Client/Server Application Using Google App Engine

Question

Can someone please advise me what is the possible solution of using GAE to make a Client/Serer Application?

As far as I know, GAE is designed to do web applications. What I want to do is to have a Java Client(Swing based) deployed on a number of computers and deploy the server on GAE.

I found an example on GAE website which teaches how to make a SOAP service using GAE, but I don't know whether using SOAP is a good idea for client/server applications.

Can someone give me some hints about how to design this system and what technology should be used? Any advices are welcome.

Many thanks.

Answer 1

A client server application will involve communication between client and server. One of the possible ways to achieve it is by using Web Services- either SOAP or REST based webservices. REST based would be easy to use as it involves the client making a HTTP request which might be GET/POST/or other HTTP methods. Your server can then send the response either in XML/JSON which can be parsed and consumed by your client applications.

Check out how you can create REST based webservices on GAE.

Answer 2

Generally i use jersey to implement REST based webservices for client server application

Answer 3

If you are not familiar with WebServices and you are in a hurry, you can use Java Servlets to produce JSON/XML responses. But the security is lower. :)