Understanding XML Web Services

The technology that Microsoft is perhaps most excited about in .NET is XML Web services. Microsoft describes an XML Web service as “a unit of application logic providing data and services to other applications.” It's easiest to think of XML Web services as applications that reside on a server without a user interface, providing objects to clients. The following are a few practical examples of what can be done with XML Web services:

  • A company could create stock quote XML Web services that clients could use to get real-time stock quotes.

  • A doctor's office could expose scheduling functions so that clients could use their mobile devices to schedule appointments.

  • A government office could expose tax-related objects, which ...

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