Sam Gentile's Radio Weblog

XML and Web Services
My XML and Web Services Content

Wednesday, April 17, 2002

XML is becoming the ubiquitous data format on the Web, and XML support in SQL Server is evolving to meet the additional demand. Using XML, SOAP, HTTP, and SQL Server, you can now build powerful Web Services easily. To show just how simple it is with SQLXML 3.0, this article walks the reader through the process step by step, from setting up a virtual directory enabling data access via HTTP to executing queries and building Web Services.

I was introduced to this new feature with Bob Beauchemin's presentation at the Web Services DevCon. This is exteremly interesting.

8:21:06 AM

This example shows how to create a tiered app that transports the data between the business services and the presentation services using a DataSet. One advantage to passing the DataSet to the business services to make the data modifications is that ADO.NET allows for a DataSet to be passed to the SqlDataAdapter's Update method and have its modifications be applied directly to the database.
Article. Apr 17, 2002.
8:15:18 AM

A couple of new .NET samples/widgets popped up recently:

Jason Diamond posted a tool called Xml2CodeDom which turns an XML representation of a program into an in-memory CodeDOM that can be serialized as any language with an ICodeGenerator (out of the box, the .NET Framework includes generators for C#, JScript.NET and VB.NET).
Craig Andera posted a tool called PopRouter for building POP3 message handlers, similar in spirit to the way the ASP.NET infrastructure lets one build HTTP request handlers. The usage model is dead simple: install the server, tell it what POP3 mailbox to monitor, and provide a class implementing a single, simple interface (IPopRouterHandler). When a message comes in, you get a crack at it. Nice.

[Peter Drayton's Radio Weblog]
8:05:22 AM

Dave and I share the goal that interop never be reduced to simply a statement to the effect of "works with the dominant vendor". That's why I have been delighted to find Keith, JHawk, and Mike to be joys to work with. The few times I have identified discrepancies between their early implementations and the specifications, my reports have been eagerly and cheerfully accepted and quickly addressed.

I can't help but contrast this with the reaction to Mark Pilgrim's report of discrepancies between the OPML specification and the actual documents that are being produced today.
[Sam Ruby]
8:02:38 AM