Good book if you've already been introduced to web services.

If you start reading about web services developed in Java, you'll quickly find that there are a number of Java technologies that come into play. These include SOAP, UDDI, WSDL, and others. Since you'll need to know about all of them to effectively develop your services, you'll need a book that covers those areas in detail. One of your choices would include Java Web Services In A Nutshell.

Like all Nutshell books, this is not an entry-level tutorial on the subject. It assumes preexisting knowledge so that less time is spent on the basics and more space can be devoted to the more complex intricacies of the technology. If the chaptersin the table of contents do not sound familiar, you're most likely not ready for this book. And yes, I would also include myself in that group...

The first 2/3's of the book cover the different web services packages, both conceptually and in practice with examples. You should be able to use the examples to jumpstart your own development efforts. The last 1/3 of the book is the traditional documentation of the package API information. As with most Nutshell books, this will be the area that quickly becomes worn and dog-earred.

Conclusion
If you are past the "What are web services?" stage, this book will be of value to you. If you are still trying to figure out what all the hype is about, I would recommend a more entry-level book like Java Web Services by O'Reilly.

Other Reviews

• a good reference book.
• Good book if you've already been introduced to web services.
• Good for a "nutshell" book but incomplete.