Web-Services FAQ
FAQ on web-services and running BlueSky remotely. NEEDED. DANIEL / SEAN
What are web-services?
Technically, a web-service is any piece of software that interacts through the internet using standard XML formatting.
In practice, web-services are the back-end engines behind many of the most prominent websites and tools out there, such as GMail, Yahoo! Mail, Google Maps, and more. While you don't directly interact with them, they provide the data to the website interface that you are using.
For more information, this is an excellent FAQ written by the experts:
How do web-service calls work?
A computer creates an XML formatted request and sends it over the internet to another computer. The remote machine processes the request and then sends back a reply also in XML formatting. Typically some user-interface software interprets the reply to display the result for the user. (Note: In some cases the request can go to the local computer instead, if, for example, the remote server is unreachable. In this case the same process happens but just locally).
What kind of system do I need?
There are no specific requirements on the user system. Machines running Windows, Mac OSX, Unix, and more use web-service calls all the time.
Additionally, since many web-service enabled systems are done through website applications (such as GMail, Google Maps, etc...) there is no specific software requirement other than a standard web-browser (all of the major web-browsers support web-service calls).
Indeed, this lack of user side operating system and software requirements is what makes web-service functionality easily deployable.
Who uses web-services?
Many, many applications use web-service calls to provide functionality to their users. These include many of the biggest applications on the web such as GMail, Yahoo! Mail, Google Maps, and many news and blog sites. Anyone who browses the web likely uses web-service calls many times a day without knowing it.
How does BlueSky's web-services work?
An easy XML standard for passing data into and out of the framework has been established. Requests with input data in this format are handled by a server running BlueSky and the response is given in the same XML standard format.
Some BlueSky web-service servers are operating at AirFire, Sonoma Tech, and other locations. Additional BlueSky web-service servers can be set up by anyone with BlueSky 3.1 or later via the command line "bluesky -ws".
For more info see Running BlueSky through Web Services
What are the steps to using BlueSky's web-services?
You must create a webpage or piece of software that sends and receives the appropriate web-service XML function calls. This is relatively easy, and a simple example page can be examined to see how it works (just view source on the page).
How do I enable my BlueSky module for web-services?
There is no special work required to enable a BlueSky module for web-services. If it functions in BlueSky 3.1 or later it is web-service enabled through the bluesky command line ("bluesky -ws").
