The Role of XML and the Java Platform

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Author: gravestifhan

Web services depend on the ability of parties to communicate with each other even if they are using different information systems. XML (Extensible Markup Language), which makes data portable, is a key technology in addressing this need. Enterprises have discovered the benefits of using XML for the integration of data -- both internally for sharing legacy data among departments and externally for sharing data with other enterprises. As a result, XML is increasingly being used for enterprise application integration (EAI) in tightly coupled and loosely coupled systems. Thanks to its ability to integrate data, XML has become the underpinning for Web-related computing.

Overview of the Java APIs for XML (JAX APIs)

You can use the JAX APIs to develop Web applications entirely in the Java programming language. The APIs fall into two broad categories: those that deal directly with processing XML documents and those that deals with procedures.

Document-oriented

- Java API for XML Processing (JAXP) -- Processes XML documents with parsers. - Java Architecture for XML Binding (JAXB) -- Processes XML documents with schema-derived JavaBeans component classes.

Procedure-oriented

- Java API for XML-based RPC (JAX-RPC) -- Sends SOAP method calls to remote parties over the Internet and receives the results. - Java API for XML Messaging (SAAJ) -- Sends SOAP messages over the Internet in a standard way. - Java API for XML Registries (JAXR) -- Provides a standard way to access business registries and share information.

Perhaps the most important feature of JAX APIs is that they all support industry standards, ensuring interoperability.