.svc vs. .asmx

Do we really need to say goodbye to .asmx?

Every web developer is familiar with .asmx, while some are just becoming familiar with .svc. These are technical concepts that are of utmost importance to a developer’s line of work due of its dynamic nature. The question is, is there really a big difference between .svc and .asmx? Should people make the big switch from .asmx to .svc?

.ASMX defines web services called by an Active Server Page (.ASP file), which is then automatically accumulated by ASP.NET once there is a request to the service. These are readily available on the Internet, and also from a local network. To set the programming language to Visual Basic, C#, or Jscript, .asmx files start with the ASP.NET directive WebService, which is then succeeded by the language parameter using a Windows-based web server with the .NET framework.

On the other hand, SVC, or .svc, is a computer file extension utilized by Microsoft’s Windows Communication Foundation to symbolize a service hosted by Internet Information Services. The Windows Communication Foundation, or WCF, is an application-programming interface (API) in the .NET framework for constructing linked, service-oriented applications.

So what is the difference between the two? .SVC can be called .asmx on steroids, because it can do everything that .asmx can, but with more features. When web developers talk about .asmx, they know that it is something not too complicated – it can be configured easily. The downside is, it is only callable from HTTP, while .svc is used with HTTP, MSMQ, and can be hosted through different platforms such as the Winforms application.

As we can see, .svc can replace .asmx in all its glory.

However, .svc may entail more training; there is a need for extra effort in understanding the configuration of .svc. This is the reason why many developers still prefer to use .asmx over .svc. .ASMX is simple yet not very powerful; .SVC is the future of the .Net platform.

.ASMX and .SVC are both easy to learn and code, and have parallel attributes that are supplementary to service and data classes. But the similarity ends there. More key differences between the two are as follows: .asmx is easier to configure than .svc, because .svc adds so many configuration keys with diverse options that might not be entirely useful. .ASMX is easy to deploy because of .svc and its complex configurations and options. ASMX doesn’t support WS-* standards, unlike .svc; it will be a very big hassle to work with WS-* with .asmx. .SVC also supports binary data formats and REST. Additionally, .SVC can capture messages across the service/client. There is an .svc creating code that can run indefinite procedures to intercept messages and course them across all service operations.

.ASMX is not able to do this, which is unfortunate, because it can be practical in certain complex circumstances like doing custom authentication, authorization, logging, and routing techniques. However, if you are still using SOAP Basic Profile, always use .asmx for its simplicity and then switch to .svc if you need one of its features. Still, the way to go is to completely switch to .svc.

.ASMX is nearing extinction, and .svc is the present and the future of web developing. .SVC can do a whole lot more than all of .asmx combined, which is why there is a pressing need to learn .svc.

Summary:

1.The .asmx defines web services called by an Active Server Page (.ASP file), which is then automatically accumulated by ASP.NET once there is a request to the service.

2..SVC, or .svc, is a computer file extension utilized by Microsoft’s Windows Communication Foundation to symbolize a service hosted by Internet Information Services.

3..SVC can be called .asmx on steroids.

4..SVC can replace .asmx in all its glory.

Sharing is caring!