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Data transfer between websites

 
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I am new to Java and in some ways new to programming. I have a specific problem I need solved and am having trouble getting through the Head First Java book - I am willing to learn, but am looking for a simple solution to my problem. So I am a mechanical engineer who configures software for building automation systems - PLC type programs with logic PID controllers. From time to time I have to program in Basic, but I do not know any programming languages that are like todays new languages. In college Fortran, Assembly language ect...

So at any rate I am looking for anyone who could point me in the right direction to write a program to transfer one data point from a weather website and send it to my web based direct digital control system/building automation system. The system I use is called Metasys by Johnson Controls and I have been told many times that web Services, .Net, SOAP and IIS are all inherent to this system. So supposedly this type of thing is supposed to be easy, but it seems pretty difficult to me.

Any help or direction point would be very helpful!!

Thanks,
Brian Pelowski
 
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Who told you that web services programming is easy? And that it provides simple solutions? I just wrote my first web service client code in Java last month, and I didn't find it that easy. And I'm an experienced programmer.

If you have very little programming experience, and you just need this one program written, I would recommend you hire somebody to do it. Unless you have a few months to spare while you learn Java first and then web services.
 
Brian Pelowski
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Hence the word "supposedly"... the manufacturer of the control system & controllers says in their marketing information indicates it is not to hard. And the book indicates it is not too bad also if you have some previous programming experience. No need to be snide about it, don't respond and waste peoples time if you have nothing helpful to add.
 
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Well if you want to get into this let me help you. First you need to clarify few things.

Firstly,
Q. What is web service?
A. In laymans term it is a website or weburl which accepts requests in XML format and returns information in XML again.

Secondly, as you talk about Weather Website it doesn't seems that you will be having any control over this website. However having control is not important if you already have weburl to call webservice (called service endpoint).

Thirdly, you describe it as push approach which is much more complicated than pull approach. By push approach I mean you desire Weather Website to call your weather system and feed data, for this you need some level of control over weather website. Instead if you think other way round, call Weather Website from your system upon the service endpoint to request data.

Finally, I will say you might not need java at all if you weather system is capable to call web services. If not, then you can make a java bridge to call webservice from one side and push the data to you system on other side, running upon a scheduler.
 
Brian Pelowski
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Thank you that is very helpful actually. I do not have control over the web site and understand that pulling data or requesting is easier than pushing. This get me going in the correct direction.

Thanks!
 
Brian Pelowski
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Oh yeah and yes my web service is a system that can send and receive XML messages. I am not sure there is an easy way in the system like a pre-built module that requests information from other websites, I can however put hyperlinks in the system to link to other url's, but I know of no way to pull an individual data point in without some type of Java app. At any rate this gets me moving in the right direction.

Thanks-
 
Brian Pelowski
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Basically what I have been asked to do is to transfer a forecasted temperature to my system so that we can determine if we should pre-heat or pre-cool a building.
 
Shashank Ag
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You are welcome.... also do not forget to add reps if you like my reply.
 
Brian Pelowski
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What are reps?
 
Shashank Ag
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The thumbs up +1 button on posts.
 
Brian Pelowski
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Paul Clapham
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Brian Pelowski wrote:Hence the word "supposedly"... the manufacturer of the control system & controllers says in their marketing information indicates it is not to hard. And the book indicates it is not too bad also if you have some previous programming experience. No need to be snide about it, don't respond and waste peoples time if you have nothing helpful to add.



Who is being snide? I gave you my honest opinion. It isn't easy. Do you want opinions from programmers or from marketers? You're the one being rude here.
 
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Q. What is web service?
A. In laymans term it is a website or weburl which accepts requests in XML format and returns information in XML again.



Picky point - only SOAP based web services require XML requests and generate XML responses. RESTful services can handle any resource format.

Bill
 
Don't get me started about those stupid light bulbs.
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