Microsoft has reached a new level of understanding and meeting customer’s needs through WCF. The traditional platform, provided by web services, is limited by the scope of the application it’s being used for. It is not able to function in many circumstances, specifically where the action is service oriented, in which case it is required to use WCF. Generally speaking, WCF can serve most every function that web services can provide, in a more efficient way.
What Are Web Services?
Web services were designed in segments and as needed, rather than being able to account for changes from the beginning. WCF, on the other hand, has been systematically designed, from the ground up to serve the varying and ever changing applications of Microsoft operating systems. Where web services are stifled, particularly held back, is in the transport of emerging data.
The Windows Communication Foundation
Windows Communication Foundation, or WCF, can cross communicate, if you will, with endpoints that are not synchronized with the data origin. Meaning web services can only communicate between points of origin and endpoints by matching those points in a linear and direct translation. In contrast, WCF can translate information, or more specifically, data, from one point of connection to another without having prior synchronicity. An end point can vary from its origin without the data being insecure or being lost in translation.
How Do They Compare?
Web services are basically a simpler vehicle for which to transport data. It’s very much like driving a small, fuel efficient car to work (but the car is seriously lacking in features and might not have child safety locks), versus taking a top of the line SUV to the office every day. Oh, yeah, and the SUV is guarded by the secret service. While web service users are not restricted by the bounds of additional information and specification, they are also limited by what they can use their service for.
For most businesses, it is absolutely a necessity to operate using WCF. Web services can only work within the parameters of SOAP messages (namely HTTP to deliver data and XML to recognize it). Windows Communication Foundation allows for the transport of these simple language elements, as well as complex data in layered streams. This makes the coded information being sent to be read and delivered across a multitude of systems. That means, that it can be used for dedicated functions, linking to diverse fields (as an example: banking and web browsing), without the loss of data or limiting access to communication.
WCF is quickly becoming the new format by which everyday tasks are carried out. Web services does not have the lateral variances and abilities that makes using WCF so appealing. While there are still many using web services, as more people include the web in their daily lives, it will become apparent that the capabilities of WCF will be inherently more needed.