XML-RPC
XML-RPC is a neat way to send messages across the Internet.
The neat thing about XML-RPC is that it transports native data structures- you can ship off lists, strings, dictionaries, and numbers.
You can [wiki:Wiki/XmlRpc read more about it over on C2,] or on [http://www.xmlrpc.com/ the XML-RPC home page.]
Sample Code
This code calls the PythonInfo wiki, and receives the TitleIndex as a list.
Message Format
If you can communicate strings, you can do XML-RPC. You could even do it by e-mail!
Here's how to make your string:
...resulting in the following call_string value:
<?xml version='1.0'?> <methodCall> <methodName>foo</methodName> <params> <param> <value><string>robot</string></value> </param> <param> <value><struct> <member> <name>dict</name> <value><int>2</int></value> </member> <member> <name>some</name> <value><int>1</int></value> </member> </struct></value> </param> <param> <value><array><data> <value><int>1</int></value> <value><int>2</int></value> <value><int>3</int></value> <value><int>4</int></value> <value><int>5</int></value> </data></array></value> </param> </params> </methodCall>
...which can then be turned back into Python data:
1 call_data = xmlrpclib.loads( call_string )
...which then builds:
(('robot', {'some': 1, 'dict': 2}, [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]), u'foo')
That is, the first item is the arguments tuple, and the second item is the name of the function.
The capabilities are described under "Convenience Functions" in [http://docs.python.org/lib/module-xmlrpclib.html the xmlrpclib documentation.]
See Also
[http://docs.python.org/lib/xmlrpc-client-example.html official xmlrpclib example]
[http://docs.python.org/lib/module-xmlrpclib.html xmlrpclib documentation]
[http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/python/2001/01/17/xmlrpcserver.html XML-RPC: It Works Both Ways (onlamp.com)]
DocXmlRpcServer - class to help make an XML-RPC server
[http://effbot.org/zone/xmlrpc-cgi.htm Providing XML-RPC Services via CGI]