Hi,

I intend developing a module that comprises essentially of a search/search results page and a details page. The search page is simply where the user provides a series of search parameters (i.e. using lists etc.) and where a list of matching items are returned. The details page is simply where the details of a single search result are displayed.

I've had a request for a partner asking whether it would be possible for them to somehow get access to the data outside of the application I'm developing so I was thinking of somehow exposing the various methods I intend developing as part of my project as web services. They could then use these to build their own query tool if they wished?

Sample Web Services:
GetDropDownList1Items
GetDropDownList2Items
GetSearchResults(dropDownList1ID As Integer, dropDownList2ID As Integer, pageSize As Integer, pageNumber as Integer)
GetSearchResultItem(Id As Integer)

Is this kind of functionality possible using DNN? Ideally I'd like to develop a single set of methods that I could use in my app and that my partner could use in theirs.

How is security handled? As part of my project users will have to login to access my search page. How do I control access to my web services to ensure that only my partner can use them? Do they essentially login as a user or is access control total separate from DNN? I've seen reference to the IWeb module which allows you to create Web Services for your DotNetNuke Portal and for developers to use web methods that are integrated with the DotNetNuke security context. Is this kind of module a requirement for the type of thing I'm talking about even if I dont require integration with DNN security context?

Any advice or pointers (to online resources etc.) would be greatly appreciated. I'm new to web services so I'd be interested to hear of specfics things that I'm likley to encounter or that I should do when dealing with them and DNN.

Thanks

Hi,

iWeb is not required at all. You can take a look at is just to get an idea of a possible way to implement web services.

You can develop a hello world web service without any dependence on iWeb or anything else.
BTW, there are currently many approaches for web services, like SOAP and REST. I think the first you should do is decide which path to follow.
Regarding REST (I've chosen this path) you can integrate a simple 'hello world' copying code from here http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/wcfres.... "Lab 1- Hello REST" are just a few lines of code. The web service itself will work (no DNN module needed). You can pack it as a dnn module to make it easy to be installed, later you can add an UI to the module and make the web service read settings from it.

Thanks,
Horacio.-