Joshua Fox

XML is often used to transmit messages. The tags indicate where the message should go and how it should be handled. The information transferred in the message can be XML as well. Just as modularity is necessary in coding programs, separating the messaging envelope from the data body is necessary in planning data structures. Keeping the layers from recognizing each other allows developers to work separately, and to change implementations when necessary. Allowing the layers to interact too much is a common mistake, which leads to complicated and inflexible code. In this article I'll show you how to build an effective XML-based layered message architecture. Header/Body Design Pattern The "Header/Body" design pattern is the most effective way to place a document into a message envelope without creating undue dependencies between data and messages. The "envelope" is the s... (more)

Enterprise Semantics: Aligning Service-Oriented Architecture with the Business

Service-oriented architectures (SOAs) are a significant step forward in aligning information technology with business goals. But SOAs are insufficient when the Web services of which they are typically composed use inconsistent terminologies and present different understandings of the real-world environment that they are meant to support. Enterprises need transparency, a clear view of what is happening in the organization. They also need agility, which is the ability to respond quickly to changes in the internal and external environments. Finally, organizations require integrati... (more)

Semantic Discovery for Web Services

The Web services vision of loosely coupled interaction between components, programs, and applications is already beginning to create impressive efficiencies of scale in business integration. The notion of a Web service registry such as UDDI is helping to turn this vision into a reality. Despite this, however, the comprehensive adoption of a truly dynamic discovery of Web services may still be delayed. The Challenge of Dynamic Web Services Discovery and Usage Currently, the majority of Web services are developed for internal enterprise use. Most existing projects are experimental, ... (more)

Building a Successful Wireless Web Site

So, you've just led the successful creation of a full-featured Web site with a three-tier back end, and you've now been asked to lead the company's new wireless Web site project. You wonder how your experience will carry over from the World Wide Web (W3) to the Wireless World Wide Web (W4). You have to hire the personnel, buy the hardware and software for the QA and integration labs, and start sketching out the high-level architecture. Reusable components are the Holy Grail of software engineering. Ideally, you can reuse everything from your WWW site: skills, software, hardware, da... (more)