# Getting started and webservices

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/getting-started-and-webservices/92361>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [April 18, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/getting-started-and-webservices/92361 "2007-04-18T18:00:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![woodyuk](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/c67d28/32.png) [@woodyuk](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/woodyuk)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/getting-started-and-webservices/92361/1 "2007-04-18T18:00:45Z")

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I am about to get started on my first ruby on rails project! However I  
want to make sure I can do everything I need. 🙂

One item I am not sure about is webservices, its not something I have  
done before. I am used to database style websites.

How easy is it to create a Ruby on Rails webservice thats a sender and  
receiver. I need to “enable” the following webservice

[http://www.esendex.com/support/SMS-API-XML-Web-Service-SOAP.aspx](http://www.esendex.com/support/SMS-API-XML-Web-Service-SOAP.aspx)

This webserice allows you to send SMS (text messages for mobiles) and  
receive them as well so the web service needs to be two way. How easy  
is this ? is their a sample I could work from to intergate this ?

Thanks very much - you might see a few posts from me over the coming  
weeks - really need to get my head around Ruby!

Woody

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**Author:** ![woodyuk](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/c67d28/32.png) [@woodyuk](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/woodyuk)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 12:25am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/getting-started-and-webservices/92361/2 "2007-04-19T00:25:13Z")

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Woody,

You may want to start by looking at SOAP4R [http://dev.ctor.org/soap4r](http://dev.ctor.org/soap4r).  
I  
don’t believe it is a very active project and I had several issues using  
it  
but i believe it is the only ruby SOAP gem around.

cheers

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**Author:** ![woodyuk](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/c67d28/32.png) [@woodyuk](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/woodyuk)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 12:59am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/getting-started-and-webservices/92361/3 "2007-04-19T00:59:16Z")

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The latest Ruby has some support for SOAP services. I have not tried  
these myself, but take a look at what Ruby provides and see if that is  
sufficient for your needs.

On a side note, depending on the features of that service you need,  
they do have a RESTful (HTTP Post) service as well as SOAP. That may  
be all your really need and you won’t have to fight the ugly battle of  
SOAP web services at all. Like I said it depends on your needs.  
Their SOAP service may have more features I didn’t spend that much  
time looking at it.

In any case, I think I would try out the REST route first, then move  
to SOAP only if I really needed it.

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**Author:** ![woodyuk](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/c67d28/32.png) [@woodyuk](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/woodyuk)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 1:47am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/getting-started-and-webservices/92361/4 "2007-04-19T01:47:18Z")

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Looks like the SOAP support in the ruby stdlib _is_ soap4r:

[http://www.ruby-doc.org/stdlib/libdoc/soap/rdoc/files/soap/soap\_rb.html](http://www.ruby-doc.org/stdlib/libdoc/soap/rdoc/files/soap/soap_rb.html)

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