It sounded an easy for me to know this, but when I googled about it, I couldn't find the exact relationship between SOAP webservices and ASMX webservice. Are they one and the same? Is asmx an implementation of SOAP among others?
Here is why this is important to me. I have a very simple ASMX webservice. I am investigating how to return complex data. SOAP uses the message envelope to handle data exchange, but my asmx example can easily return it in a C# list. So, should I worry about learning the message envelope in SOAP still!?
I feel if I know very well the difference between the two, it will be a good start and will help me decide later the techniques I need to use.
It is based on SOAP and return data in XML form. It support only HTTP protocol. It is not open source but can be consumed by any client that understands xml.
When web developers talk about . asmx, they know that it is something not too complicated – it can be configured easily. The downside is, it is only callable from HTTP, while . svc is used with HTTP, MSMQ, and can be hosted through different platforms such as the Winforms application.
ASMX stands for Active Server Methods (Microsoft filename extension)
ASMX Web services can only be invoked by HTTP (traditional webservice with . asmx). While WCF Service or a WCF component can be invoked by any protocol (like http, tcp etc.) and any transport type.
Basic answer as I think anything too complex may only confuse you further...
ASMX / WCF / Web Service = End-points / places that someone can call to ask a question / send a command etc.
SOAP = Simple Object Access Protocol is the way in which the data goes back and forth between the client and the web-service.
So they are not things you can compare the differences of because they are different things. Think of a web service as a person and SOAP as a language. If both people (web services) speak English (SOAP) they will understand each other and be able to communicate.
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