JAX-RPC vs JAX-WS

[Alpha Omega]

I am trying to figure out how to identify if a specific web service is implemented in JAX-RPC or JAX-WS.

All i have is a wsdl.

Also, i would like to know if it matters at all from consumer perspective if it is JAX-RPC or JAX-WS based?

Thanks,
AA

[Tim Moores]

No, you can't know, and no, it doesn't matter. That's the whole point of WS, after all - that for the client it does not matter how the server is implemented as long as the standards are adhered to.

[James Boswell]

@Alpha

If you have a WSDL, that is enough for a client to build a set of generated classes from which requests can be marshalled to XML and sent to the service.

The underlying implementation of the web service should be of no concern to a client.

[H Paul]

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/webservices/library/ws-tip-jaxwsrpc/index.html

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/webservices/library/ws-tip-jaxwsrpc2/index.html

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/webservices/library/ws-tip-jaxwsrpc3/

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/webservices/library/ws-tip-jaxwsrpc4/

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/webservices/library/ws-tip-jaxwsrpc5/

[Alpha Omega]

Tim and James,
Thanks for clarification.

H Paul,
Yes i have gone thru the whole series of those articles.

It does explain the difference in terms of implementation and the underlying technology/transport and the specs support.

But i was not able to figure out how can we identify the implementation thru WSDL.

It does make sense when WSDL abstracts out the impl details as that is what an interface contract should be.

I just wanted to make sure i am not missing something big....

Thanks,
AA

[H Paul]

In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not.

How I do my little way:

1. Look at the WSDL schema data type: JAX-RPC and JAX-WS have some common data type. JAX-WS also support new data type which is
not supported by JAX-RPC. 1 of the link mentioned it.

2. Just do it by Nike:

I just take the wsdl and use JAX-RPC soap engine to generate the client side to see if it complain or not.
if it complain, then provider use something NON JAX-RPC.

I just take the wsdl and use JAX-WS soap engine to generate the client side to see if it complain or not.
if it complain, then provider use something NON JAX-WS.

This exercise is to validate the point 1.

[Alpha Omega]

H Paul,

Yes, what you are suggesting makes sense but only if the producer is using JAX-RPC or newer JAX-WS data types.

If the response is in simple data types, i guess it might not complain in any of the way you try to generate the client code.

I will give it a try and post the outcome sometime soon...

Here is the result for wsimport

[ERROR] undefined simple or complex type 'soapenc:Array'

It kinda proves your point. The WSDL is JAX-RPC based and it gives error when JAX-WS based wsimport tool

What it means is JAX-RPC based ws using complex data types will not work with JAX-WS generated clients... Kinda confusing...

Cheers,
AA

H Paul wrote:

In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not.

How I do my little way:

1. Look at the WSDL schema data type: JAX-RPC and JAX-WS have some common data type. JAX-WS also support new data type which is
not supported by JAX-RPC. 1 of the link mentioned it.

2. Just do it by Nike:

I just take the wsdl and use JAX-RPC soap engine to generate the client side to see if it complain or not.
if it complain, then provider use something NON JAX-RPC.

I just take the wsdl and use JAX-WS soap engine to generate the client side to see if it complain or not.
if it complain, then provider use something NON JAX-WS.

This exercise is to validate the point 1.

[H Paul]

1. If I have any thing by looking at the wsdl alone, I'll post it.

2. Here is a quick request to play with:

package test.provider.datatype;

import java.awt.Image;
import java.math.BigDecimal;
import java.net.URI;
import java.util.Calendar;
import java.util.Date;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.UUID;

import javax.activation.DataHandler;
import javax.xml.datatype.Duration;
import javax.xml.datatype.XMLGregorianCalendar;
import javax.xml.namespace.QName;
import javax.xml.transform.Source;

public class RequestDatatype {
	/**
	 * 
	 */
	public RequestDatatype() {
		super();
		// TODO Auto-generated constructor stub
	}
	public XMLGregorianCalendar getXmlGregorianCalendar() {
		return xmlGregorianCalendar;
	}
	public void setXmlGregorianCalendar(XMLGregorianCalendar xmlGregorianCalendar) {
		this.xmlGregorianCalendar = xmlGregorianCalendar;
	}
	public List<String> getStringList() {
		return stringList;
	}
	public void setStringList(List<String> stringList) {
		this.stringList = stringList;
	}
	public Integer[] getIntegerArray() {
		return integerArray;
	}
	public void setIntegerArray(Integer[] integerArray) {
		this.integerArray = integerArray;
	}
	public UUID getUuid() {
		return uuid;
	}
	public void setUuid(UUID uuid) {
		this.uuid = uuid;
	}
	public Duration getDuration() {
		return duration;
	}
	public void setDuration(Duration duration) {
		this.duration = duration;
	}
	public BigDecimal getBigDecimal() {
		return bigDecimal;
	}
	public void setBigDecimal(BigDecimal bigDecimal) {
		this.bigDecimal = bigDecimal;
	}
	public Calendar getCalendar() {
		return calendar;
	}
	public void setCalendar(Calendar calendar) {
		this.calendar = calendar;
	}
	public Date getDate() {
		return date;
	}
	public void setDate(Date date) {
		this.date = date;
	}
	public QName getqName() {
		return qName;
	}
	public void setqName(QName qName) {
		this.qName = qName;
	}
	public URI getUri() {
		return uri;
	}
	public void setUri(URI uri) {
		this.uri = uri;
	}
	public Object getObject() {
		return object;
	}
	public void setObject(Object object) {
		this.object = object;
	}
	public Image getImage() {
		return image;
	}
	public void setImage(Image image) {
		this.image = image;
	}
	public DataHandler getDataHandler() {
		return dataHandler;
	}
	public void setDataHandler(DataHandler dataHandler) {
		this.dataHandler = dataHandler;
	}
	public Source getSource() {
		return source;
	}
	public void setSource(Source source) {
		this.source = source;
	}
	private XMLGregorianCalendar xmlGregorianCalendar; 
	private List<String> stringList; 
	private Integer[] integerArray;
	private UUID uuid;
	private Duration duration;
	private BigDecimal bigDecimal;
	private Calendar calendar;
	private Date date;
	private QName qName;
	private URI uri;
	private Object object;
	private Image image;
	private DataHandler dataHandler;
	private Source source;
	
	
}

[Alpha Omega]

H Paul

Here is the result for wsimport

[ERROR] undefined simple or complex type 'soapenc:Array'

It kinda proves your point. The WSDL is JAX-RPC based and it gives error when JAX-WS based wsimport tool

What it means is JAX-RPC based ws using complex data types will not work with JAX-WS generated clients... Kinda confusing...

Cheers,
AA