggest this book only to those who are familiar with the subject matter; perhaps to someone who has developed Web Services with another language or who is proficient with Java.
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