What is ples? >> ples is a set of ReSTful HTTP interfaces to commonly used Open Source databases for the Perl, Python and PHP scripting languages. An application exposes its database to other applications as a REST web service i.e. URI-addressable resources. ples will provide a simple HTTP based mechanism for interoperability between applications and databases over networks and the Internet.

What is ples-utils? >> A hodgepodge of simple, small but very useful programs written in Perl, Python or PHP. For example - untill quite recently there was no way to access hosts.deny/allow from within Python - now we have PyTCPWrap, courtesy of the ples project.

Latest News

Change the license agreement for ples to LGPL on 2004-10-21.
Can't believe it - September 2004 and yet not one single line of code written. OK - that is if you don't count PyTCPWrap - a wrapper for libwrap (TCP wrappers) which is going to be hosted under ples-utils. Keep watching this space!
January 2004. I love to work on this project but - need a little help. The UML is complete (lets rather say good enough to start working) but I don't have time to cut any code. Contact me if you can give a hand!
It is mid October and we are little behind schedule. Hopefully the UML will be near complete by end October.
First UML framework published on 2003-07-29.
The ples project goes online on 2003-07-16.

Open Source Collaboration >> The following pages can be edited on-line (see the KwikiFormattingRules and visit www.kwiki.org to learn more about a fabulous Kwiki:)

Please help us to build a solid conceptual framework for this project. Also visit the Source Forge project page for the usual stuff about contacting and joining the development team.

Thu Jul 17 13:53:53 2003

PlesWhatIsRest

REST is an acronym for "representational state transfer" - terminology coined for the first time by Roy Fielding in his dissertation. REST is neither a "standard" nor a "protocol" - it is an architectural style or convention. Paul Prescod defines a REST web service aptly as "a web service that delivers its functionality entirely as a set of URI-addressable resources using the syntax and semantics of the HTTP protocol" - visit prescod.net for more information and some comparisons to SOAP and XML-RPC.

This project was inspired in part by sqlrest- a Java based REST project hosted at Source Forge.

The advantages of a REST based web service are simplicity, security and scalability. It doesn't rely on a special protocol layer such as SOAP or XML-RPC and exposes its API dynamically in terms of XML encoded data and links to XML encoded data. It uses a simplified set of semantics as defined in the HTTP protocol i.e. a reduced instruction set of GET, PUT, POST and DELETE. Simple firewall configurations can be used to protect and control access to data.

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