1 Using Account Status Web Service to design value-added services for your online applications Ivan Chan Media & Systems Services 8th Annual HKIUG Meeting 3-4 December, 2007

2 Agenda What are Web Services? How Web Services work? Why chose Web Services? Account Status Web Service by Innovative Possible use of AS Web Service in your online applications

3 What are WEB Services? “ Web services are software applications (programs) that use XML to exchange data (information) with other applications on other computers by using Internet protocols. …. Requests can be sent and responses received between two differing applications on two separate computers belonging to separate business enterprises or small businesses. …..” (Reference:

4 " The W3C defines a Web service as a software system designed to support interoperable Machine to Machine interaction over a network..." (Reference: Wikipedia, What is WEB Services?

5 (Reference: SC Yu & RS Chen (2003), Web Services: XML-based system integrated techniques, The Electronic Library, issue 21, vol. 4, Academic Research Library, p.362.) How Web Services work?

6 SOAP Server Web Services Client Applications XML Request XML Response WSDL (2.0) and XML Schema Web Services Stack TCP/IP How Web Services work? BUSINESS LOGIC Service Provider

7 How Web Services work? SOAP (Service Oriented Architecture Protocol) “ SOAP is a protocol for exchanging XML-based messages over computer networks, normally using HTTP/HTTPS. SOAP forms the foundation layer of the Web services stack, providing a basic messaging framework upon which abstract layers can be built…” (Reference, Wikepedia,

8 How Web Services work? SOAP includes four important parts needed for communication –Interface : describes all publicly available functions –Data types: lists the data type information required for message request and response –Bindings : transport protocol –Address : identifies where the service is located

9 How Web Services work? Web Services Description Language (WSDL) “WSDL provides a way for service providers to describe the basic format of web service requests over different protocols or encodings. WSDL is used to describe what a web service can do, where it resides, and how to invoke it.” (Reference, A Web Services Primer, published on xml.com, XML-based format allows service interfaces to be described along with the details of the bindings to specific protocols

10 Example of WSDL Using SOAP This example is extracted from a part of coding in Innovative Web Service. Part 1: Interface, describes all publicly available functions / / " xmlns=" xmlns:apachesoap= xmlns:impl= / / patronio patronio xmlns:intf= / / patronio patronio xmlns:soapenc= xmlns:wsdl= xmlns:wsdlsoap= xmlns:xsd=" - / /patronio“ xmlns="

11 Example of WSDL Using SOAP Part 2: Data Types Information -

12 Example of WSDL Using SOAP Part 3 & 4: Binding and Address to identify where the service is located - : / " />

13 Why chose Web Services? Connecting Applications… “Web services help to solve the interoperability problem by giving different applications a way to link their data. Using Web services you can exchange data between different applications and different platforms.” ( Web Services are an emerging technology which offers a solution for providing a common collaborative architecture. Web Services provide functional building blocks which are not tied to any particular programming language or hardware platform.

14 Why chose Web Services? Web Services can be readily accessed through browsers, wireless devices, voice-activated interfaces, and so on. Web Service can talk to another Web Service, and ask that Web Service to do something. Accessible over standard Internet protocols (HTTP/HTTPS and SMTP)

15 Account Status Web Service - Innovative Development project with III Allow retrieval of patron circulation account information maintained within the Millennium System Rather than HTML formatted web page (such as PatronAPI product), the extracted data will be presented as XML format

16 Account Status Web Service - Innovative Hosted within the same Millennium Server AS Web Services will provide: –Current checkouts, including due date –Item available for pickup –Status of outstanding holds is being developed, please wait for the production release…

17 Account Status Web Service - Innovative System Requirement –Apache AXIS is an open source, XML based Web service framework. It is an implementation of the SOAP, which provides various utilities and APIs for Web service applications. –WSDL would be needed for client application to communicate with AS Web Service

18 Possible use of AS Web Service in your online applications Example 1: Campus Portal Integration Message of MyLibrary Today: Display a summary of overdue, recall & pickup items. Campus Portal

19 Possible use of AS Web Service in your online applications Example 1 (cont): Campus Portal Integration MyLibrary, showing Checkout and Hold Information

20 Possible use of AS Web Service in your online applications Account Status Web Service Examples: Microsoft Outlook Calendar, Yahoo™ Calendar, Google™ Calendar iCalendar protocol Example 2: Connecting Applications Via Internet Technology e.g. iCalendar (SMTP) using Middleware Application (WS Client)

21 Possible use of AS Web Service in your online applications iCalendar allows users to send meeting requests and tasks to other users through . (Reference: Send circulation due date and recall date to patron’s Calendar as an event.

22 Possible use of AS Web Service in your online applications Portal Push mail Account Status Web Service Example 3: Connecting Applications Via another Web Services e.g. Google Calendar API Middleware Application (WS Client) Google™ Calendar Data API (WS Client) Google Calendar

23 Possible use of AS Web Service in your online applications Push mail Account Status Web Service Short Message Application Part (SMAP) OR Mobile Message Access Protocol (MMAP) Example 4: Connecting Industrial Application Such as Short Message Service (SMS) Middleware Application (WS Client) Mobile Phone

24 Possible use of AS Web Service in your online applications Mobile Message Access Protocol is a SOAP-based protocol for sending SMS/MMS (Multimedia Message Service) messages. Circulation due date and request pickup date can be sent to patron’s mobile phone via SMS/MMS If AS Web Service could support RENEWAL, theoretically, the material can be renewed by sending a SMS.

25 Possible use of AS Web Service in your online applications Moreover, by exporting patron’s circulation records, the information can also be integrated with the following applications: Weekly alert message for receiving outstanding loan information Express Terminal for checking current loan status by scanning campus smartcard

26 Look for the future… The Web Services for patron’s circulation record should be a complete set of Patron Record Data manipulation –CREATE, RETRIEVE, MODIFY and DELETE patron record. Circulation Record –Retrieval of checkout, hold and loan history records. –Accepting Renewal and Recall requests –Fine payment updating Can it be done for Cataloguing or Acquisitions Module? e.g. updating E-Resources items

27 (Mr. Ivan Chan) Thank you!