Chapter 8 Using the Sybase Web Services Client Proxy

What is the Client Proxy?

The Client Proxy is a collection of classes that work together to build and process SOAP messages on the client side. The Proxy's purpose is to hide all the details of SOAP processing and HTTP or HTTPS transport, allowing the client programmer to concentrate on the client business process.

Invoking Web services through SOAP requires serialization and deserialization of datatypes, and the building and parsing of SOAP XML-based messages. The Client Proxy performs these tasks for the client programmer thus eliminating the need for the client programmer to have extensive knowledge of the SOAP specification and schema, the XML Schema specification, or the WSDL specification and schema.

The Client Proxy contains two additional features:

• The service provider can choose to include a file containing templates of the SOAP messages (request and response) passed between the client and server when a Web service is invoked. Those who choose not to use the proxy itself can use these templates to build SOAP request messages and parse SOAP response messages.
• The Viewer application is a simple GUI that provides a way for the client side to view the WSDL and SOAP template files.

In addition, the Client Proxy:

• Is a Java interface in Version 1
• Supports the HTTP and HTTPS protocols
• Adheres to the WSDL specification, version 1.1
• Adheres to the SOAP specification, version 1.1

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