WebServices

Web services are software systems designed to enable interoperable machine-to-machine communication over a network. They provide a standardized means for applications to request and receive services, regardless of platform or language, by exposing a network-accessible interface and a contract describing its operations.

There are two common architectural styles: SOAP-based web services and RESTful web services. SOAP uses a protocol with an XML envelope and its operations described in a WSDL (Web Services Description Language). REST uses standard HTTP methods to operate on resources identified by URIs, and typically uses JSON or XML for data.

In SOAP, messaging is often coupled with standards for security and reliability, such as WS-Security and WS-Policy. REST emphasizes simplicity and performance, often implementing security via TLS, OAuth, or API keys.

Interoperability is achieved through open standards like XML, JSON, HTTP, and protocol-level contracts. Service discovery and binding may use WSDL, UDDI (historical), or API descriptions like OpenAPI/Swagger for REST. Deployment can be on-premises, in the cloud, or as part of microservices.

Common use cases include enterprise integration, cross-language data exchange, and web APIs for consumer and business applications. Web services aim to decouple software components so different systems can work together, fostering scalable and flexible architectures across diverse environments.