Service Design Patterns: Fundamental Design Solutions for SOAP/WSDL and RESTful Web Services

Chapter 2. Web Service API Styles

Introduction

In the book Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture, Randy Stafford describes how a Service Layer [POEAA] can be used to create a distinct Application Programming Interface (API) for multiple client types. Stafford describes how this API is composed of a set of services that establish a clear boundary between one or more clients and a target domain or application. Web services are an effective way to provide exactly this type of boundary. By behaving like Facades [GoF], they also insulate clients from the underlying execution technologies. This makes it easier for various clients to reuse the service’s logic. It also becomes easier for service owners to alter the domain logic as needed. Furthermore, ...