Service Reference vs. Web Reference: Which Should I Use for My Web Service Integration?

Service Reference vs. Web Reference: Understanding the Differences

In the realm of web development, the creation of wrapper classes using WSDLs involves the use of either a Service Reference or a Web Reference. While both serve the purpose of integrating web services into an application, their approaches and distinctions can lead to confusion.

Web Reference

A Web Reference is a legacy technology dating back to ASP.NET webservices (ASMX), typically used for XML-based data exchange. When a Web Reference is added, the resulting client is specific to ASMX web services and utilizes the XmlSerializer. This approach is compatible with a wide range of project types, including web applications, web sites, console applications, and even Winforms.

Service Reference

A Service Reference, on the other hand, represents the modern method of integrating WCF services. It provides a more advanced and customizable service model compared to Web References. However, it is important to note that Service Reference is closely associated with WCF, and thus its use is primarily intended for applications utilizing WCF.

Choosing the Right Approach

The choice between a Web Reference and a Service Reference depends on the following factors:

• Language and Framework Version: Web References are supported in both .NET 2.0 and .NET 3.5, while Service References are only available in .NET 3.5 or later.
• Desired Features: Web References offer basic web service functionality, while Service References provide more flexibility and advanced capabilities such as asynchronous operations and extensibility.
• Integration with WCF: Service References are seamlessly integrated with WCF, whereas Web References are not.

Additional Considerations

• Web Service Application Project: Visual Studio 2008 introduces the Web Service Application project, which is a convenient way to create WCF services. It simplifies the configuration and hosting of web services.
• Upgrading Web References to Service References: To migrate existing Web References to Service References, manually edit the configuration file and add the appropriate metadata endpoints.

By understanding the distinctions between Web References and Service References, developers can make informed decisions based on their specific application requirements and technological constraints.

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