Is it a web service or REST API or a normal website

Question

I'm supporting an existing product. It was developed with ASP.NET. The entire product has two parts

Main Website - The main website where the user perform activities

Subscriber module - It is a separate website. Another windows application can post XML to the website and this website will save the data to the database. So it purpose is to transfer data between windows application and the main website. This website has one URL exposed to post the data. This one has only one ashx file and the functionalities are implemented using HTTP modules of ASP>NET

My question is subscriber module doesn't have any asmx file or WCF implementation. However any one who has the URL can post XML to this website. So is it correct to call it as web service or API(not technically but semantically)? Or is it a simple website with some special functionality?

Answer 1

An ASHX file is a webpage that is part of an ASP.NET web server application.

Ashx files are used for handling Http Requests and modifying Http Responses; It contains references to other pages hosted on the web server that are sent to the user's web browser. ASHX files are processed by the server's ASP.NET HTTP Handler when a client web browser requests the page.

1. Main Website - Its a Web Application
2. Windows Application - Posting data to server

Answer 2

A web service is any piece of software that makes itself available over the internet and uses a standardized XML messaging system. The function of your subscriber module implements is to post XML to website, it is in line with the characteristics of web service applications.