Marc VB
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Deciding between WCF/SOAP or Rest for a new project
I'm going to create a new project for a web service. I've done SOAP before and always found it working great; especially because it has typed objects/fields and contracts. I like the structured approach. Today you're considered a "fool" if you don't use Rest as this is the new popular thing.
What do you think? Are there compelling reasons for not using WCF/SOAP at all for a new project?
What do you think? Are there compelling reasons for not using WCF/SOAP at all for a new project?
ASKER
At first sight WCF services seems to be as easy to create as SOAP services in Visual Studio; or am I overseeing something?
Is there any disadvantage in creating a SOAP service now (in 2013)? In my profession I still see quite a number of companies using SOAP. I personally don't care if something is old or new; if it works it works (...).
What confuses me is that I've read in a book (Murach ASP.NET) that a client needs .NET to consume WCF services? This can't be true it it?
Is there any disadvantage in creating a SOAP service now (in 2013)? In my profession I still see quite a number of companies using SOAP. I personally don't care if something is old or new; if it works it works (...).
What confuses me is that I've read in a book (Murach ASP.NET) that a client needs .NET to consume WCF services? This can't be true it it?
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WCF is a little harder but you get the strongly typed objects but no proxy page. It is testable and configuration may be a bit of a challenge.
Web Api's are the latest but you do lose out the Soap advantages. You can build your own model for the request and response objects and there is a Firefox add-in testing client that I find helpful. This may be the best way to go since it is the future and clients will be able to easily call your service. There is a help page you can build out that will allow your users to see example request and response JSON, etc.
As with everything like this, the real answer is that all will work and for the choice, "it depends".
Gary Davis