Choosing the Appropriate Protocol

  • Article

Bing API 2.0 supports the JSON, XML, and SOAP protocols, with a unified object model to satisfy the requirements of different application types (such as AJAX, Silverlight/Flash, desktop and server applications). Before you begin using Bing API 2.0, it is important to choose the appropriate protocol.

JSON Protocol

The JSON protocol is ideal for an AJAX application, which submits requests from the end user’s browser and processes JSON responses. The Bing API 2.0 JSON interface can return JSON responses in three different formats:

  • Raw

  • Callback

  • Function

For more information, see Using JSON (Bing, Version 2).

XML Protocol

If you are working on Silverlight/Flash, or any applications that support XML but do not support SOAP, the XML protocol may be an appropriate choice. The only limitation on the XML interface that it is an HTTP GET interface, in which the length of the requested URL is limited by the maximum URL length.

For more information, see Using XML (Bing, Version 2).

SOAP Protocol

The SOAP protocol provides strong types, a request/response object model and is able to submit a complex request without the limitation of maximum URL length. It is most appropriate for those who wok on desktop or server applications with high level languages that have native SOAP library support (such as C#, VB or Java).

For more information, see Using SOAP (Bing, Version 2).