What is the best alternative to calling web services with an Android App

Question

We can make Webservice call in android app by creating HttpURLConnection and POST request. Something like the following

    httpURLConnection.setRequestMethod("POST");
    httpURLConnection.setRequestProperty("Connection", "keep-alive");
    httpURLConnection.setRequestProperty("Content-Type", "text/xml");
    httpURLConnection.setRequestProperty("SendChunked", "True");
    ....
    httpURLConnection.connect();
    OutputStream out = httpURLConnection.getOutputStream();
    out.write("request data in soap format");// send request
    InputStream response = httpURLConnection.getInputStream(); //receive response

Here I have to create SOAP like xml to send data and also receive data in that format. Is there any better approach to call webservice?

What is the best alternative to calling web services with an Android App

score 1 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 11:58

You use SOAP or REST approach for your webservice. See the programs from

REST and SOAP webservice in android

* SOAP *

Pros:

Langauge, platform, and transport agnostic
Designed to handle distributed computing environments
Is the prevailing standard for web services, and hence has better support from other standards (WSDL, WS-*) and tooling from vendors
Built-in error handling (faults)
Extensibility

Cons:

Conceptually more difficult, more "heavy-weight" than REST
More verbose
Harder to develop, requires tools

* REST *

Pros:

Language and platform agnostic
Much simpler to develop than SOAP
Small learning curve, less reliance on tools
Concise, no need for additional messaging layer
Closer in design and philosophy to the Web

Cons:

Assumes a point-to-point communication model--not usable for distributed computing environment where message may go through one or more intermediaries
Lack of standards support for security, policy, reliable messaging, etc., so services that have more sophisticated requirements are harder to develop ("roll your own")
Tied to the HTTP transport model

What is the best alternative to calling web services with an Android App

1 Answers1