What's the proper name for this sort of thing?

Question

I feel the term "webserver communication" is not right when it comes to just accessing an server to retrieve information.

Example:

iPhone connects to http://foobar.foo/bar.php?foo=bar&bar=foo and receives an XML. XML is parsed on the iPhone.

iPhone connects to some server and sends some instructions + data to store some stuff there. Lets say XML-RPC or something like that. Server processes that stuff, saves it and sends a response like "OK".

You get it...iPhone talks to server, server talks to iPhone. For me, Webservice and Webserver is the same thing, both are called with an URL and both respond something.

So waht's the correct term when I wanted to mention this sort of thing when talking to a computer scientist (studied)?

"Webservice communcation"? "Webserver communication"? "Call"? ... i mean... yeah you know what I mean. I hope so ;)

note: 1) my english is bad 2) never studied cs

Answer 1

That would be a Web Service Call.

A Web Service is a Service (that serves data) and it runs on a Web Server (the actual hardware running the software).

Answer 2

For generic cases, I usually use transmit or receive when I need to be more specific than saying communicate.

Answer 3

The term you are looking for is HTTP request.

The specific technique you are using (javascript/xml through the browser) is called AJAX.

Answer 4

Well I don't know any better way to describe it as a Web Service...

What you have described is a classic case of a 'Web Service'... Just because you don't like calling a sheep a sheep doesn't stop it from being a sheep.

Also imho a web service is very different to a web server.

Answer 5

I've heard/used:

• Web Services (generically)
• XML over HTTP (based on your specific description)

Other paradigms pertain to implementation of Web Services using specific technologies/protocols such as:

• SOAP
• XML-RPC
• REST

What you've described here may actually be one of these specific technologies, but there's not enough information to determine this based on your post.

Answer 6

I think any of these would be fine:

• Web request (if it's HTTP, FTP, other "web protocol")
• Network call/request (more generic)
• HTTP request (if you want to be specific about HTTP)
• Web service call (web services are associated with SOAP/XML a lot of times, but the term applies to any web-base service call)