JAX-WS client programming model
The JAX-WS web service client programming model supports both the Dispatch client API and the Dynamic Proxy client API. The Dispatch client API is a dynamic client programming model, whereas the static client programming model for JAX-WS is the Dynamic Proxy client. The Dispatch and Dynamic Proxy clients enable both synchronous and asynchronous invocation of JAX-WS web services.
- Dispatch client: Use this client when we want to work at the XML message level or when we want to work without any generated artifacts at the JAX-WS level.
- Dynamic Proxy client: Use this client when we want to invoke a web service based on a service endpoint interface.
Dispatch client
XML-based web services use XML messages for communications between web services and web services clients. The JAX-WS APIs provide high-level methods to simplify and hide the details of converting between Java method invocations and their associated XML messages. However, in some cases, we might desire to work at the XML message level. Support for invoking services at the XML message level is provided by the Dispatch client API. The Dispatch client API, javax.xml.ws.Dispatch, is a dynamic JAX-WS client programming interface. To write a Dispatch client, we must have expertise with the Dispatch client APIs, the supported object types, and knowledge of the message representations for the associated Web Services Description Language (WSDL) file. The Dispatch client can send data in either MESSAGE or PAYLOAD mode. When using the javax.xml.ws.Service.Mode.MESSAGE mode, the Dispatch client is responsible for providing the entire SOAP envelope including the <soap:Envelope>, <soap:Header>, and <soap:Body> elements. When using the javax.xml.ws.Service.Mode.PAYLOAD mode, the Dispatch client is only responsible for providing the contents of the <soap:Body> and JAX-WS includes the payload in a <soap:Envelope> element.
The Dispatch client API requires application clients to construct messages or payloads as XML which requires a detailed knowledge of the message or message payload. The Dispatch client supports the following types of objects:
- javax.xml.transform.Source: Use Source objects to enable clients to use XML APIs directly. Use Source objects with SOAP or HTTP bindings.
- JAXB objects: Use JAXB objects so that clients can use JAXB objects generated from an XML schema to create and manipulate XML with JAX-WS applications. JAXB objects can only be used with SOAP or HTTP bindings.
- javax.xml.soap.SOAPMessage: Use SOAPMessage objects so that clients can work with SOAP messages. We can only use SOAPMessage objects with SOAP bindings.
- javax.activation.DataSource: Use DataSource objects so that clients can work with Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME) messages. Use DataSource only with HTTP bindings.
For example, if the input parameter type is javax.xml.transform.Source, the call to the Dispatch client API is similar to the following code example:
Dispatch<Source> dispatch = … create a Dispatch<Source> Source request = … create a Source object Source response = dispatch.invoke(request);The Dispatch parameter value determines the return type of the invoke() method.The Dispatch client is invoked in one of three ways:
- Synchronous invocation for requests and responses using the invoke method
- Asynchronous invocation for requests and responses using the invokeAsync method with a callback or polling object
- One-way invocation using the invokeOneWay methods
Refer to Chapter 4, section 3 of the JAX-WS specification for more information on using a Dispatch client.
Dynamic Proxy client
The static client programming model for JAX-WS is the called the Dynamic Proxy client. The Dynamic Proxy client invokes a web service based on a Service Endpoint Interface (SEI) which must be provided. The Dynamic Proxy client is similar to the stub client in the JAX-RPC programming model. Although the JAX-WS Dynamic Proxy client and the JAX-RPC stub client are both based on the Service Endpoint Interface (SEI) generated from a WSDL file, there is a major difference. The Dynamic Proxy client is dynamically generated at run time using the Java 5 Dynamic Proxy functionality, while the JAX-RPC-based stub client is a non-portable Java file generated by tooling. Unlike the JAX-RPC stub clients, the Dynamic Proxy client does not require you to regenerate a stub prior to running the client on an application server for a different vendor because the generated interface does not require the specific vendor information.
The Dynamic Proxy instances extend the java.lang.reflect.Proxy class and leverage the Dynamic Proxy function in the base Java SE Runtime Environment (JRE) 6. The client application can then provide an interface used to create the proxy instance while the runtime is responsible for dynamically creating a Java object that represents the SEI.
The Dynamic Proxy client is invoked in one of three ways:
- Synchronous invocation for requests and responses using the invoke method
- Asynchronous invocation for requests and responses using the invokeAsync method with a callback or polling object
- One-way invocation using the invokeOneWay methods
Refer to Chapter 4 of the JAX-WS specification for more information on using Dynamic Proxy clients.
Related:
JAX-WS Implement static JAX-WS web services clients Developing a JAX-WS client from a WSDL file Invoking JAX-WS web services asynchronously Web services specifications and APIs JAX-WS API documentation JAX-WS API User's Guide documentation