Web Services, Java, and JAXM
The Java Web Services Developer Pack (JWSDP) is a collection of tools and APIs for building Web Services based on the Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE). Planned for inclusion in the upcoming Web Services aware release of J2EE 1.4, the JWSDP provides both server and XML messaging and data technologies for building SOAP-aware servers, processing XML, sending SOAP messages, and working with Web Services registries.
In a previous article, we looked at how the pieces of the JWSDP fit together to help Java developers deliver Web Services functionality in Java-based server environments. In this article, we look at JAXM, the Java API for Messaging, a key technology included in the JWSDP for working with the SOAP messages that underpin Web Services interactions.
Why JAXM?
JAXM enables developers to write applications that support industry-messaging standards based on SOAP and SOAP with attachments. SOAP itself is an XML protocol that leverages existing Web transport protocols such as HTTP, FTP, and SMTP to deliver XML to participants in a Web Services conversation. Because Web Services are built on top of SOAP functionality, JAXM messages conform to SOAP standards. With the JAXM API, developers not only create XML messages that conform to SOAP specifications, but can also exchange messages synchronously or asynchronously with other JAXM providers.