IBM alphaWorks has released a WSXL SDK which enables presentation-level application integration using Web Services. The WSXL SDK "supports a subset of IBM's Web Services Experience Language (WSXL), which has been submitted to the OASIS Web Services for Interactive Applications (WSIA) Technical Committee. The SDK is a set of run times (producer-side and consumer-side) built on IBM's Web Services Tool Kit, intended for: (1) Web application developers who want to convert their Servlet/JSP application to a presentation-level WSXL Web Service; (2) Web application developers who want to integrate third-party, presentation-level WSXL Web Services into their application; (3) Web service developers who want to develop presentation-level WSXL Web Services." Web Services Experience Language is "a Web services-centric component model for interactive Web applications, that is, for applications that provide a user experience across the Internet. WSXL is designed to achieve two main goals: (1) to enable businesses to deliver interactive Web applications through multiple distribution channels (2) to enable new services or applications to be created by taking advantage of other interactive applications across the Web. To accomplish these goals, all WSXL component services implement a set of base operations for life cycle management, acceptance of user input, and production of presentation mark-up."
From the FAQ document:
What is the relationship between WSXL, WSIA, and WSRP? - "There are two standards committees in OASIS that are working on standardizing the specification of presentation-level Web services. One is the Technical Committee on Web Services for Remote Portlets (WSRP) and the other is Technical Committee on Web Services for Interactive Applications (WSIA). Both committees focus on taking advantage of Web services to achieve this goal. While WSRP focuses on plug-and-play configuration by a consumer, WSIA focuses on how presentation-level Web services that describe application-specific information can be embedded, customized, coordinated, and orchestrated by consumers. The two committees are working together so that a WSRP service is a WSIA service and the two services are interoperable at a certain level."
WSXL (Web Services Experience Language) is a Web services-centric component model for interactive Web applications, that is, for applications that provide a user experience across the Internet. WSXL is designed to achieve two main goals: (1) to enable businesses to deliver interactive Web applications through multiple distribution channels (2) to enable new services or applications to be created by taking advantage of other interactive applications across the Web. To accomplish these goals, all WSXL component services implement a set of base operations for life cycle management, acceptance of user input, and production of presentation mark-up; and they conform to certain guidelines in producing mark-up. More sophisticated WSXL component services may be specialized to represent data, presentation, and control. WSXL also introduces a new description language to guide the adaptation of user experience to new distribution channels. Using a WSXL service and its adaptation description, third-party aggregators and integrators can visually embed the WSXL service in their applications; and they can modify the content produced by the service, change the look and feel of the output, or change how the Web service responds to user input."
Principal references:
- WSXL SDK website
- SDK FAQ document
- "(WSXL) Web Service Experience Language Version 2." Edited by Angel Diaz John Lucassen, and Charles F Wiecha (IBM). IBM Note 10-April-2002.
- OASIS Web Services for Interactive Applications TC
- "Web Services Experience Language (WSXL)" - Main reference page.
- "Web Services for Interactive Applications (WSIA)" - Main reference page.