Jax-ws and apache axis

[sue gari]

This is a newbie question. Can you tell me the difference between jax-ws and apache axis. Is it possible to build web services just using jax-ws and not apache axis. What would be advantages and disadvantages.

Thanks.

[James Boswell]

Hi Sue

You can develop web services using either JAX-WS or Apache Axis.

Both libraries are an implementation of XML-based web services using the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP).

As I have never used Apache Axis, I cannot comment on its advantages but a disadvantage in using it is that you are then tied to using tomcat as your application server.

[Sridhar Thatipatri]

Hi Sue,
The Advantatages building a webservice in Axis2 is
A new XML processing model
A messaging-based extensible core
An improved deployment model
Pluggable data binding support
Asynchronous and synchronous Web services invocation
To know more in detail on above please refer this link http://dev.aol.com/axis2-next-generation-web-services
Apart from these i personally felt , Axis2 has easy ways to implement security over jax ws.

Hi James, Any security example(specifically on encryption) in Jax WS is appreciated.

[Tim Moores]

James Boswell wrote:Both libraries are an implementation of XML-based web services using the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP).

No. JAX-WS is not a library, it is a specification for which several implementations exists: The JAX-WS reference implementation (generally used in the shape of the Metro library), Axis-2, JBossWS, and some others.

As I have never used Apache Axis, I cannot comment on its advantages but a disadvantage in using it is that you are then tied to using tomcat as your application server.

No. Axis-2 is a Java web app like any other - it can be run on any server that includes a servlet engine: Tomcat, JBoss, Resin, WebSphere, WebLogic etc.

[Ayyadapu Sunitha]

Hi,

Sridhar has posted gud advatages of Axis2 . Would like to 2 more points to that

1) Extensible Nature of Axis2[/size]In Axis2, there are many ways to extend the functionalities
Service extension of the module
Custom deployers
Message Receivers

2) Support for In-Only and In-Out message exchange patterns (MEP)

[Tim Moores]

As I pointed out, the comparison of JAX-WS and Axis-2 is not valid - one is a specification, one is an implementation. So it's entirely unclear what Sridhar Thatipatri and Ayyadapu Sunitha are comparing.

[James Boswell]

Tim

I take your point. I guess when people refer to JAX-WS, I automatically think of the core Java web service classes as its own library which as you have pointed out, is not correct.