This guide is written for developers who use Visual Basic .NET or C#, know basic Internet protocols, have done some Internet programming, and have a basic knowledge of object-oriented development. Following a lengthy introduction to various Web services, the guide describes the advantages and use of each in turn, including SOAP, WSDL, DISCO, and ASP.NET. Other topics include using transactions and COM interoperability in Web services, Web service behaviors, and UDDI. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)