committing pull-based prototype of Axis/Java to contrib

[Sanjiva Weerawarana <sa...@opensource.lk>]

As I've discussed with some of you, I've been working with a team
of 4 developers from Sri Lanka to re-implement the Axis/Java 
architecture around a pull-parser. The main objective was to try
to achive an order of magnitude performance improvement by using
a pull approach combined with techniques to reduce/eliminate the
use of any reflection during the normal execution path.

The resulting prototype does achieve significant performance gain
over the current code when complex data is involved (for more 
complex data there is indeed an order of magnitude performance 
gain, but the evaluation so far has been very rudimentary). For 
basic data the performance is roughly the same. The code includes
most of JAX-RPC support including stub and skeleton generation.

After discussion with some of the committers (Dims, Glen, Tom)
we concluded that for minimal disruption it will be best to commit
this as a contribution (under /contrib) and then determine how
best to move it forward. Our basic idea was that represents a 
prototype of *possible* v2.0 directions for Axis/Java.  

I will be committing this code to the /contrib directory later 
today hopefully (I'm travelling right now .. hence the "hopefully").
After I commit the code I will also call for votes to make the 
4 developers committers so that they can continue to work on this.
The developers are:
    Srinath Perera (lead)
    Jeykumaran Chandrasegaram
    Dimuthu Leelarathne
    Vairamuthu Thayapavan
You may recognize some of their names from the mailing lists from
the questions/answers they've been asking. Srinath (along with some
others; no not this same team) is also going to be working on the
JSR 109 stuff on top of current Axis. He has also agreed to work
on integrating the JaxMe parser to Axis' WSDL2* I believe. 

(BTW Dimuthu is a "she" and everyone else is a "he" .. I know Sri
Lankan names aren't exactly obvious with that respect .. not that
it matters, of course!)

Sanjiva.