WAS v8.5 > End-to-end paths > Web services - RESTful services

Use multipart/form-data content in JAX-RS application requests and responses

A frequently used content type for submitting files through an HTML form is multipart/form-data. The IBM implementation of Java API for RESTful Web Services (JAX-RS) greatly simplifies the processing of such data by automatically splitting the parts and automatically decoding them. If such automatic processing is not desired, the resource may instead receive the parts in an object so processing of the parts is under the complete control of the resource method.

This task shows you how to develop a JAX-RS resource that takes advantage of the IBM implementation of JAX-RS features that automatically split and decode the parts in a multipart/form-data HTTP form submission. Using these features allows a JAX-RS resource method to receive a File object, freeing the method from having to process the raw part payloads itself. You also see how to receive the raw data so that, if desired, the JAX-RS resource method retains complete control of the processing of the raw part data.

  1. Configure the development environment

    Before you start developing JAX-RS applications, set up your development environment by adding the JAX-RS libraries on the classpath.

  2. Define the resources in JAX-RS web applications

    Resources are the basic building block of a RESTful service. Resources can contain static or dynamically updated data. Examples of resources from an online book store application include a book, an order from a store, and a collection of users. By identifying the resources in the application, we can make the service more useful and easier to develop.

  3. Configure the JAX-RS application

    We can configure JAX-RS applications in multiple ways depending on your needs. To take advantage of the Java EE 6 functionality, we can use the annotation scanning capabilities. By using annotation scanning, we can omit a JAX-RS javax.ws.rs.core.Application subclass or have a minimally defined javax.ws.rs.core.Application subclass. Alternatively, we can specify the IBM JAX-RS servlet or filter to use the functionality available in the IBM JAX-RS servlet and filter.

    Using one of the JAX-RS v1.1 configuration methods, we can omit a javax.ws.rs.core.Application subclass in the application or have a javax.ws.rs.core.Application subclass that returns an empty set of classes to inform the JAX-RS runtime environment to find and use all the JAX-RS classes in the application. You might want to use this method when we do not want to have to manually add every relevant JAX-RS class to a javax.ws.rs.core.Application subclass as you develop the application.

    By specifying the specific IBM JAX-RS servlet and filter, we can take advantage of and ensure specific IBM JAX-RS behavior. For example, using the IBM JAX-RS filter can be helpful in developing a web application with a mix of JAX-RS resources and JSP files with the same URL patterns.

    Even though there is a JAX-RS V1.1 configuration method that supports the use of an optional web.xml file, to specify security constraints or roles, or to take advantage of other features enabled using a web.xml file, specify the information in a web.xml file.

    Choose one of the following three methods to configure your JAX-RS application:

  4. Implement a resource method to receive multipart/form-data parts from an HTML form submission

    RESTful services can receive content from an HTML form submission.

  5. Assemble JAX-RS web applications

    After you develop the Java class files for the JAX-RS web application and edit web.xml to enable the JAX-RS servlet, you are ready to assemble the application. Assemble the web application into a WAR package. We can assemble the WAR package into an EAR package, if required.

  6. Deploy JAX-RS web applications

    After we have assembled your JAX-RS web application, you need to deploy your Web archive (WAR) package or the EAR package onto the application server.


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