Product Reviews
CapeStudio 3
There's so much in this product for Web Services developers that it's
difficult to know where to start. I guess the best way to start is by
saying that this is designed to be the one product that you need to design
new web services using SOAP, WSDL, and UDDI, and to hook them up to new
or existing servers. Here's a sampling of what you'll find in the box:
- A full WSDL editor
- Generators to produce WSDL from sources such as EJBs, CORBA components,and
JDBC data sources
- Automatic generation of java, JSP, and Visual Basic clients, and Java
and EJB servers, direct fromthe WSDL. What it boils down to is that if
you can describe the interface in WSDL, you can quickly build skeletons
of both client and server implementations for that interface.
- XSLT tools that handle XML to SOAP translations as well as connections
with other standards such as BizTalk schemas.
- Support (via the company's CapeConnect platform) for SOAP over SMTP.
- A UDDI server, UDDI browser, and UDDI management tools.
- WSDL and SOAP testing tools
- Integration and compatability with a wide variety of other tools, from
Microsoft .NET to BEA WebLogic to iPlanet Application Server (just to
name a few)
If you're focusing directly on Web Services, and especially if you've
already got other enterprise-level servers that you need to work into
the mix, CapeStudio should come under careful consideration for your tool
of choice. The company's support of standards to avoid lock-in to any
one vendor's view is a welcome bonus on top of a strong tool set.
In addition to the Win2K version that I worked with, there are builds
for Solaris and Linux (the whole product is java-based, so you'll need
a current JDK installed). You can download a trial version from the company's
web site if you want to give it a spin yourself. While you're there, check
out their developer support site at http://capescience.capeclear.com/index.php
, which feature free tools, tutorials, articles, and other goodies.
[This review originally appeared in
About the Author
Mike Gunderloy, MCSE, MCSD, MCDBA, is a former MCP columnist and the author of numerous development books.