RESTful Web Services - Java (JAX-RS)

JAX-RS stands for JAVA API for RESTful Web Services. JAX-RS is a JAVA based programming language API and specification to provide support for created RESTful Web Services. Its 2.0 version was released on the 24th May 2013. JAX-RS uses annotations available from Java SE 5 to simplify the development of JAVA based web services creation and deployment. It also provides supports for creating clients for RESTful Web Services.

Specifications

Following are the most commonly used annotations to map a resource as a web service resource.

Sr.No.	Annotation & Description
1	@Path Relative path of the resource class/method.
2	@GET HTTP Get request, used to fetch resource.
3	@PUT HTTP PUT request, used to create resource.
4	@POST HTTP POST request, used to create/update resource.
5	@DELETE HTTP DELETE request, used to delete resource.
6	@HEAD HTTP HEAD request, used to get status of method availability.
7	@Produces States the HTTP Response generated by web service. For example, APPLICATION/XML, TEXT/HTML, APPLICATION/JSON etc.
8	@Consumes States the HTTP Request type. For example, application/x-www-formurlencoded to accept form data in HTTP body during POST request.
9	@PathParam Binds the parameter passed to the method to a value in path.
10	@QueryParam Binds the parameter passed to method to a query parameter in the path.
11	@MatrixParam Binds the parameter passed to the method to a HTTP matrix parameter in path.
12	@HeaderParam Binds the parameter passed to the method to a HTTP header.
13	@CookieParam Binds the parameter passed to the method to a Cookie.
14	@FormParam Binds the parameter passed to the method to a form value.
15	@DefaultValue Assigns a default value to a parameter passed to the method.
16	@Context Context of the resource. For example, HTTPRequest as a context.

Note − We have used Jersey, a reference implementation of JAX-RS 2.0 by Oracle, in the RESTful Web Services - First Application and RESTful Web Services - Methods chapters.