In this chapter, you will learn how to:
Determine when to use a Web service.
Create a Web service.
Advertise and locate Web services.
Consume a Web service.
Previous chapters have focused on the creation of ASP.NET Web Forms, as well as the technologies that make ASP.NET development possible and the technologies that make it simple to quickly create robust, feature-rich Web applications. XML-based Web services are another important and useful part of ASP.NET.
Today, Web services are not a very well understood technology. This is partly because of inaccurate and superficial reporting from the media, who describe Web services as everything from subscription software to a proprietary plot by Microsoft to take over the Internet. These stories might sound great in print, but they are based on misunderstanding and ignorance of this potentially revolutionary technology.