Exposing logic flows of web services and permitting logic flow modifications

A method for a client, which is a computing device comprising hardware, to selectively modify a Web service comprising:

• the client selecting a Web service provided by a service provider;
• a service provider ascertaining a logical flow of the Web service, said logical flow comprising at least one activity, wherein when the Web service is invoked normally, the service provider executes code associated with the at least one activity;
• the client specifying a different Web service that is to replace the at least one activity;
• and
• the service provider specially invoking the Web service causing the Web service to execute the different Web service in place of code typically associated with the at least one activity, wherein the specially invoking step utilizes an XML based document to specify parameters, wherein said XML based document comprises standardized sections for specifying a modification and related parameters, wherein the standardized sections comprise an interface signature section, an implementation logic section, and a license and digital rights management (DRM) section, wherein the interface signature section specifies inputs and outputs of the at least one activity to be replaced by the modification and specifies whether a transform is needed to reconcile differences between the at least one activity and the modification, wherein the implementation logic section specifies a location for execution code of the modification, and wherein the license and digital rights management section establishes legal agreements relating to the Web service and the modification.

A system comprising a combination of hardware and software for providing Web services that permit calling applications to modify internal logic flow of the Web services comprising:

• a storage medium storing a Web service that exposes internal logic flow, said internal logic flow comprising a plurality of activities, wherein said Web service is a reusable software building block implemented as a computer program product stored in a storage medium, where the computer program product is executable by a computing system;
• a user-selectable option, implemented within a computer program product stored in a storage medium, for invoking the Web service normally, which causes the Web service to execute the plurality of activities in accordance with the internal logic flow;
• and
• a user selectable option, implemented within a computer program product stored in a storage medium, for specially invoking the Web service, which causes the Web service to substitute a user specified modification in the place of one of the plurality of activities while executing unmodified ones of the plurality of activities in accordance with the internal logic flow, wherein the user specified modification is specified in an XML based document, wherein said XML based document comprises standardized sections for specifying a modification and related parameters, wherein the standardized sections comprise an interface signature section, an implementation logic section, and a license and digital rights management (DRM) section, wherein the interface signature section specifies inputs and outputs of the at least one activity to be replaced by the modification and specifies whether a transform is needed to reconcile differences between the at least one activity and the modification, wherein the implementation logic section specifies a location for execution code of the modification, and wherein the license and digital rights management section establishes legal agreements relating to the Web service and the modification.