Understanding Google Web Services

Whenever a new technology appears on the scene, it's important to compare it with other technologies. The comparison process often helps you decide how this new technology differs from what you used in the past and reduces problems caused by hype. The media might try to convince you that a new product or service is something completely different, when in fact it's merely an update or a new implementation of an existing technology.

Currently, there's a lot of hype about Web services that makes them sound like something new and very complex. This section of the chapter defines Web services generally, examines Google Web Services specifically, and compares this technology to older technologies. What you'll find might surprise you because Web services are really a new implementation of an old technique.

Note:- Don't confuse new with useful. Web services are very useful because they add new functionality to an existing idea that has worked for a long time. They're also new in that they use a different process from other technologies. However, the technology itself builds on other techniques that you have already used in some way. In sum, the implementation is new, the process is useful, but the technique is the same one you've used in the past.