(De)Serialization of complex types AXIS alpha3 w/ WSDL4J

["Jack, Adam" <Ad...@New-Era-of-Networks.com>]

All,

I have been experimenting w/ AXIS alpha 3 & it's WSDL4J and I tried using it
to call the xmethods listing service (so I could get a list of other WSDLs
to go experiment with). [This was an attempt to "experience" varied WSDL
forms (.Net and others) and learn about it from a practical point of view.]

I've learn a lot (through mild to medium pain) and not all that I'd hoped.
[See below for feedback]. 

It turned out that the first WSDL I chose had some complex types, and I
couldn't figure out how to work with these. The serialization example
(SerData.java) was helpful -- but seems "old style", and since I ended up
attempting to go javax.xml.rpc.* I could figure out how to add a
serializer/deserializer to do the job.

My questions:

*	I could see how AXIS serializers/deserializers are tree builders/SAX
handlers --- but how to JAVX.XML.RPC ones work? Are these not the same? If
they are any samples?
*	Do you think javax.xml.rpc.Service will return a
javax.wsdl.Definition [save me going to get it again] any time soon?
*	Can I get "complex types" from the Service or Definition?
*	If I am on the wrong track, how ought I work w/ complex types &
perhaps WSDL "introspection" w/ AXIS?

FWIIW: This is what I was working with:

	http://www.xmethods.com/detail.html?id=23
	http://www.xmethods.net/sd/2001/XMethodsListingsService.wsdl

	Note: I've told the folk at xmethods about their URI mismatch (WSDL
!= deployed.)

Thanks in advance for any help.

regards,

Adam

P.S. Feedback on my experience....

I had a lot of problems w/ the "bleeding edge" nature of this stuff, i.e.
how rapidly things are evolving. With javax.xml.rpc.* at one end and
javax.wsdl.*/WSDL4J at another [and yes, I moved from alpha 2 to alpha 3] I
kept getting caught w/ all the changes. I understand this, but it was a
painful exercise & left me confused (since I'd "learned" N ways to do each
thing). [I know at this stage how progress is more critical than stability,
just please be aware of how much it hurts users attempting this stuff right
now.]

BTW: If shipping WSDL4J please ship (1) javadoc or (2) source. I tried
finding WSDL4J online [painful --- no packaging], I had troubled downloading
the recommended WinCVS [ZIP corrupt], the WinCVS [latest beta, ZIP worky]
crashed --- so I tried downloading IBM's WSTK, but [after a long download
and some confusion] their WSDL4J was older. I eventually got a command line
CVS to download the latest WSDL4J code and found out what parameters where
what & what properties where what.

Clearly part of this is that samples are still (it seems to me) for alpha2
-- not for alpha 3 (i.e. for AXIS hands-on not JAVAX). I could be wrong,
again -- I am admittedly confused.

Thanks for all the good work, just trying to give feedback -- not moan. 

Re: (De)Serialization of complex types AXIS alpha3 w/ WSDL4J

[Mark Young <ma...@kamiak.com>]

Adam:

The WSDL2Java utility (org.apache.axis.wsdl.WSDL2Java) does handle that WSDL
you mention.  I haven't done so, but if you need to figure out how to roll
your own web service client, you might be able to look at the source for it.
I guess you don't just want to construct a client the quick and easy way?
I've had good success using WSDL2Java and then just filling in the classes
it generates for me.

Regards,

-------------------------------------------
Mark Young, Kamiak Corp.
XML Schema and Web Service Contract (WSDL) authoring software
http://www.omniopera.com



----- Original Message -----
From: "Jack, Adam" <Ad...@New-Era-of-Networks.com>
To: <ax...@xml.apache.org>
Sent: Monday, December 31, 2001 6:12 PM
Subject: (De)Serialization of complex types AXIS alpha3 w/ WSDL4J


> All,
>
> I have been experimenting w/ AXIS alpha 3 & it's WSDL4J and I tried using
it
> to call the xmethods listing service (so I could get a list of other WSDLs
> to go experiment with). [This was an attempt to "experience" varied WSDL
> forms (.Net and others) and learn about it from a practical point of
view.]
>
> I've learn a lot (through mild to medium pain) and not all that I'd hoped.
> [See below for feedback].
>
> It turned out that the first WSDL I chose had some complex types, and I
> couldn't figure out how to work with these. The serialization example
> (SerData.java) was helpful -- but seems "old style", and since I ended up
> attempting to go javax.xml.rpc.* I could figure out how to add a
> serializer/deserializer to do the job.
>
> My questions:
>
> * I could see how AXIS serializers/deserializers are tree builders/SAX
> handlers --- but how to JAVX.XML.RPC ones work? Are these not the same? If
> they are any samples?
> * Do you think javax.xml.rpc.Service will return a
> javax.wsdl.Definition [save me going to get it again] any time soon?
> * Can I get "complex types" from the Service or Definition?
> * If I am on the wrong track, how ought I work w/ complex types &
> perhaps WSDL "introspection" w/ AXIS?
>
> FWIIW: This is what I was working with:
>
> http://www.xmethods.com/detail.html?id=23
> http://www.xmethods.net/sd/2001/XMethodsListingsService.wsdl
>
> Note: I've told the folk at xmethods about their URI mismatch (WSDL
> != deployed.)
>
> Thanks in advance for any help.
>
> regards,
>
> Adam