API Web Services Beginner Tutorial 1 - Introduction - What is a Web Service

Summary

This session introduces the concept of web services, explaining how they facilitate communication between applications over the web. Using the analogy of a waiter in a restaurant, the video illustrates how web services act as intermediaries, enabling smooth communication between different systems. The video also covers a practical example of booking a flight via MakeMyTrip, showing how web services enable real-time interaction between airlines' systems and third-party platforms. The session concludes by emphasizing the importance of web services in enabling platform-independent communication between diverse applications.

Takeaways

• 😀 Web services are services available over the internet that enable communication between different applications.
• 😀 Web services act as intermediaries that ensure smooth communication between clients and servers using standard protocols.
• 😀 A waiter in a restaurant is an analogy for a web service, helping a client and server communicate effectively.
• 😀 The presence of a web service is critical when there is a need for two applications to communicate in different formats or languages.
• 😀 In a real-world scenario, such as booking a flight, web services enable platforms like MakeMyTrip to communicate with airline databases.
• 😀 Web services allow websites like MakeMyTrip to fetch real-time flight data from various airlines, ensuring up-to-date information.
• 😀 Web services help overcome security barriers, allowing third-party platforms to access data from other applications without compromising security.
• 😀 Instead of direct database access, web services facilitate secure, standardized communication between different platforms or systems.
• 😀 Web services ensure data is in a standard format, enabling different applications to exchange information regardless of the underlying technology.
• 😀 Web services allow applications built on different platforms (e.g., C++ on Windows and Java on Linux) to communicate with each other seamlessly.

Q & A

What is a web service?

A web service is a service available over the web that enables communication between different applications. It allows applications to exchange data and perform operations across various platforms using standardized protocols.

Why do we use web services?

We use web services because they provide a platform-independent communication method. This allows applications written in different programming languages or operating systems to interact with each other seamlessly.

How does the analogy of a waiter help explain web services?

In the analogy, the waiter acts as a mediator between the customer (client) and the kitchen (server). The waiter ensures that the customer’s order is understood by the kitchen and vice versa, just as a web service enables communication between client and server applications.

What role does the waiter play in the restaurant analogy?

The waiter’s role in the analogy is similar to that of a web service API. The waiter ensures that communication happens effectively between the client (customer) and the server (kitchen), much like how a web service enables communication between applications.

Can the waiter (web service) be omitted in the analogy? Why or why not?

While it might seem that the waiter can be omitted, communication would break down if the customer and the chef spoke different languages. The waiter ensures that both parties understand each other, which is essential for the smooth exchange of information, just like a web service does for applications with different technologies.

How do websites like MakeMyTrip use web services to show flight options?

Websites like MakeMyTrip use web services to communicate with airline databases. They send requests to airlines' systems via APIs and receive real-time data about flight availability, which is then displayed on the website.

What are some possible ways for MakeMyTrip to retrieve flight data, and why is web service the best solution?

MakeMyTrip could access airline databases directly, but security issues prevent this. Another option is periodic data dumps from airlines, but this doesn't provide real-time information. Using web services allows real-time data exchange without compromising security, as the data is accessed via standardized communication protocols.

How does the use of web services ensure that flight data is up to date on MakeMyTrip?

Web services ensure that MakeMyTrip receives real-time data from airlines. Whenever a flight's status changes, the web service allows MakeMyTrip to instantly reflect this information on the website, thus providing accurate flight options.

Why is platform independence important for web services?

Platform independence is important because it allows applications developed on different operating systems (e.g., Windows, Linux) or in different programming languages (e.g., C++, Java) to communicate with each other. Web services provide a universal way for these applications to interact, regardless of the technology they use.

What are some standard protocols used by web services?

Web services commonly use HTTP for communication and XML or JSON for data formatting. These standardized protocols allow diverse applications to understand and exchange information with each other efficiently.