AXIS: Next Generation Java SOAP

This book will provide the first in-depth look at AXIS, which is the new name for Apache SOAP – the most widely used Java implementation of SOAP. The rapid uptake of SOAP based web services has lead to the continuous and rapid development of the SOAP specification – putting pressure on the various implementations to keep up. AXIS will address the performance issues inherent in Apache-SOAP and create a new architecture, which will be more extensible.

The book starts with an introduction to AXIS and web services, highlighting the goals of the Apache AXIS project and its current status. The key to exploiting the power of AXIS is in understanding its architecture and how to extend it. This book will show you how to do this by writing your own custom message handlers. Then it moves on to using the new parts of the SOAP specification AXIS implements and Java 2 Enterprise Edition integration. All this builds towards a full case study based around a supply chain application for a car manufacturer and its dealers.

This book will:

Explain what AXIS is and why it's needed
Look at the Architecture of AXIS in detailL
Show how to extend the capabilities of AXIS with custom handlers
Demonstrate the new advanced SOAP capabilities that AXIS provides
How to build a full supply chain solution based on AXIS
Interoperability with Microsoft Client implementations
Finally, we'll look at what the future holds for AXIS and SOAP

Aimed at the experienced Java developer or project manager, AXIS: Next Generation Java SOAP provides a concise guide to the Apache eXtensible Interaction System (AXIS), an open-source effort that can greatly speed up productivity with Web services in Java. This up-to-the-minute text is both timely and authoritative when it comes to explaining the underlying Web service standards (like SOAP, WSDL, and UDDI) and how AXIS lets Java developers work with them more efficiently.

Early sections dig into the organization of SOAP envelopes and descriptions of actual Web services, with the underlying XML explained in detail. After showing how to install AXIS, it's on to a simple Web service. (A handy appendix shows how to integrate the AXIS package into today's J2EE-compliant application servers, including JBoss.) Several utilities in AXIS can simplify the lives of programmers tackling Web services by automating the creation of WSDL from Java (and vice versa). The authors show you just how to do it. Next comes a tour of the architecture of AXIS and how it handles message processing. Practical advice on using AXIS Web Service Deployment Descriptor (WSDD) helps anchor the material.

The examples given throughout this compact text are easy to code and understand. Several sections illustrate real-world techniques for creating custom handlers in AXIS to perform useful functions, including request logging, performance monitoring, and handling faults. Later chapters look at changing the underlying transport protocol from HTTP to the Java Message Service (JMS).

A standout here is a later chapter on getting AXIS and Microsoft .NET Web services to interoperate. (The sample code here should be invaluable in the field for custom projects on both platforms.) Final sections glance at future directions for the evolving AXIS initiative. Plus, there's a full-fledged case study for a Web service-based system for spare auto parts, illustrating the techniques presented earlier on.

In all, with its notably clear examples and solid presentation of essential AXIS programming techniques, this efficiently packaged volume can put Web services within reach of most any working Java developer. --Richard Dragan