Webservices Jargon Buster

First, let's explain what a webservice is. What a webservice Does. What a webservice looks like.

Consuming a web service means using a web service in an application. Essentially, it involves a client application sending a request to a web service, which then processes the request and sends back a response. This interaction allows different applications to communicate and share data over a network, typically the internet.

Lets look at what a webservice is, how it connects to the internet and go through the basics of webservices on IBM i Systems.

XML (eXtensionable Markup Language) is considered as cross platform standard for transferring data over Internet because it is understand by any hardware and software. The XML also describes the data. WSDL (Web Services Description Language) describes, publicly available methods provided by the web service. Let's look at these in more detail...

I found this old blog from 2016 that has a neat overview of WSDL (Web Services Description Language) and how it used as part of a web-service. So, I recycled it into a lesson in this webservices memory jogger module:

What is the difference between XML and JSON?

What is the difference between SOAP and REST on IBM i webservices? If you think that SOAP is something you wash your hands with, and REST is what you do after a long days work... then you've come to the right place.

Are we PUTTING something on the internet or POSTING something? What is the difference?

Sending Requests to Web Services from the IBM i System is simple. We have many ways of doing this so lets start with the absolute basics.

RPG is a great choice for developing web services on IBM i, especially with the advancements made in the language and the integration capabilities of the IBM i platform. Being an RPG Programmer, I may be just slightly biased, so let's look at the hard facts: