.NET WPF Services

WCF or Windows Communication Foundation is a framework for structuring service-oriented applications. With WCF data is send as asynchronous messages from one service endpoint to another. Service endpoints may be an element of a continuously available service stored by IIS or can be a service provided in an application. An endpoint can even be a user of a service requesting data from a service endpoint. The messages transmitted are as simple as a single character or word sent as XML text, or as complex as a stream of binary data sent over the internet. A few example situations include:

• Secure services to process business transactions.
• Services that provide current data to other services, such as traffic report or monitoring services.
• Chat services that facilitates two people to communicate or exchange data in real time.
• Dashboard application that relies on other services for data and shows it in a logical arrangement.
• Revealing a workflow executed using Windows Workflow Foundation as a WCF service.
• Silverlight applications means using a service for the latest data feeds.

Creating alike applications was previously possible without WCF but WCF makes the development of endpoints easier than ever before. Summing up, WCF is basically designed to provide a manageable approach to building Web services and Web service clients.

Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) combined with XAML to provide a rich presentation system for creating Windows desktop applications with visually eye-catching experiences that incorporate media, UI and complex business models. Quickly develops an enterprise-class line of business applications with an all-inclusive set of features like data binding, templates, animations, controls, systems and much more.

Many of the beginners are confused regarding what “consuming” means, which is very simple, meaning to use the WCF Services in an application.

A WCF Service created needs to be used in a real condition so it can be used in a WPF application. In simple words means consuming the WCF Service in a WPF application. Likewise, the same WCF Service can be used in a Windows, Java, console application and other applications.