The next version of Equinox will natively support
Web Services, allowing developers to build real-time links between Equinox applications and other technologies, such as Microsoft .NET and Java. With Web Services technology built into Equinox, accessing data repositories such as SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle and Postgres to name just a few, has become so much simpler.
Web Services are the key mechanism behind SOA`s Service Oriented Architectures, widely seen as the next big thing in IT. They enable applications built in different technologies to communicate with each other via a single interface. With the features being implemented in Equinox v5, this means that Equinox developers will not only be able to pull or push data from Equinox into other applications (something that has been possible in previous versions but could potentially be very labour-intensive) but, for the first time, they will be able to develop an interface in an Equinox application that allows other systems to query, edit, add or delete Equinox data, in real time.
Based on working prototypes that have already been built by Compsoft with Equinox v4.2, all standard elements of a Web Services interface will be implemented, including automatic generation of
WSDLs and DISCOs, acceptance and creation of XML SOAP methods and requests, and optimised querying and updating procedures.
Related Links
What are
Web Services?
Equinox 5 First Look: Application TranslationCase Study: Dial a Seat: How we used Equinox Web Services