# Webservices status in rails **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [November 20, 2006, 9:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/webservices-status-in-rails/76748 "2006-11-20T21:42:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![snacktime](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@snacktime](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/snacktime)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2006, 9:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/webservices-status-in-rails/76748/1 "2006-11-20T21:42:13Z")
I heard rumors that webservices as they are now in rails was going to change or even be taken out altogether. Anyone know enough about it’s future to say whether it’s a smart idea to start basing a webservice on rails at this point? Chris ---
**Author:** ![snacktime](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@snacktime](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/snacktime)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2006, 10:28pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/webservices-status-in-rails/76748/2 "2006-11-20T22:28:20Z")
On Tue, 2006-11-21 at 05:40 +0900, snacktime wrote: > I heard rumors that webservices as they are now in rails was going to > change or even be taken out altogether. Anyone know enough about it’s > future to say whether it’s a smart idea to start basing a webservice > on rails at this point? FWIW, I’ve got a server API ([getindi.com](http://getindi.com)) that’s completely based on XML-RPC via actionwebservice. So actionwebservice will definitely continue in some sense or another, whether it’s part of Rails core or not… Yours, tom ---
**Author:** ![snacktime](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@snacktime](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/snacktime)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2006, 9:54pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/webservices-status-in-rails/76748/3 "2006-11-20T21:54:16Z")
On Monday, November 20, 2006, at 02:41PM, “snacktime” [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > I heard rumors that webservices as they are now in rails was going to > change or even be taken out altogether. Anyone know enough about it’s > future to say whether it’s a smart idea to start basing a webservice > on rails at this point? The new REST support in the upcoming Rails 1.2 promises to make Rails one of the premiere platforms for building web services. Rails handles the server side beautifully. It assumes the data marshalling will be done with xml, but there’s no reason it couldn’t be extended to include SOAP envelopes. For the client side of the equation (and server-side too, to a certain extent) the new ActiveResource library looks incredible. I just started scratching at it this weekend and already I’m impressed. It does for web services what ActiveRecord does for database access; that is, it makes them brain-dead simple. So, avoid the ActionWebservice library unless you need to build something SOAPy “right now.” Otherwise, look at Rails 1.2 and ActiveResource. cr ---
**Author:** ![snacktime](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@snacktime](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/snacktime)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 7:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/webservices-status-in-rails/76748/4 "2006-11-22T19:21:30Z")
On 11/20/06, removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > So, avoid the ActionWebservice library unless you need to build something SOAPy “right now.” Otherwise, look at Rails 1.2 and ActiveResource. The problem with REST is that it’s not widely known, and most developers we work with are much more familiar with SOAP. Our job is to provide an api that the majority of our clients will be able to implement without the extra hassle of learning something like REST. A lot of our clients use .NET also, and the amount of extra work required to use a webservice that isn’t SOAP based can be substantial. Chris ---
**Author:** ![snacktime](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@snacktime](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/snacktime)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 1:14am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/webservices-status-in-rails/76748/5 "2006-11-21T01:14:55Z")
On 11/20/06, Tom C. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Yours, Thanks Tom! Good to know.