wsgen command for JAX-WS applications

The wsgen command-line tool generates the necessary artifacts required for Java™ API for XML Web Services (JAX-WS) applications when starting from Java code. The generated artifacts are Java 5 compliant, making them portable across different Java versions and platforms.

When using a bottoms-up approach to develop JAX-WS web services and you are starting from a service endpoint implementation, use the wsgen tool to generate the required JAX-WS artifacts.

Supported configurations: The wsimport, wsgen, schemagen and xjc command-line tools are not supported on the z/OS® platform. This functionality is provided by the assembly tools provided with WebSphere® Application Server running on the z/OS platform. Read about these command-line tools for JAX-WS applications to learn more about these tools.
Best practice: WebSphere Application Server provides Java API for XML-Based Web Services (JAX-WS) and Java Architecture for XML Binding (JAXB) tooling. The wsimport, wsgen, schemagen and xjc command-line tools are located in the app_server_root\bin\ directory in full profile. The wsimport and wsgen commands are located in the app_server_root\jaxws\bin\ directory in Liberty profile. The xjc and schemagen commands are located in the app_server_root\jaxb\bin\ directory in Liberty profile. Similar tooling is provided by the Java SE Development Kit (JDK) 6. On some occasions, the artifacts generated by both the tooling provided by WebSphere Application Server and the JDK support the same levels of the specifications. In general, the artifacts generated by the JDK tools are portable across other compliant runtime environments. However, it is a best practice to use the tools provided with this product to achieve seamless integration within the WebSphere Application Server environment and to take advantage of the features that may be only supported in WebSphere Application Server. To take advantage of JAX-WS and JAXB V2.2 tooling, use the tools provided with the application server that are located in the app_server_root\bin\ directory.
Note: You can use the wsimport , wsgen, schemagen and xjc command-line tools with both the Liberty profile and the full profile of the application server.
The wsgen tool accepts a properly annotated service endpoint implementation using the @WebService annotation as input and generates the following artifacts:
  • any additional Java Architecture for XML Binding (JAXB) classes that are required to marshal and unmarshal the message contents.
  • a WSDL file if the optional -wsdl argument is specified. The wsgen tool does not automatically generate the WSDL file.

When using JAX-WS V2.2 tools, java.lang.RuntimeException and java.rmi.RemoteException references and their subclasses are no longer mapped in the WSDL file. This behavior change complies with the JAX-WS V2.1 specification conformance rule that is described in section 3.7 of the specification. This conformance rule specifies that the java.lang.RuntimeException and java.rmi.RemoteException classes and their subclasses cannot be treated as service-specific exceptions and mapped in the WSDL file.

In addition to using the tools from the command line, you can invoke these JAX-WS tools from within the Ant build environments for the full profile. Use the com.sun.tools.ws.ant.WsGen Ant task from within the Ant build environment to invoke the wsgen tool. To function properly, this Ant task requires that you invoke Ant using the ws_ant script.

Avoid trouble: The wsgen command does not differentiate the XML namespace between multiple XMLType annotations that have the same @XMLType name defined within different Java packages. When this scenario occurs, the following error is produced:
Error: Two classes have the same XML type name ....
Use @XmlType.name and @XmlType.namespace to assign different names to them...
This error indicates you have class names or @XMLType.name values that have the same name, but exist within different Java packages. To prevent this error, add the @XML.Type.namespace class to the existing @XMLType annotation to differentiate between the XML types.
[HP-UX][Solaris]
Avoid trouble: Beginning with Sun and HP JDK Version 1.6 containing JAX-WS tooling Version 2.1.6, the behavior of the JAX-WS runtime environments and tooling has changed in how it determines which methods are exposed as web services operations in an effort to better adhere to the JAX-WS specifications. Applications that might be affected by this change include web services applications that do not specify a WSDL file or an explicit service endpoint interface (SEI). To learn more, see the exposing methods in SEI-based JAX-WS web services information.

With JAX-WS applications, the wsgen command-line tool might not locate shared class files in the full profile. You can specify the location of these class files using the com.ibm.websphere.webservices.WSDL_Generation_Extra_ClassPath custom property. For more information, see the documentation about the Java virtual machine custom properties.

Syntax

The command-line syntax is:

[Windows]
app_server_root\bin\wsgen.bat [options] service_implementation_class
[Linux][AIX][HP-UX][Solaris]
app_server_root/bin/wsgen.sh [options] service_implementation_class
[IBM i]
app_server_root/bin/wsgen [options] service_implementation_class

Parameters

The service_implementation_class name is the only parameter that is required. The following parameters are optional for the wsgen command:

-classpath <path>
Specifies the location of the service implementation class.
-cp <path>
Specifies the location of the service implementation class. This parameter is the same as -classpath <path>.
-d <directory>
Specifies where to place the generated output files.
-extension
Specifies whether to enable custom extensions for functionality not specified by the JAX-WS specification. Use of the extensions can result in applications that are not portable or do not interoperate with other implementations.
-help
Displays the help menu.
-keep
Specifies whether to keep the generated source files.
-r <directory>
This parameter is only used with the -wsdl parameter. Specifies where to place the generated WSDL file.
-s <directory>
Specifies the directory to place the generated source files.
-verbose
Specifies to output messages about what the compiler is doing.
-version
Prints the version information. If you specify this option, only the version information is output and normal command processing does not occur.
-wsdl [:protocol]
By default, the wsgen tool does not generate a WSDL file. This optional parameter causes wsgen to generate a WSDL file and is typically only used to enable a developer to review a WSDL file before the endpoint is deployed. The protocol is optional and specifies the protocol used in the wsdl:binding. Valid values for protocol are soap 1.1 and Xsoap 1.2. The default value is soap 1.1. The Xsoap 1.2 value is not standard and is only used with the -extension option.
-servicename <name>
This parameter is only used with the -wsdl option. Specifies a wsdl:service name to be generated in the WSDL file. For example, 
-service name "{http://mynamespace/}MyService"
-portname
This parameter is only used with the -wsdl option. Specifies a wsdl:port name to be generated in the WSDL file. For example, 
-portname "{http://mynamespace/}MyPort"