Type extensions to web services description language

• US 20040006651A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 01/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: R. Kakivaya, Gopala Krishna, Hawkins, Jonathan, Doise, Caleb, De Jong, Stephen P., Dani, Savithri
• Granted Patent: US 7,386,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A web service description language with object extensions provides type-centric extensions to web service description languages. The extensions illustrated herein provide the constructs to describe and implement a type-centric, object-model agnostic, web service description. By implementing the constructs described herein, a heterogeneous distributed computing environment can implement rich type-centric services.

The type extensions allow many added features. For example, in a graph description, a type description indicates whether a type is encoded as a reference or embedded within another type. In another respect, in a service reference description, a type description indicates whether a type is remoted by value or by reference. In several other respects, a type description indicates that, a service extends another service, a service implements an interface (potentially multiple interfaces), a field of a type (including interfaces) is a reference type, a constant value field, or a bit field type that defines enumerations with associated values.

Claims

1. A method for providing web services over a network according to a request made in an extensible mark-up language expression, where the extensible mark-up language expression is formed according to an object-model agnostic web services description language with type-centric extensions, the method comprising:

receiving an extensible mark-up language expression;

identifying in the expression, a service reference including a binding to an implementation on a typed service class;

invoking the implementation; and

sending an extensible mark-up language expression indicating the results of the invoked implementation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the implementation is a request for other typed service classes supported by the service reference.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the implementation is a request for an implementation on a typed service class described in the web services description language definition and an associated schema.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a mechanism for determining a type and an identity of a remote service at runtime through invoking methods on a service interface.

5. A method for providing web services over a network according to a request made in an extensible mark-up language expression, where the extensible mark-up language expression is formed according to an object-model agnostic web services description language with type-centric extensions, the method comprising:

receiving an extensible mark-up language expression;

identifying in the expression, a graph of elements typed in a schema with unique class names including,

a first element with an attribute assigned a unique identifier; and

any number of elements including a field with a typed reference referring to the first element by its unique identifier.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

creating objects according to the graph, such that

a first object is created according to the typed class of the first element and the first object is assigned a unique identifier; and

for each of the any number of elements, an object is created including a typed reference to the first object by its unique identifier.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

identifying in the expression, an element of a type further defined in the schema as an enumeration type, where the enumeration type consists of a set of named elements, each named element associated with a consecutive integer value.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

identifying in the expression, an element of a type further defined in the schema as a bit field type, where the bit field type is defined as a subset of the powerset of members of a base set, where each member of the base set is a named element associated with an assigned integer value.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

identifying in the expression, an element of a type further defined in the schema as a complex type and the complex type is a collection of named fields of complex types or simple types, and the name of the type is unique in the schema, and an attribute of the element includes an identification number that another element defined in the expression uses to refer to the element.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

identifying in the expression, an element of a type further defined in the schema as a reference to a defined complex type, and an attribute of the element includes an identification uniquely associated with another element defined in the expression.

11. A method for providing network services according to a request made in an extensible markup language expression, the method comprising:

identifying in the expression, an element of a type further defined in a schema as a port type, and the schema further defines a child type of the port type including a class type defined to be accessed remotely.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the schema further defines a child type of the port type including an interface type defined to be accessed remotely.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the schema further defines a child type of the port type including a property type defined to be accessed remotely.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the schema further defines a child type of the port type including an event type defined to be received from remote source.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the schema further defines a child type of the port type including a values type defined to be an individual service.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying in the expression, a first element of a type further defined in the schema as a service reference type, including a remote network location where requests are received for the service reference, and a type of service supported by the service reference.

17. A computer readable medium having stored thereon, instructions for verifying that an extensible mark-up language expression is received according to a schema and an extensible mark-up language web services definition comprising:

an instruction for verifying an element of a type defined as a service reference type including a child element identifying,

a remote network location where requests are received for the service reference, and

a type of service supported at the remote network location.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

an instruction for verifying another element of a type defined as an enumeration type, where the enumeration type consists of a set of named elements, each named element associated with a consecutive integer value.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

an instruction for verifying another element of a type defined as a bit field type, where the bit field type is a mathematical powerset on the values of a base type, and the base type includes a collection of named elements, each named element assigned an associated integer value, and the other element includes a combination of one or more of the elements of the base type.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

an instruction for verifying another element of a type defined as a complex type and the complex type is a collection of named fields of complex types or simple types, and the name of the type is unique in the schema, and an attribute of the other element includes an identification number that an additional element defined in the extensible mark-up language expression uses to refer to the other element.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

an instruction for verifying another element of a type defined as a structure, where a structure type is a collection of named fields that are complex types or simple types, and the name of the structure in the schema is uniquely defined.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

an instruction for verifying another element of a type defined as a reference to a defined complex type, and an attribute of the other element includes an identification uniquely associated with an additional element defined in the extensible mark-up language expression.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

an instruction for verifying another element of a type defined as an array type which is uniquely typed in the schema, and a field of the other element defines contents consistent with the unique array type defined in the schema.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

an instruction for verifying another element of a type defined as a constant value of a complex type, where the constant value is uniquely defined in the schema.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

an instruction for verifying another element of a type defined as a port type, and the schema further defines one or more types as child types of the port type as follows,

a class type defined to be accessed remotely;

an interface type defined to be accessed remotely;

a property type defined to be accessed remotely;

or

an event type defined to be received from a remote source.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

an instruction for verifying another element of a type defined as a property type including a child type including a constant value attribute which refers directly to a remote service.

27. In a computer readable medium, a defined grammar for a web service definitions language, including a root definitions element, and computer executable instructions for validating that a web service request is formatted according to the grammar, the instructions comprising:

instructions for validating the format of the following child element of the root definitions element,

a port type element with an extended child element including a service class element.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the port type element further includes an extended child element including an service interface element.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the port type element further includes an extended child element including a properties element.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the definitions element further includes an extended child element including a values element.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 27, further comprising:

instructions for validating that a class element occurrence, an interface element occurrence, a properties element occurrence, an event source element occurrence, or an extended source element occurrence is within a defined maximum or minimum number of occurrences.

32. A computer system for serving web service requests, the system comprising:

a network accessible web service definition; and

a program for, parsing extensible mark-up language expressions contained in a network service request in order to determine whether an extensible mark-up language expression is formed in accordance with the web service definition, and for determining based on an encountered element'"'"'s type definition at least one of the following;

whether a service extends another service, or

whether a service implements an interface.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the program further determines based on an encountered element'"'"'s type definition, whether a field is a reference, a constant value, or a bit field.

34. The system of claim 32 wherein the program further determines based on an encountered element'"'"'s type definition, whether a type is embedded or a reference.

35. The system of claim 32 wherein the program further determines based on an encountered element'"'"'s type definition, whether a type is remoted by value or by reference.

36. A computer readable storage medium containing data with a structure formed according to a object model agnostic web services definition language, said structure causing a computer to perform web services according to a service request received on a network connection, the structure comprising:

a service reference including a binding to an implementation on a typed service class;

wherein the computer determines the requested service from the structure, and invokes an implementation of the service class.

37. A computer readable storage medium containing data with a structure formed according to a object model agnostic web services definition language, said structure causing a computer to perform web services according to a service request received on a network connection, the structure comprising:

an element with an attribute assigned a unique identifier, and

any number of additional elements including a field with a typed reference referring to the element by its unique identifier;

wherein the computer creates in memory, based on the structure, a graph of objects representing the element and the any number of additional elements referring to the element by its unique identifier.