Java ought to be a natural environment for developing web services. Java's cross-platform support has always been intended to simplify the integration of diverse computing platforms. J2EE offers exceptionally robust, secure solutions for building web services infrastructure. But there have been obstacles. For one thing, crucial Java APIs for XML have only recently become available. Second, the diverse tools for Java web services development could've been packaged more neatly. Now, with Sun's Java Web Services Developer Pack, Early Access Edition, they have been. The download is free. And The Java Web Services Tutorial is all the documentation you'll need to use it.
Sun's own experts introduce every facet of WSDP, from its use of servlets and JavaServer Pages to its powerful XML APIs for messaging (JAXM), processing (JAXP), and XML registry support (JAXR). Many developers will be especially interested in the first look at Sun's new JAX-RPC API. JAX-RPC enables XML-based remote procedure calls based on SOAP 1.1, HTTP, and WSDL, while hiding the complexity of these protocols. This is the future of Java-based web services, and now's the time to get ready for it. (Bill Camarda)
Bill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer with nearly 20 years' experience in helping technology companies deploy and market advanced software, computing, and networking products and services. He served for nearly ten years as vice president of a New Jersey–based marketing company, where he supervised a wide range of graphics and web design projects. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2000 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks For Dummies®, Second Edition.