Java API for XML Web Services

The Java API for XML Web Services (JAX-WS) is a Java programming language API for creating web services. JAX-WS is one of the Java XML programming APIs. It is part of the Java EE platform from Sun Microsystems.

Overview

The JAX-WS 2.2 specification JSR 224 defines a standard Java- to-WSDL mapping which determines how WSDL operations are bound to Java methods when a SOAP message invokes a WSDL operation. This Java-to-WSDL mapping determines which Java method gets invoked and how that SOAP message is mapped to the method’s parameters.

This mapping also determines how the method’s return value gets mapped to the SOAP response.

JAX-WS uses annotations, introduced in Java SE 5, to simplify the development and deployment of web service clients and endpoints. It is part of the Java Web Services Development Pack. JAX-WS can be used in Java SE starting with version 6. JAX-WS 2.0 replaced the JAX-RPC API in Java Platform, Enterprise Edition 5 which leans more towards document style Web Services.