webservice which one is more used ?

[ambar patil]

hi,
Which web service tool should I use ? I want to write the client on java for existing web service.Now days which web service is used ?
Axis 1.4 or XFire or CFX or GlassFish or etc.. ?
Also how to decide which one to use ?

[Peer Reynders]

Originally posted by ambar patil:
I want to write the client on java for existing web service.Now days which web service is used ?

As you are simply writing a client:

If you are using Java SE 6 simply use what comes with it (JAX-WS 2.0). See Starting Out and Confusion in writing web service client + jax-ws.

If you are using Java SE 5 download JAX-WS and use it. That should give you the the same kind of capability as in Java SE 6.

Apache CXF is the most current version of "Codehouse Xfire". I've never used it but its Java-centric (rather than web service centric) design would put me off (it is designed around contract last, rather than contract first development).

Axis 1.4 is outdated (it uses JAX-RPC) so I wouldn't use it for anything new (it is the one that is in use the most because it has been around the longest). Use Axis2 instead. They claim that you can use it with Java 1.4. Axis2 ADB data binding is a bit annoying (too many classes) compared to the Axis JAX-RPC data binding.

GlassFish uses JAX-WS. As you are simply writing a client you don't have to "buy the whole farm" (i.e. use the whole application server) - simply use JAX-WS separately

See also Axis, Axis2, CXF: Surveying the WS Landscape.
[ March 28, 2008: Message edited by: Peer Reynders ]