XML/Soap/HTTP Questions (help your n00b)
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Hey folks: I have some questions about XML/Soap/HTTP... but first, requirements! 0) Open a socket to a server 1) Receive XML data from a server 1.5) Close that socket 2) Parse through the XML file 3) Download all associated web content for each given URI in the XML file 4) Open a socket to the server 5) Send an XML file back to the server 6) Server will process this, and should send back a response, whether the update was successful - or not. 7) I need to prevent malicious users from trying to update *other people's accounts*... i.e. the user should *only* be able to update dta bsed on their own userId, but not an arbitrary user id. 8) MFC can be used, if it makes it any easier... no .NET however. Questions: 1) As far as sending/receiving XML files from from a server, have I missed any steps? 2) Do I need to do anything with SOAP here? What would the advantage of using SOAP be? 3) How do I prevent malicious users from updating other people's acccounts? 4) How should I approach the socket issue? 5) How can I make the socket opening work *no matter* which firewall you have, or *no matter which router* you use? 6) The data I'm sending is all web content, so can I use a special port on the Windows side that says that all Internet traffic is OK? 7) I only want the user to have to approve my applicaation's ability to access the Internet, once. How can I ensure they don't have to continue to grant exceptions via their firewall? 8) Is there a way of grabbing a free port from Windows? 9) Is there a way of *reserving* a specific port on Windows so that no other appliction will be able to use it? (I'm afraid another app might steal my port, or that it would be occupying the port when my app needs to use it). Help your local n00bie! :P Responses/how-tos/articles/guides/links/explanations would all be useful. Please phrase your response something a n00bie can understand. Thanks very much for your help in advance? -chasetoys