JAX-WS Overview

The local transport is unique in that it will not work across machines, but simply sends messages in memory. You can also configure the local transport to avoid serialization by using the Object binding or the colocation feature if desired. You can also write your own transport.

CXF provides support for multiple data bindings, including JAXB, XML Beans, and Aegis Databinding (2.0.x), is our own databinding library that makes development of code-first web services incredibly easy. Unlike JAXB, you don't need annotations at all. It also works correctly with a variety of datatypes such as Lists, Maps, Dates, etc. right out of the box. If you're building a prototype web services that's really invaluable as it means you have to do very little work to get up and running.

The SOAP binding, which is the default, maps messages to SOAP and can be used with the various WS-* modules inside CXF. The Pure XML binding avoids serialization of a SOAP envelope and just sends a raw XML message. There is also an HTTP Binding which maps a service to HTTP using RESTful semantics.

Protocol handlers allow you to manipulate the message in its raw, often XML-based, form - i.e. a SAAJ SOAPMessage. Logical handlers allow you to manipulate the message after its already been bound from the protocol to the JAXB object that your service will receive.

Normally binary data inside an XML message must be Base64 encoded. This results in processing overhead and increases message size by 30%. If you use MTOM, CXF will send/receive MIME messages with the message stored as a MIME attachment, just like email. This results in much more efficient communication and allows you to transmit messages much larger than memory.

This is particularly useful if your underlying service objects are not plain javabeans and instead need to be created or looked up via a custom factory.