>> Since this is a VFP9 app, what, iyo, would be the easiest/best way to design >> this?<<
I have struggled with VFP Web Services (WS) with VFP apps consuming them. You see some presenter set one up and consume it as if it was simple, then you get back to the office and struggle. I thought I was missing something in my struggles. What I found is the examples people show *are* easy because the WS was developed by competent people and are designed for public consumption. Normally the case is a VFP app is connecting to some external Web Service (by external I mean one a third-party created). What I have found in all but one case is the external WS had some bug in it or an incorrect API posted. Unprofessionally developed by inexperienced developers, and they made me look bad and made the adventure a huge money waster. This is where my struggles have been. If you control both sides of the equation (creating the WS and consuming it) then you have all options open and nowhere to point the finger when something goes wrong. I have heard from people I respect that WS in .NET are way easier than doing the same thing in VFP. It seems to me that the Fox Team sort of forced WS capability into VFP because it needed to be buzzword compliant. I think the other responses to this question are insightful and all offer different options that would work. They each use completely different technologies too, which is great because we don't know exactly what technical constraints you have on the Web side of the project. I think the hardest part is getting the VFP app to connect to the service. Building the service should be the easy part. Most VFP connections to a WS require SOAP, and SOAP has been discontinued. Microsoft is supporting a version for VFP developers, but why build something using SOAP when terrific alternatives exist. This is one of the reasons I find Malcolm's HTTP post suggestion very compelling. A simple Classic ASP page could be used to record the information you send. A Web service is not really necessary if no feedback to the VFP app is okay. I also like the direct write to a Web hosted database for a closed system (not used by people outside of the company where you have no control over the firewall problems). Rick White Light Computing, Inc. www.whitelightcomputing.com www.swfox.net www.rickschummer.com _______________________________________________ Post Messages to: [email protected] Subscription Maintenance: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profox OT-free version of this list: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profoxtech Searchable Archive: http://leafe.com/archives/search/profox This message: http://leafe.com/archives/byMID/profox/[EMAIL PROTECTED] ** All postings, unless explicitly stated otherwise, are the opinions of the author, and do not constitute legal or medical advice. This statement is added to the messages for those lawyers who are too stupid to see the obvious.
