JBoss.orgCommunity Documentation

JBoss RESTful Web Services User Guide

Version: 4.2.0.Final-SNAPSHOT


1. JBoss RESTful Web Services Runtime and Tools support Overview
1.1. Key Features of JBoss RESTful Web Services
2. Sample Web Service wizards
2.1. Sample RESTful Web Service
3. RestEasy simple project example
3.1. The example project
4. Web Service Test View
4.1. Preliminaries
4.2. Testing a RESTful Web Service
4.2.1. RestfulSample project
4.2.2. RESTEasy sample project
5. JAX-RS Validation

JBoss RESTful Web Services is a framework developed as a part of the JBoss Application Server. It implements the JAX-RS specifications. JAX-RS (Java API for RESTful Web Services) is a Java API that supports the creation of Representational State Transfer (REST) web services, using annotations.

JBoss RESTful Web Services integrates with most current JBoss Application Server releases as well as earlier ones, that did implement the J2EE 1.4 specifications.

RESTful Web Services tooling works with JBossWS Runtime and allows you to create, deploy and run RESTful Web Services

Also JBossWS Tool gives a way to test a web service running on a server.

JBoss Tools includes wizards for the creation of sample web services. These include:

  • Create a Sample RESTful Web Service for a JAX-RS web service.

These wizards are used within a Dynamic Web project. A dynamic web project can be created by following the steps in Creating a dynamic web project.

Procedure 2.1. Creating a dynamic web project

  1. Access the New Project Dialog

    Select FileNewProject

    Result:

    The New Project screen displays.

  2. Define the Project Type

    1. Click the Dynamic Web Project label by expanding the Web folder.

    2. Click the Next button to proceed.

    Result:

    The New Dynamic Web Project screen displays.

    Figure 2.1. Dynamic Web Project Attributes


  3. Define the Project Attributes

    Define the Dynamic Web Project attributes according to the options displayed in Table 2.1, “New Dynamic Web Project”

    Table 2.1. New Dynamic Web Project

    FieldMandatoryInstructionDescription
    Project nameyesEnter the project name.The project name can be any name defined by the user.
    Project locationyesClick the Use default location checkbox to define the project location as the Eclipse workspace or define a custom path in the Location field.The default location corresponds to the Eclipse workspace.
    Target runtimenoSelect a pre-configured runtime from the available options or configure a new runtime environment.

    The target runtime defines the server to which the application will be deployed.

    Dynamic web module versionyesSelect the required web module version.

    This option adds support for the Java Servlet API with module versions corresponding to J2EE levels as listed in Table 2.2, “New Dynamic Project - Dynamic web module version”.

    ConfigurationyesSelect the project configuration from the available options.

    The project can be based on either a custom or a set of pre-defined configurations as described in Table 2.3, “New Dynamic Project - Configuration”.

    EAR membershipnoAdd the project to an existing EAR project.

    The project can be added to an existing EAR project by selecting the checkbox. Once checked, a new EAR project can be defined by clicking the New Project button.

    Working setsnoAdd the project to an existing working set.

    A working set provides the ability to group projects or project attributes in a customized way to improve access. A new working set can be defined once the Select button has been clicked.




  4. Access the Java sub-dialog

    Click Next to proceed.

    Result:

    The New Dynamic Web Project - Java dialog displays.

  5. Define the source and output folders

    Define the Dynamic Web Project source and output folders by adding or editing folders as required.

  6. Access the Web Module sub-dialog

    Click Next to proceed.

    Result:

    The New Dynamic Web Project - Web Module dialog displays.

    Figure 2.2. New Dynamic Web Project - Web Module


  7. Enter the web module settings

    Define the settings as listed in Table 2.4, “New Dynamic Web Project - Web Module” including the root folder for path names in the web project context and the name of the web content directory.


  8. Open the Java EE perspective.

A sample RESTful web service can be generated by following the steps outlined in Generate a sample RESTful web service.

Procedure 2.2. Generate a sample RESTful web service

Target runtime must have RESTEasy installed

The sample RESTful web service will not work unless it is deployed to a server with RESTEasy installed, such as JBoss SOA-P.

  1. Access the New - Select a wizard dialog

    1. Right click on the project name in the Project Explorer view.

    2. Select NewOther.

    3. Click the Create a Sample RESTful Web Service label by expanding the Web Services folder.

    Result:

    The New - Select a wizard dialog displays with the selected wizard type highlighted.

  2. Access the Generate a Sample RESTful Web Service dialog

    Click the Next button to proceed.

    Result:

    The Generate a Sample RESTful Web Service - Project and Web Service Name dialog displays.

    Figure 2.3. Generate a Sample RESTful Web Service - Project and Web Service Name


    Due to the nature in which JBoss Application Server 7 and JBoss Enterprise Application Server 5 handle JAX-RS support, the wizard can now be completed without the need for RESTEasy JARs in the project classpath or associated project runtime. The JARs are necessary for JBoss SOA-P servers.

  3. Define the service attributes

    Define the project, web service, package and class names according to the options displayed in Table 2.5, “Project and Web Service Name”

    Table 2.5. Project and Web Service Name

    Dialog groupFieldMandatoryInstructionDescription
    Dynamic Web Project yesEnter the project name.The project name will default to the highlighted project in the Project Explorer. A different project can be selected from the list or entered directly in the editable drop-down list.
    Web ServiceNameyesEnter the name for the web service.The web service name will be the url for the service as mapped in the deployment descriptor (web.xml).
     Update web.xmlnoCheck this box to add the service to the deployment descriptor.This option is checked by default and may be unchecked when deploying to JBoss AS 6.0 or RESTEasy 2.0 servers. Service information is not required in the deployment descriptor for these servers.
    Add RESTEasy Jars from root runtime directorynoCheck this box to add RESTEasy JARs to the project.This option allows you to add RESTEasy JARs to the project if they appear in the root runtime directory but are not installed in the runtime. While this is not required, it will assist when working with JBoss Application Server 5 and JBoss Enterprse Application Platform 5 web service projects.
    Sample Web Service ClassPackageyesEnter the package for the web service class.The default package for the sample web service will be displayed.
     ClassyesEnter the name of the web service class containing the JAX-RS annotated path. This class defines the path to the web service and is referenced in the Application Class Name. The Application Class Name is declared in the deployment descriptor providing indirect access to the annotated path.
     Application Class NameyesEnter the name of the Application Class Name. The Application Class Name constructor instantiates objects of the web service class containing the JAX-RS annotated path, GET and POST methods. It serves as a single point of access to the application for the web server.

  4. Generate the web service

    Click the Finish button to complete the web service setup.

    Result:

    The web service classes will be generated and the web.xml file updated with the deployment details.

  5. Browse the MyRESTApplication.java class

    Double click the MyRESTApplication.java class and note the constructor instantiating objects of type HelloWorldResource. The relevance of this will be discussed shortly.

    Figure 2.4. Application Class - MyRESTApplication.java


  6. Browse the HelloWorldResource.java class

    Double click the HelloWorldResource.java class and note the JAX-RS annotated path and the annotated GET method.

    Figure 2.5. HelloWorldResource.java


  7. Browse the web.xml deployment descriptor

    Double click the web.xml file and note the jax.ws.rs.Application parameter mapped to the Application class. Note also that:

    • the main servlet for the application is org.jboss.resteasy.plugins.server.servlet.HttpServletDispatcher which is given the custom name Resteasy; and

    • the main servlet is not mapped to a particular url as indicated by /*.

    The url for sending GET requests can be resolved as follows:

    1. Identify the Application Class as defined in the deployment descriptor.

    2. Note the object type instantiated in the Application class and added to the singleton set: HelloWorldResource.

    3. Note the JAX-RS annotated path declared in the corresponding HelloWorldResource class: @Path("/MyRESTApplication") [1].

    Figure 2.6. web.xml


    The url for sending GET requests is therefore http://localhost:8080/ProjectName/[1] or, http://localhost:8080/RestfulSample/MyRESTApplication.

JBoss Tools includes many example projects which are available by selecting HelpProject Examples. The following sections describe setting up the example RESTEasy project. This project serves as a good example for testing the numerous Web Service Test View functions.

Once the required plugins have been installed, the example project can be set up as described in JBoss Tools New Example Project

Procedure 3.1. JBoss Tools New Example Project

  1. Access the New Example Project Dialog

    Select HelpProject Examples

    Result:

    The New Example Project dialog displays.

  2. Define the Example Project Type

    1. Click the RESTEasy Simple Example label by expanding the RESTEasy node.

    2. Click the Finish button to complete the project set up.

    Result:

    The simple project is configured and ready to build.

    Project requirements

    In the event that a message is displayed indicating some requirements could not be configured, click the Details button followed by the Fix button to rectify the problem. The message will be displayed as a result of missing plugins or a requirement to select or configure a suitable runtime.

  3. Build the project

    Right click on the project name and select Run AsMaven package

    Result:

    The simple.war file is written to the project's 'target directory.

  4. Deploy the project

    Copy the simple.war file to the deploy directory of the required server profile such as the all profile.

    Result:

    The simple.war file is written to the target directory.

  5. Determine the URL for the web service

    Double click the web.xml file and note the jax.ws.rs.Application parameter mapped to the Application class. Note also that:

    • the main servlet for the application is org.jboss.resteasy.plugins.server.servlet.HttpServletDispatcher which is given the custom name Resteasy; and

    • the main servlet is mapped to the url /rest-services/* [1].

    The url for sending GET requests can be resolved as follows:

    1. Identify the Application class as defined in the deployment descriptor.

    2. Note the object type (CustomerResource) instantiated in the Application class (ShoppingApplication) and added to the singleton set (singletons.add(new CustomerResource())).

    3. Note the JAX-RS annotated path declared in the corresponding CustomerResource class: @Path("/customers") [2].

    Figure 3.1. web.xml


    The url for sending GET requests can be formed from http://localhost:8080/ProjectName/[1]/[2] or, http://localhost:8080/simple/rest-services/customers..

JBoss Tools provides a view to test web services. The Web Services Test View can be displayed by following the steps in Web Services Test View.

Procedure 4.1. Web Services Test View

The following sections describe testing JAX-RS web services, including the necessary preliminary steps.

The following procedure describes the steps to perform before testing a web service.

Procedure 4.2. Testing a web service

Testing a RESTful ( JAX-RS ) web service is achieved by following a similar procedure to testing a JAX-WS web service. Instead of selecting the JAX-WS option in the combobox, the JAX-RS service is invoked by sending HTTP method requests of the form OPTIONS, GET, POST, PUT and DELETE. As there is no WSDL file associated with a JAX-RS service, the available options can be determined by selecting OPTIONS in the combobox.

A JAX-RS web service can be tested by using the Web Service Tester View displayed in Figure 4.1, “Web Service Test View”. The JAX-RS test is specified by:

  1. Selecting the OPTIONS combobox option.

  2. Entering the url of the JAX-RS web service.

The test procedure is discussed in the following sections for both the RestfulSample and the RESTEasy sample projects developed earlier.

Procedure 4.3. RestfulSample test

    1. Query the available options

      Select OPTIONS from the available combobox options.

    2. Enter the url of the web service in the editable drop-down list: http://localhost:8080/RestfulSample/MyRESTApplication.

    3. Click the Invoke button

      Result:

      The Response Headers text area indicates that the allowed options are [GET, OPTIONS, HEAD] as shown in Figure 4.3, “JAX-RS Response Header Text”.

      Figure 4.3. JAX-RS Response Header Text


  1. Test the GET request

    1. Having established that the GET request is valid, select GET from the available combobox options.

    2. Click the Invoke button.

      Result:

      The Response Body text area displays the expected “Hello World” text as shown in Figure 4.4, “JAX-RS Response Body Text”.

      Figure 4.4. JAX-RS Response Body Text


Procedure 4.4. Testing a JAX-RS web service- POST and GET requests

    1. Query the available options

      Following the preliminary steps described in Testing a web service, select the OPTIONS method from the operations text area.

    2. Enter the url of the web service in the editable drop-down list http://localhost:8080/simple/rest-services/customers.

    3. Click the Invoke button

      Result:

      The Response Headers text area indicates that the allowed options are [POST, OPTIONS] as shown in Figure 4.5, “JAX-RS RESTEasy project Body Text”.

      Figure 4.5. JAX-RS RESTEasy project Body Text


  1. Test the POST option

    1. Select POST method in the the operations drop-down list.

    2. We will post xml data to this particular web service. Complete the header details by entering content-type=application/xml in the text area and click Add to add it to the Headers list.

      Result:

      The content-type is added to the Headers list as shown in Figure 4.6, “content-type header”.

      Figure 4.6. content-type header


    3. Enter customer details

      Enter the customer details in the Body Text area as displayed in Figure 4.7, “Customer data”.

      Figure 4.7. Customer data


    4. Click the Invoke button.

      Result:

      The Response Headers area indicated that a record was created and lists the location as http://localhost:8080/simple/rest-services/customers/1 as shown in Figure 4.8, “Customer added”.

      Figure 4.8. Customer added


      The console also indicates the successful creation of the customer: 10:44:33,846 INFO [STDOUT] Created customer 1

  2. Test the GET option

    1. Select the GET method in the the operations drop-down list.

    2. We will retrieve the record created in the previous step. Enter the url for the record returned in the previous step http://localhost:8080/simple/rest-services/customers/1

    3. Click the Invoke button.

      Result:

      The Response Headers area indicates a [HTTP/1.1 200 OK] response and the customer data is retrieved and displayed in the Response Body area as shown in Figure 4.9, “GET response”.

      Figure 4.9. GET response


  3. Test the PUT option

    1. Editing a record is achieved by using the PUT method. Select the PUT method in the operations drop-down list.

    2. Enter the url of the record to be edited http://localhost:8080/simple/rest-services/customers/1

    3. Enter the data in the Body Text area. Replace the first-name with a different entry as in Figure 4.10, “Updated customer data”

      Figure 4.10. Updated customer data


    4. Ensure that the content-type=application/xml header is in the Headers list.

    5. Click the Invoke button.

      Result:

      The Response Headers area indicates a No Response ([HTTP/1.1 204 No Content]) Figure 4.11, “Response header following PUT”.

      Figure 4.11. Response header following PUT


      In this instance, the console does not indicate an update was performed, however, the console may provide useful information following an operation.

  4. Check the updated data with a GET

    Perform a GET operation by following the steps in Step 3.

    Result:

    The Response Body area displays the updated data.

    Figure 4.12. Customer data updated


  5. Test the DELETE option

    1. Deleting a record is a similar process to posting. Select the DELETE method in the operations drop-down list.

    2. Enter the url of the record to be deleted http://localhost:8080/simple/rest-services/customers/1

    3. Click the Invoke button.

      Result:

      The Response Headers area indicates a No Response ([HTTP/1.1 204 No Content]) as was the case for the PUT operation in Figure 4.11, “Response header following PUT”.

      Once again, the console does not indicate an update was performed, however, the console may provide useful information following an operation.

  6. Check the DELETE operation with a GET

    Perform a GET operation by following the steps in Step 3.

    Result:

    The Response Body area returns an error report indicating that The requested resource () is not available and the Response Headers area returns a [HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found].

    Figure 4.13. Customer data deleted


    The response header and body messages indicate that the data was successfully deleted.

JAX-RS validation is enabled by default. Validation allows your project to be checked for errors. If an error is discovered a Problems tab will appear in the bottom section of your workbench, outlining the errors found.

If you wish to turn off JAX-RS Validation, you can do so by first navigating to WindowPreferencesValidation. In the Validator section of the dialog, deselect the checkboxes for JAX-RS Metamodel Validator and click the Apply button, followed by OK.

Figure 5.1. Validator preferences