Professional WCF Programming: .NET Development with the Windows® Communication Foundation

Introduction

While I was still trying to get the word "Grok" into everyone's mainstream vocabulary (see the introduction in my first book), I happened upon what at the time was called WinFX, later to be renamed .NET Framework 3.0. Shortly thereafter I attended a local MSDN event where they presented some of the new technologies in .NET Framework 3.0, such as Windows Presentation Foundation and Windows Communication Foundation. I could hardly contain myself.

SOA (Service-Oriented Architecture) is an important concept to Microsoft. The problem is that in the past, SOA has had a fairly vague definition, but Microsoft is working hard to clear up the concept. SOA is not simply a set of services. SOA is the policies, frameworks, and practices under which the correct services are provided.

Web services were a great start, but SOA can help deliver the business agility and flexible IT that web services were supposed to deliver. Enter Windows Communication Foundation. Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) is a platform for creating and distributing connected applications. It is a fusion of current distributed system technologies designed and developed from the outset to help solve many of the SOA problems.

Who This Book Is For

This book is for developers who want to learn about Windows Communication Foundation and how it can be a benefit in their environment. Equally, this book is also for those individuals who have spent at least a little time looking at and playing with WCF and would like ...