Datasnap vs SoapServer

Question

What are the advantages in using DataSnap compared to writing a soapserver application.

I know Datasnap can use TCP/IP instead of soap.

Regards

Sandeep

Answer 1

With DataSnap you can export any number of datasets, and server methods, without the need of manually serialize them, adding built-in funcionality of parameterized querys, in wich value of the parameters are defined from the client. On the client side, you just have to connect to the remote datasource or methods to any data aware control using a ClientDataSet as data cache, with automatic update command generation.

SOAP is a more raw way to do everything, and IMHO the only thing you gain using WS is compatibility. If you are not using Delphi on the client side, then that is the way to go.

Answer 2

DataSnap is a remoting technology which directly supports Delphi database architecture. Actually DataSnap supports SOAP too - check the TSoapConnection component (but of course a plain SOAP server is not a Datasnap server also). Be aware that currently exists two Datasnap implementation. The "older" one using DCOM/SOAP and a "newer", dbExpress-based one, supporting TCP and HTTP/REST.