What is a Web Service? And why is it called a Web Service?

Web services are a simple way of how applications can use the Web. They are a way to use Web technologies for providing an Application Programming Interface (API). That's different from what a Web page is for, which is a User Interface (UI) that is intended to be used by a human user. Web services open a whole new world of opportunities because now any application can take advantage of Web technologies, and not just Web browsers.
This video explains how the Web is based on the foundation of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and why this matters for Web services and Web pages. Web pages use HTTP to retrieve Web pages using the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) which is then displayed in the browser. Web services use HTTP to exchange raw data with the JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) being the most popular data format.
00:00 Intro
00:16 What is the Web? What is the Internet?
00:55 The Web in a Nutshell
01:18 Difference between Web Page and Web Service
02:12 How do Web Pages and Web Services Work?
03:35 Examples for Web Services
04:47 A Short History of Web Services
05:51 Summary

[@AnVinhNguyen]

The world needs creators like you!

[@ErikWilde]

thank you, that's so nice to hear!

[@dixitnadda3380]

Really very very informative....

[@tolgatarhan6770]

No need to search for what web services, APIs are. Thanks for the comprehensive content.

[@ohnotoyota4692]

Hi Erik: Thank you. Excellent video, specially highlighting the difference between UI and web services. Cheers

[@Eli_J_]

Thank you for this detailed explanation of web services!

[@chrispatriot]

I looked this up through multiple channels and forms, and in some cases was more confused than when I initially started. Erik, you did a fantastic job of breaking this down into laymen terms and presenting it with a concise, yet informative structure. Thank you sir! I am now a subscriber....

[@ErikWilde]

Thanks, that means a lot! cheers!

[@davidpinon2070]

Thank you for that very clear explanation... subscribed!

[@calebdejoun939]

Yoo this has to be clearest explanation ever. Everything is finally adding up. Thx

[@ErikWilde]

thanks a lot, it's good to hear that this finally cleared things up for you!

[@calebdejoun939]

​@@ErikWilde whats the different between Nodejs and windows OS or some other OS. Because in my understanding NodeJs is a server side code which runs on a computer with that logic am thinking windows OS does the same thing. i need help understanding it.

[@ErikWilde]

@@calebdejoun939 windows is an operating system in the usual sense with a user interface and a lot of abstractions to hide details of the hardware it's running on. node.js, on the other hand, is a runtime environment for javascript programs. it still needs an operating system to run on, so in the end you'll have a javascript program running on the node.js runtime, and the node.js runtime will be running on an operating system like windows. computers always are very much about layering and abstractions!

[@calebdejoun939]

@@ErikWilde Thanks.

[@calebdejoun939]

@@ErikWilde So is a web server is computer that host web services? because i watch this video where this person said nginx is web server and i got very confused bc i thought that web servers are computers that host web services? so basically Javascript is what that makes a computer web page come to live and be interactive and nodejs is program that makes that code run every time?

[@firuzafynchina9208]

Thank you, Erik, for making such a straightforward video. All to the point!

[@ErikWilde]

Thanks a lot!

[@alexanderd.m.565]

Ty, nice intro to the general topics.

[@mohshar8074]

Thanks for this clear lesson !! Subscribed ❤

[@sujanapearl1560]

Thank you so much Erik for this video. Understood the concept at one go.

[@ErikWilde]

in that case: mission accomplished for both of us! thanks for the feedback!

[@BlowAway11]

Man, absolutely stunning, you scripted, and delivered this so absolutely brilliant. Content, examples, speed, all super precise and to the point! Rarely see things so clearly presented. Thanks a ton! :)

[@ErikWilde]

thanks! it's funny how this is my only video with a written and tele-prompted script, and it's doing so much better than the rest of my videos. maybe there's a lesson in there somewhere...?

[@suni14073]

Excellent video, very clear explanation with examples...I would like to see more from you Erik. Great work

[@ErikWilde]

thanks, this is very much appreciated!

[@ziad4744]

Perfect! What a great explanation! Thank you so much!

[@ErikWilde]

thanks, this is very much appreciated!

[@balasubramanianilangovan888]

Hi Eric, Awesome job! Your presentation creates interest to learn more about web services. I appreciate your hard work to prepare this video.

[@ErikWilde]

thank you, i am glad it inspired you!

[@penelopew9389]

Excellent explanation! Great compare and contrast, straight to the point, and enjoyed learning about some history.

[@ErikWilde]

Thanks, I am glad you liked it!

[@shwetaupadhyay5421]

This video is right on point. The pictorial description was excellent.

[@ErikWilde]

thanks!

[@garydasilva6832]

Excellent video! Exactly what I was looking for, thx!

[@ErikWilde]

thanks, @gary!

[@kshitizprakash2741]

Hi Erik, Thank you for such an awesome explanation in simple words of what a web service is. Unambiguous and straight to the point. I appreciate your efforts!

[@ErikWilde]

thanks, @kshitiz, good to hear that you liked the video!

[@akshitmangotra5370]

Thankyou for your such great video. Finally I was looking for this video.. A great explanation :) Love from India

[@mohammedkhateeb4035]

Amazing, Thank you sir!

[@saritasaivikram6078]

Thanks for sharing this amazing video!

[@Ada-hd3zp]

I have never heards such a good explanation. Thank you so much!

[@ErikWilde]

thanks, @ada, that's great to hear!

[@Nima-wh1ou]

Thx for the great explanation

[@anonymous6924]

Excellent video, keep going. looking forward to more videos.

[@bogdantometic2874]

Awesome explanation, I'm glad that I've come across this video!

[@ErikWilde]

thanks, @bogdan!

[@lholhofox]

Thank you very much for the video!!

[@ErikWilde]

Thanks for watching!

[@saiartscraft8357]

We were missing the Genius Guru/Teacher like you - thank you very much Sir.....for coming up.

[@ErikWilde]

my pleasure! thanks for watching!

[@vamkyproductions6856]

Subscribed. Great Video !

[@raheemamer9261]

Loved every second, thank you so much

[@ErikWilde]

thanks a lot, @raheem!

[@MM-ye7og]

definitely diving into your videos. Thank you so much for taking the ti to teach us that are green in the field. Have a great day

[@ErikWilde]

thanks and happy watching!

[@AshutoshKumar-yl6dl]

Amazing explanation !!!!

[@victorandrade1313]

Nice job explaining it. Now it's crystal clear to me.

[@ErikWilde]

That's the perfect comment to get as a content creator! Thanks!

[@therealjordiano]

Great explanation thanks dude

[@solomonngwenya9091]

I have been searching for the difference between the web and the internet and always received some Jargon words, but this, total beauty

[@ErikWilde]

thank you, this means a lot to me.

[@lqrock5438]

I'm starting my first job as a junior java developer in a few weeks and one of the subjects that they mentioned I could study on and improve at was web services. I had some ideas of what a web service is, I had designed API's without knowing they were basically web services, and your video cleared so much for me! thank you very much for the useful information. Also as someone that is not very fluent in English, you worded this article very good and was very easy to understand everything:) I appreciate you and your channel a lot! keep up the good work Erik.

[@ErikWilde]

Thanks for the feedback and your kind words!

[@francksimonelli2093]

Thank you for this introduction video! This is an excellent content ! :)

[@ErikWilde]

thanks for your feedback, comments like this mean a lot to me!

[@amonique]

Really great video! It's helping me out a lot in my job. I'm having to work with APIs vs implementing files into FTPS. Thank you!

[@ErikWilde]

thanks for the kind words, @amber, and i am glad the video helped you!

[@shubhammishra3152]

Thank you for such a lucid explanation❤.

[@ErikWilde]

Thanks, that's very much appreciated!

[@zahramahdavi9448]

Thank you so much

[@CFoONerD]

awesome video, thank you :)

[@saintpotato5]

Why is this video so criminally underrated? I really like the fact that he included the part about history of web services. Knowing why some technology came into existence and what problem it is solving is very important. It's like a veil was lifted. Thank you so much bro

[@ErikWilde]

glad you liked it and thanks for the nice comment!

[@jj-th1zq]

Underrated video ❤️

[@blenassefa907]

I can not even begin to describe the usefullness of this video. Words fail me! Years and years of confusion cleared up in 7 minutes. You Sir have helped someone and I wish you all the best. Thank you very much!

[@ErikWilde]

thanks for your kind words, blen, and thanks for taking the time to write them!

[@denmoredube5063]

Thanks for delivering such great content

[@ErikWilde]

Thank you!

[@katrinhader5189]

thank you! great video

[@ErikWilde]

Thank you!!

[@sudhirp3402]

I'm surprised only 19 likes for this video, great explanation for beginners, straight to the point, Cheers

[@ErikWilde]

thanks, very much appreciated!

[@mrunaltalokar4623]

Thanks !

[@fighterlife3644]

To conclude, web service is that the server side of a backend application provides an endpoint/Api to be called by other applications (web or non-web app) so that data is retrieved.

[@omidragon15]

Great explanation, thanks!

[@ErikWilde]

thank you, omar!

[@vladimirspasov5591]

Bravo!

[@anandateertha7865]

Very useful thanks..

[@ErikWilde]

Thanks for the friendly feedback!

[@allsmiles3281]

Thank you, Sir.

[@ErikWilde]

thank YOU!

[@arod3295]

You have a great way of telling the source of knowledge straight at its core vis-à-vis simplicity. There is so much jargon out there in tech (e.g. an API can be an application or just a file or the many ways a server can be interpreted; boy I wish there was expanded verbiage and more dissection or less verbiage and more abstraction ----like getting past FTP being replaced by SSH or combined or used 'over' etc. variation variation). However, you're explanation cuts the bullshit. Thank you for your expertise.

[@ErikWilde]

thanks a lot, comments like yours make my day!

[@arod3295]

@@ErikWilde no problem. Im a CS Junior at CUNY trying to go from a janitor to a backend or blockchain dev. Once computerphobic, at the start of my journey BOY was the verbiage my bane because SO many words are repeatedly used for different sides of the same “instance” I’ll say or hardware/software. “Server” is a good word. So is API. Like how all things Java SE like data structures come from an “API” (called collections) but that’s different from creating an express.Js API… etc it’s just a field that requires intense study and the realization that there are SO many moving parts but I don’t feel so unable to understand anything anymore. There should be a book to write the extensiveness of our words and the requirements of products (apps, devices) but bare bones like a cook book (for example https requires buying the certificate for your server). I had to read an entire article on APIs and that important thing (just one line) could’ve easily been tossed to the side. I understand I can Google “how to” and often devs have to pull the pieces together like that but like I said…cookbook. Just sharing with a pro. This vid is top 10 for me. Thanks.

[@balajireddy2651]

Really wonderful explanation

[@ErikWilde]

Thanks, I am glad you liked it!

[@kiddmahobele8373]

The best Explanation Ever

[@ErikWilde]

thank you, that's very much appreciated!

[@raymondsure4437]

Thank you.

[@ErikWilde]

Good to see you liked it, @raymond!

[@anatolehagbe7301]

Just with right words

[@ladysay3]

❤ thanks

[@balasubramanianp1372]

Thanks

[@qlsdassdasfsa2743]

Really great content

[@ErikWilde]

Thank you!

[@AhmedAbdelsalamHBK]

Thanks for posting this amazing video, Please explain more about how to secure these APIs built for internal or external audiences.

[@ErikWilde]

thanks for the feedback and the suggestion, @ahmed! i'll put that onto my (long) list of ideas for future videos.

[@sndselecta]

Great explanations. I think u made a mistake 2:52, web pages are not retreieved from a database but from some sort of storage.

[@ErikWilde]

You're right that it doesn't have to be a database. It can be any kind of storage such as a file system, a database, or a CMS. Or it can be dynamically generated by code through frameworks such as ASP, JSP, or many others. But in the end, how exactly the HTML is retrieved or generated makes no difference for what the video focuses on.

[@mohameddesouky6989]

legend

[@glatocha]

so is WebService and REST API the same? Or is REST a "type" of WebService? what are others? or vice versa?

[@ErikWilde]

Nobody owns these terms, so YMMV. I'd say that REST is a specific kind of Web Service, and that others for example include GraphQL and gRPC (which also use web technologies underneath but in a way different from REST).

[@seventfour9247]

Do I need to send http FROM a webserver (some kind of code) to be able to RECEIVE responses from a webserver ( some hardware on the web)? Is my browser also a webserver? If not, what is it that allows my browser to send / receive / manipulate http? Is my PC a webserver? The terminoloy is really messy. If I want to communicate from my browser on localhost to another application on my pc via http, is a webserver involved in it although i am not actually going through the web?

[@ErikWilde]

your browser is a client. the server is what your client sends a request to, then the server responds, and your client (browser) renders the response.

[@ErikWilde]

there is no "going through the web". the web is an application built on top of the internet. and if you use localhost you have a local server running, so client and server are not "on the internet" but still use the web's client/server model.

[@seventfour9247]

@@ErikWilde thank you! yeah so there is some software running in the background of my pc that acts as a Webserver to process http. That’s what local host is, right? I have an application that could communicate to a Webserver via web socket. But if the machine I am running this app already has a Webserver running, can’t I just connect to that default Webserver on that machine? Web socket client -> local host? I have a giant knot in my head about where exactly that default local host Webserver is. What program in windows is it that acts as a Webserver if I want to communicate in LAN or just on the same machine?

[@ErikWilde]

@@seventfour9247 exactly. localhost means that your computer is acting as an internet host. in many cases that means running a web server locally that will respond to incoming requests.

[@mrflexii2067]

Hi ❤ What’s the diffrence between web app vs web page?

[@ErikWilde]

that's a great question! there'll be a video about it soon!

[@gailbuenaventura5580]

lodi

[@sharonalejandracalcina5982]

Drop more vids for beginners

[@ErikWilde]

any ideas?

[@prasadbhondve3695]

Tutorial*

[@rafaelmartinsdecastro7641]

Please let me disagree a little bit with the choir of viewers that are happy with the explanation. I believe that no clear line has been drawn to define what a web service is and what an API is and at that point I guess I lost it (@1:54).

[@ErikWilde]

fair point, but this video was specifically created to explain what a web service is. but there was just another comment about this so thanks for suggesting this as well, maybe that's a good topic for a (short) future video. stay tuned!

[@abdulbasitahmedkhan7693]

Views and likes ratio didnt pass the vibe check