Client Configuration | Spring Web Services

Introduction

Spring Web Services (Spring-WS) is a product of the Spring Framework that facilitates the creation of document-driven Web services. One of the key aspects of building these services is the client configuration, which involves setting up the client to communicate with a web service. This tutorial will guide you through the steps needed to configure a client in Spring Web Services.

Setting Up Your Project

To begin, make sure you have a Spring project set up. You can use Spring Initializr to bootstrap a new Spring project with the necessary dependencies. For a web service client, you will need:

Spring Web Services
Spring Web
JAXB (for XML binding)

After creating your project, import it into your favorite IDE.

Adding Dependencies

If you are using Maven, add the following dependencies to your pom.xml:


<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.ws</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-ws-core</artifactId>
    <version>3.1.0</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-web</artifactId>
</dependency>
<dependency>
    <groupId>javax.xml.bind</groupId>
    <artifactId>jaxb-api</artifactId>
    <version>2.3.1</version>
</dependency>

Creating a Web Service Client

Create a new class for your web service client. This client will interact with the web service and consume its operations. Use the following example as a guide:

Example: WebServiceClient.java


import org.springframework.ws.client.core.WebServiceTemplate;

public class WebServiceClient {
    private final WebServiceTemplate webServiceTemplate;

    public WebServiceClient(WebServiceTemplate webServiceTemplate) {
        this.webServiceTemplate = webServiceTemplate;
    }

    public Object callWebService(String uri, Object request) {
        return webServiceTemplate.marshalSendAndReceive(uri, request);
    }
}

Configuration of WebServiceTemplate

The WebServiceTemplate is the main class for sending and receiving messages. You will need to configure it with a message factory and any necessary interceptors.

Example: WebServiceConfig.java


import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
import org.springframework.ws.client.core.WebServiceTemplate;
import org.springframework.ws.transport.http.HttpComponentsMessageSender;

@Configuration
public class WebServiceConfig {

    @Bean
    public WebServiceTemplate webServiceTemplate() {
        WebServiceTemplate webServiceTemplate = new WebServiceTemplate();
        webServiceTemplate.setMessageSender(new HttpComponentsMessageSender());
        return webServiceTemplate;
    }
}

Making a Call to the Web Service

Now that your client and template are set up, you can make a call to the web service. Here’s how to do it:

Example: Using the Client


public class Application {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        WebServiceTemplate webServiceTemplate = new WebServiceConfig().webServiceTemplate();
        WebServiceClient client = new WebServiceClient(webServiceTemplate);
        
        String uri = "http://example.com/service";
        Object request = new YourRequestObject();
        
        Object response = client.callWebService(uri, request);
        System.out.println(response);
    }
}

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you have learned how to configure a client for Spring Web Services. From setting up your project to making a call to a web service, you now have the knowledge to create and configure a Spring WS client successfully. You can expand this foundation by adding error handling, logging, and other best practices to enhance your client further.

Client Configuration in Spring Web Services