The Use of Web Services Technology in the Design of Complex Software Interfaces: An Educational Perspective

摘要

A corporation aiming to implement a sound decision making process must integrate all of its business functions. An essential enabler of this integration is the technology that supports building of various functional (application) interfaces. In this study we show how the Web Services technology can be used to develop functional interfaces of the various modules of a large-scale software project. Two leading web service technologies-Java Web Services Developers Pack (JWSDP) and Microsoft NET were employed to evaluate their ease of installation, programming and usage. It involved the use of the web services architecture in integrating the lesson delivery, project submissions and assessment structure of the course. This study serves as an excellent vehicle for teaching students the principles of functional interface and interoperability not only in the classroom but also as an illustration of new aspects of systems integration methodologies.