JAX-RS is a collection of interfaces and Java™ annotations that simplifies development of server-side REST applications. By using JAX-RS technology, REST applications are easier to develop and easier to consume when compared to other types of distributed systems.
Before you start developing Java API for RESTful Web Services (JAX-RS) applications, you must set up your development environment by adding the JAX-RS libraries on the classpath.
WebSphere Application Server supports assembly tools that you can use to develop, assemble, and deploy J2EE modules.
References in product information to app_server_root, profile_root, and other directories infer specific default directory locations. This topic describes the conventions in use for WebSphere Application Server.
You can use Java API for RESTful Web Services (JAX-RS) to develop services that follow Representational State Transfer (REST) principles. RESTful services are based on manipulating resources. Resources can contain static or dynamically updated data. By identifying the resources in your application, you can make the service more useful and easier to develop.
Representational State Transfer (REST) services are based on manipulating resources. Resources for RESTful services are addressable, and URLs are the primary way of achieving addressability in REST.
Individual resources can define their capabilities using supported HTTP methods. In Representational State Transfer (REST) services, the supported methods are GET, PUT, DELETE, and POST. All operations are typically conducted by using one of the predefined HTTP methods with a resource.
HTTP headers and status codes are useful to help intermediary and client programs understand information about requests and responses for applications. HTTP headers contain metadata information. HTTP status codes provide status information about the response.
Resources are represented by many different formats. XML, JavaScript™ Object Notation (JSON), Atom, binary formats such as PNG, JPEG, GIF, plain text, and proprietary formats are used to represent resources. Representational State Transfer (REST) provides the flexibility to represent a single resource in multiple formats.
Parameters are used to pass and add additional information to a request. You can use parameters as part of the URL or in the headers. Path parameters, matrix parameters, query parameters, header parameters, and cookie parameters are useful for passing in additional information to a request.
The web.xml file contains information about the structure and external dependencies of Web components in the module and describes how the components are used at run time. To enable the Web container to run Java API for RESTful Web Services (JAX-RS) applications, you must configure the web.xml file. When using servlets, you can define a servlet path in the web.xml file that is appended to the base URL.
The web.xml file contains information about the structure and external dependencies of Web components in the module and describes how the components are used at run time. To enable the Web container to run Java API for RESTful Web Services (JAX-RS) applications, you can configure the web.xml file to define filters that indicate the possible URLs on which the filter can be invoked.