Web Services Essentials

Beyond Simple Calls

XML-RPC is a very simple concept with a limited set of capabilities. Those limitations are in many ways the most attractive feature of XML-RPC, as they substantially reduce the difficulty of implementing the protocol and testing its interoperability. While XML-RPC is simple, the creative application of simple tools can create sophisticated and powerful architectures. In cases where a wide variety of different systems need to communicate, XML-RPC may be the most appropriate lowest common denominator.

Some use cases only require basic functionality, like the library-style functionality described earlier. XML-RPC can support much richer development than these examples show, using combinations of arrays and structs to pass complex sets of information. While calculating the area of a circle may not be very exciting, working with matrices or processing sets of strings may be more immediately worthwhile. XML-RPC itself doesn’t provide support for state management, but applications can use parameters to sustain conversations beyond a single request-response cycle, much as web developers use cookies to keep track of extended conversations.

Servers may be able to use XML-RPC to deliver information requested by clients, providing a window on a large collection of information. The O’Reilly Network’s Meerkat uses XML-RPC this way, letting clients specify the information they need to receive through XML-RPC procedures. XML-RPC can also be very useful in cases where a client ...