# Getting Started with Web Services

A web service is a set of functions packaged into a single entity that is available to other systems on a network. The network can be a corporate intranet or the Internet. Other systems can call these functions to request data or perform an operation. Because they rely on basic, standard technologies which most systems provide, they are an excellent means for connecting distributed systems together.

Web services are a useful way to provide data to an array of consumers over the Internet, like stock quotes and weather reports. But they take on a new power in the enterprise, where they offer a flexible solution for integrating distributed systems, whether legacy systems or new technology.

WebLogic Workshop makes it easy for you to build and deploy applications, including web services. The following topics offer an overview of web services and the standard technologies they rely on, and help you figure out where to start when building a web service.

## Topics Included in This Section

Introduction to Web Service Technologies

Explores the standard technologies underlying web services.

Why Build Web Services With WebLogic Workshop?

Discusses the technical advantages of building web services with WebLogic Workshop.

Building Web Services with WebLogic Workshop

Describes the basic components of a web service built with WebLogic Workshop.

Web Service Development Cycle

Provides an overview of designing, implementing, testing, debugging, and deploying a web service.

XML Strategies and Web Service Design

Describes various strategies for specifying or interpreting XML messages received by web services.

Accessing SOAP Attachments in Web Services

Describes how to receive and return MIME messages as SOAP attachments in web service methods.

Specifying SOAP Handlers for a Web Service

Describes how to define and configure SOAP message handlers for a web service.

Documenting Web Services

Explains how to document various aspects of a web service, such as annotations, formatting, and methods.

WSDL Files: Web Service Descriptions

Discusses how WSDL files are used to describe web service interfaces.

Related Topics

Designing Asynchronous Interfaces

Design robust, asynchronous web services to coordinate long-running operations