LOGIN | REGISTER NOW | SUBSCRIBE
 
print Printable version 
Most Read Latest News Blog Resources
Mono brings .NET to Android
At Microsoft MIX, Mono will unveil the ability to port .NET applications to the Android op...

Does Windows cost Microsoft opportunities?
Microsoft's decision to focus .NET on Windows is stifling innovation due to the specter of...

Maven Studio for Eclipse gets developers up to speed
Sonatype tool simplifies onboarding by giving developers a way to easily deploy fully conf...

Digg!  Digg
Reddit  Reddit
Slashdot  Slashdot
Share on facebook  Facebook
Share on Twitter  Twitter

MDS Studio Makes WSDL Come True


Research In Motion tool converts Web services to Blackberry executables

By Edward J. Correia
December 15, 2005 — 
For developers who have wished the time they spent service-enabling enterprise applications could be applied to mobile devices without additional code, Research In Motion may have a solution.

The Blackberry creator in November released MDS Studio, a free add-on to its Enterprise Server 4.0 that converts WSDL files into executables for its Blackberry handheld communications devices. MDS Studio is a stand-alone implementation of Eclipse; a plug-in version is expected next year.

David Heit, RIM’s senior product manager, demonstrated the new point-and-click tool during a visit to SD Times. A developer first points to or enters the URL of a WSDL and imports it. The WSDL contains descriptions of the service’s inputs and outputs, which the tool converts into an application prototype. Developers can then modify the locations, labels and properties of interface objects.

“What comes out is a client for that service that runs on the Blackberry, complete with action buttons and blank input fields,” said Heit. Once tested, the app can be pushed to Blackberry devices or published in a repository using RIM’s existing deployment architecture. A new device runtime executes the applications, displays repository items available for download, and handles installation and removal.

“Looking at WSDL gave us the idea,” said Heit, whose demo also exhibited far faster performance with the newly created Web service executable than running the same service through Blackberry’s browser. “That’s because all the execution logic is local,” and all that’s being sent over the air is the query and response. The solution is offered as a third option for Blackberry developers currently deploying Java and browser-based apps.

In addition to faster performance, the new solution allows integration with other Blackberry apps. “I can bring up an address from a public directory and automatically paste it into my address book. You can’t do that from the browser. This lets you deploy rich applications to a device, and to rapidly create prototypes without any coding,” Heit said. “Companies don’t have to have any experience with Java or C#,” he added.

MDS Studio will be bundled with Enterprise Server 4.1 when it’s released in January 2006. That solution also will add role-based administration, group security and policy settings, and compatibility with instant messaging servers from IBM, Microsoft and Novell, Heit said. Version 4 is priced at US$3,999 for 20 users.


Share this link: http://www.sdtimes.com/link/29027
 

Add comment


Name*
Email*  
Country     


  • Comment
  • Preview
Loading



 
 
 
 
News on Monday
more>>
SharePoint Tech Report
more>>


   

 
 
Download Current Issue
ISSUE 3/15/2010 PDF

Need Back Issues?
DOWNLOAD HERE

Receive the print Edition?


 
blogs tab
Google Code turns 5
Google Code Turns 5, and adds a Paxos Algorithm to make the system more stable and reliable.
03/17/2010 11:16 AM EST

Test your Visual Studio 2010 know-how
Microsoft is offering free beta certification exams for Visual Studio 2010.
03/17/2010 11:08 AM EST

Microsoft lifts the hood on IE9
Microsoft is previewing IE9.
03/16/2010 01:10 PM EST

 

Events calendar tab
EclipseCon
3/22/2010 to 3/25/2010
Santa Clara, Calif.
The Eclipse Foundation

DevConnections
4/12/2010 to 4/14/2010
Las Vegas
Penton Media

MySQL Conf. and Expo
4/12/2010 to 4/15/2010
Santa Clara, Calif.
O'Reilly Media

High Performance Computing Linux Financial Markets
4/19/2010
New York City
Flagg Management

Informix User Conf.
4/25/2010 to 4/28/2010
Overland Park, Kans.
IIUG