Integrating REST POX web services and .NET WCF

Notes:

WCF 3.5 supports REST POX services using the web service model.

WebHttpBinding supports cookies for session support etc, e.g:

WebHttpBinding webHttpBinding = new WebHttpBinding();
webHttpBinding.AllowCookies = true;

using (ChannelFactory cf = new ChannelFactory(webHttpBinding, hostPath))
{ ...

Issues:

• WebInvoke method POST: post data sent only as JSON or XML - no support for simple form encoded parameters.
  
• General inflexibility when mixing types of data or overloading services make it harder to leverage existing services that support existing AJAX/rich Internet systems.
  

Blogs, articles and useful resources:

http://bitworking.org/news/125/REST-and-WS

HTTP Programming with WCF and the .NET Framework 3.5 - http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc135976.aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.servicemodel.aspx

http://hyperthink.net/blog/2008/01/18/WCF+Web+Programming+Model+Documentation.aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb412176.aspx

Rick Strahl's excellent articles:

• REST-Based Ajax Services with WCF in .NET 3.5 http://www.code-magazine.com/Article.aspx?quickid=080014

• WCF REST Configuration for ASP.net AJAX and plain REST Services http://www.west-wind.com/WebLog/posts/310747.aspx

• jQuery AJAX calls to a WCF REST Service http://www.west-wind.com/weblog/posts/324917.aspx

How to consume REST services with WCF - http://blogs.msdn.com/pedram/archive/2008/04/21/how-to-consume-rest-services-with-wcf.aspx

Simple example with DataContract: http://dev.aol.com/node/595

A set of WCF tutorials:

http://dotnet.org.za/hiltong/pages/Windows-Communication-Foundation-_2800_Indigo_2900_-Hello-World-Tutorial.aspx


Interesting problem with XML serialiser quota that you could run into at some point:

http://www.timrayburn.net/2007/10/02/XmlSerializerFormat+Plus+Huge+Schema+Equals+Trouble.aspx