MSD's API and WebAPI Development

Developers and Bioinformaticians can develop their own applications either using MSD Web API as an External Service based on Web Services, or using Native MSD APIs, as local method calls. The MSD Web API has been developed so that the MSD can participate in Distributed Computing and Grid based activities and to be integrated with other related databases and applications. The MSD Web API service enables software developers to query the Macromolecular Structure Database directly from their own application programs. The MSD Web API uses SOAP and WSDL standards in order that developers can program in their favourite environment - such as Java, C/C++, Perl,...to build Client-Server, Peer-to-Peer and Stand-Alone applications.

A Quick How-to...

This is a BETA service

Practical example: Writing a client in Perl...

For implementation of this example in Perl:

Unix Users

Download and Install Perl
Download the latest version of SOAP::Lite
Follow the standard Perl module installation procedures by entering familiar command sequence:
perl Makefile.PL
make
make test
make install

Windows Users

Download and install ActivePerl
Download the latest version of SOAP::Lite
Windows users should use 'nmake' instead of make.
For example:
perl Makefile.PL
nmake
nmake test
nmake install

To create Perl stubs:

perl ($PERL)/bin/stubmaker.pl msd_soap_service.wsdl

This will create Perl stubs module: msd_soap_service.pm

Then we can use this module in our application to call the Webservice methods or just simply use SOAP::Lite module in our application which uses on the fly stub modules to call the methods.

Now we can start to write client application… Download example: WSPerlClient.pl

Primary developer: Siamak Sobhany
last modified: 31/03/04

Document mantained by: Gaurav Sahni

The project is funded by the European Commission as the TEMBLOR,
contract-no. QLRI-CT-2001-00015 under the RTD programme
"Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources"