web service client type

[Steve Mutanson]

New to web service and like it. have some simple questions ---

1. can the web service be a simple swing application (no http or internet acces) ?

2. if yes to 1), then can this application still invoke a web service located on a remote server ?

3. if yes to 1) and 2), then can the swing application receive the entire xml as response (even there is internet access from client side) ?

[Balaji Loganathan]

Webservices need atleast HTTP or SMTP or FTP or IMAP for sending and receiving SOAP messages.

[Frank Sikuluzu]

I am also curious. So do you mean there is no way that a standalone swing application can invoke a remote web service and get XML results back ?

[Vladan Radovanovic]

Originally posted by Frank Sikuluzu:
I am also curious. So do you mean there is no way that a standalone swing application can invoke a remote web service and get XML results back ?

I see absolutely no reason for that if you have HTTP connection.

[Steve Mutanson]

Come on guys, my question was -- If I don't have http connection and only have a swing application, can I use it to invoke a web service remotely located on another server and get response back in the format of xml ?

Please don't ask me "why do you want to use swing if you can have a http client ?". In the book "Developing java web service", it seems it gives an example that a standalone java application calls a web service and get xml back. But since I am new to web service, I want to make sure my thought is correct.

please directly answer my question if you can. Thanks.

[Dan Harabox]

What does wether or not your application uses swing have anything to do with its ability to interface with a webservice?
The answer is simple: You need an internet connection to access a webservice and return any kind of XML. The is a bit of choice as to which protocol you use to access the webservice as others have mentioned.

[William Brogden]

Although HTTP is the most common way of connecting with SOAP based service - in which case you would call it a web service - there are other ways to communicate SOAP messages. For example, email, Java Message Service, JavaSpaces - basically anything that can move a XML formatted text message.
Bill