But They’re Better Interfaces
The addition of an open content model represents a fundamental change in the way we think about interfaces in an SOA world.
I couldn’t agree more. In the past, the technology used for interfaces limited was limited. The new technology has removed some of those limitations, but we are still thinking about interfaces.
I think this whole discussion on interfaces ties together very nicely with Steve’s very good post on SOA vs. OOP and James Avery’s final conclusions on the topic. Object-oriented programming will still be used as one of the techniques for coding web services. Web services provide the next-generation of interface technology between different systems that have been coding using those techniques. And service-oriented architecture is the idea of making those systems relatively simple and discreet; and by leveraging the new flexible, resiliant, open model interface technology, make it possible for those different systems to continue to interact with each other over time and despite change.
An astute reader may have noted that this is one of the first times in recent posts that I have used the phrase “service-oriented architecture.” I have resisted a comparison between OOP and SOA because they are apples and oranges. The former is a technique for programming, and the latter is an architectural pattern.
And Steve, I kind of consider this a continuation of our old conversations. Thanks for being a sparring partner.