Evans Data Corp recently ran a Web Services Development Survey which showed that Java was ahead of the curve on 5 our of 6 categories. The categories that Java took top honors in were: Flow control ; Syntax ; Object/memory separation ; Easy access to libraries, and Tight integration with XML. The one category where Java placed second was Tight integration with SOAP just behind Microsoft's C#.

Information from the report

Other notable findings from the new report:

- Developers are not interested in having Web services authentication reside on a vendor's proprietary systems. The most selected response to the question of where authentication information should be primarily stored and coordinated showed that developers prefer a single, independent organization, followed by the information being stored at several affiliated companies. Storing the information at one vendor company was last with only 13% of the responses. A quarter of respondents choose "Other". (http://www.evansdata.com/cgi/relocate.php?key=ws2003_2_3)

- Web services projects are an in-house development project with only 14% of projects relying on third-party consultants. Sixty eight percent of respondents said that they have no plans to ever use third-party consultants for their Web services projects. (http://www.evansdata.com/cgi/relocate.php?key=ws2003_2_1)

- The most important characteristic of a Web services development environment is that it adhere to Web services standards, cited by 31% of developers, followed by the integration of multiple architectures, 24%, and easy integration with Web application servers, 23%. The W3C is the most well-known Web services standards body with 89% of developers knowing of it. Developers are evenly split over whether Web services will be hurt by multiple organizations setting different protocols, 44% think it will hurt Web services and 42% think it will not. (http://www.evansdata.com/cgi/relocate.php?key=ws2003_2_2)

This is good news, as Java sometimes gets a bad rap on its web services support.

View the Evans Data Corp Web Services Development Survey

So the lesson here is to use Java, in which case we can use native Java objects, RMI, JMS and JavaSpaces etc. and do away with this WebServices nonsense. Everything will run orders of magnitude faster and use a fraction of the network bandwidth.

:-)

-John Davies-
C24.biz

I think the difference is in functionality. Using web services you can do rmi between different languages.

Also, SOAP is better suited to sending huge messages, when necessary, and goes through firewalls (because http does.)

Ah, what different languages, why use anything other than Java? If you really want to talk to legacy kit then there's RMI/IIOP, JMS/MQ etc.

> and goes through firewalls (because http does.)

And RMI doesn't? You can use a nice Java interface rather than complex WSDL and your objects can contain both Data and Code which SOAP can't.

WebServices are here to stay but it's only really useful if you've run out of decent options, which is pretty rare given the wonderful range you get from Java tools.

-John Davies-
C24.biz

I do not agree with this survey. As a Java developer I must admit that following is not true:
- Flow control. I realy do not see how Java's flow control is better then C# for example, not to mention plain old Pascal. Java switch statement sucks big time.
- Syntax. Java does not have the best syntax on the world, although I prefer it more then C# syntax. Still, Pascal, Eifel and ADA have better syntax then Java in my opinion.
These { and } are not very readable.
- Object/Memory separation. I agree that Java is good at this.
- Easy access to libraries. I agree that Java excels here.
- Tight integration with XML. If you call Xerces/Xalan tight integration with XML then you must be kidding. They are much slower then M$ counterparts.

Just my two cents,
Mileta

The best syntax indeed, simple and easy to understand:

   if (s1==0 || !s1.equals(s2)) ...; // is there a mistake here?

It is arguably much better than COBOL.NET! ;-)

regards,
-V.

I forgot the link. Scroll down a little - there is a source of web service in COBOL there. :-))

http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/CobolNet/Cobol4MSNETNRS.asp

>
>    if (s1==0 || !s1.equals(s2)) ...; // is there a mistake here?
>
> It is arguably much better than COBOL.NET! ;-)
>
> regards,
> -V.

Yeah, that won't compile dude.

> >
> >    if (s1==0 || !s1.equals(s2)) ...; // is there a mistake here?
> >
> > It is arguably much better than COBOL.NET! ;-)
> >
> > regards,
> > -V.
>
> Yeah, that won't compile dude.

Of course I agree with you. Java lacks operator overloading, which would make its syntax more clear in your example.

I agree on easy access to libraries. Other things are debatable especially syntax and flow control. I thought C# was replica of Java. We all know XML integration in java sucks(talking about Xecers).

One of the more useful aspects of Web services use is in solving integration problems in a standard fashion. How do you coordinate long-running interactions among (sync and async) Web services into collaborative and transactional business processes?

The challenge is making business processes and distributed composite applications first class citizens of the Java platform, while avoiding vendor lock-in. The BPEL specification is aiming to address that challenge by defining a Web service orchestration standard.

Doron.
CTO, Collaxa

> and distributed composite applications first class
> citizens of the Java platform, while avoiding vendor
> lock-in. The BPEL specification is aiming to address
> that challenge by defining a Web service orchestration
> standard.

...BPEL also helps to avoid "the-language-and-the-platfrom" lock-in. ;-)

See: http://dotnetadvisor.net/doc/12588 and http://www.microsoft.com/biztalk/beta/

:-V.

object oriented programing s?
i wonder

There is an oxymoron in there some where, Java is "best" for a technology for which the main virtue is interoperability...