Webservices: connecting Joomla! with other programs.
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This document discusses connecting Joomla! to other applications and services via web services. It describes different types of web services including XML-RPC, SOAP, and REST. XML-RPC and SOAP use remote procedure calls to call methods on a server, while REST uses HTTP methods to manipulate resources. The document provides examples of using these services with Joomla! and other applications and frameworks. It emphasizes the importance of standardizing web service connections in Joomla! using its MVC framework.
Webservices: connecting Joomla! with other programs.
- 1. Webservices connecting Joomla! with the rest Herman Peeren June 1st 2010
- 2. Webservice: • data-exchange with a webserver • often in XML-format
- 3. Alternative: ODBC directly calling the database from client-application “normal”, indirect call, e.g. via direct call to database, webpage or webservice: ODBC:
- 5. Joomla! as a system on its own
- 8. connecting Joomla! to: • desktop applications (RIAs), Java, Flex, Delphi, VS, Titanium, MS Office, etc. • other webapplications: as a server or client • browser: Ajax, Flash • any other computer program...
- 9. Example uses: •connecting to multiple Joomla!- sites for backup and upgrading. (e.g.: Akeeba Remote) •using external services (e.g. Google Docs, Amazon S3, etc.) •bridges with other applications (e.g. MageBridge)
- 10. Protocols: •your own... •a binary protocol like AMF •using some XML or JSON (Ajax) •one way XML: feed (Atom/RSS) •XML-RPC } when we talk about webservices •SOAP we mostly talk about •REST those 3 ways
- 13. Remote Procedure Calls (XML-RPC and SOAP) •call a method on the server •DO something (procedure, verb) vs REST •get/put/post/delete a resource on the server •resource (object, noun)
- 14. XML-RPC •define I/O types •phpxmlrpc-library •in Joomla!: as a plugin... •better: use MVC •changed in J! 1.6
- 15. Webservice and MVC •model: is the “heart” of application (use same model for webservice) •controller decides what to do based on the input •view: renders the output
- 16. XML-RPC in Joomla! 1.6 •no plugin anymore •new JController (might use a strategy pattern?) •controllername.xmlrpc.php •idem: controllername.json.php •index.php?....&protocol=xmlrpc •http://docs.joomla.org/Xml-rpc
- 17. SOAP •evolved from XML-RPC •heavily used in .NET •meta-data: WSDL and SOAP-envellope •SOAP-header: a.o. for authentication •WSDL: description in XML-format
- 18. SOAP-envellope:
- 19. WSDL: •description of a webservice •automatic code generation! •easy to use in e.g. Delphi, Flex, etc.
- 21. importing WSDL in Delphi 2010:
- 22. importing WSDL in Flex Builder 3:
- 23. SOAP in Joomla!, some possibilities: •JMSOAP and com_connector: J!1.0 (vBulletin-connection) •VM SOA: SOAP for VirtueMart •other PHP libraries and Frameworks: NuSoap, PearSoap, Zend, PHP5 SOAP module... $server = new soap_server; require_once(“nusoap.php”); •JSOAP coming soon! (based on PHP5-SOAP)
- 24. REST •“representational state transfer” •architecture, not a protocol •linking to recourses, not methods •resource = object + URI •stateless communication •uniform interface (CRUD) •using HTTP-headers and methods
- 26. REST in Nooku Framework: •KControllerBread + KRequest works out of the box! •authentication and http status messa- ges not yet 100% (planned for 0.9) Joomla! RESTful thoughts: •www.alltogetherasawhole.org/profiles/ blogs/restful-api-for-joomla
- 27. Authentication/Authorization •with XML/RPC credentials are para- meters in the remote procedure call. •with SOAP credentials are in the SOAP-header. •with REST the credentials are in HTTP-headers.
- 28. SSL or other encrypting •SSL (https://) can be used to encrypt the credentials (and data) •or you can define encryption of cre- dentials (and data) yourself: - basic (base64: no real encryption) - digest - WSSE, OAuth, your own variation
- 29. Get Joomla! connected •providing standard, easy to use con- nections is essential for further deve- lopment of Joomla! •let’s provide XML/RPC, SOAP and REST within the MVC framework in a uniform way (Zend has it all, why not we too?)