What is the best Java-way to create JSON/XML REST Web services that is similar to WCF?

Question

I'm looking for a best way that is available for Java developers to implement REST services that will be communicating via JSON or XML. I'm looking for production-ready products.

I know that Spring 3.0 is coming, but it's not done yet - no luck.

Is Jersey the one?

My application is hosted by Tomcat, uses Spring, Jettison and XStream.

I'd like to use an open-source package that will allow me so have a similar development experience as WCF.NET, where I can declare the Url templates, map GET/POST and get an output either in XML or JSON. The accepted payload should be XML or JSON as well.

Any ideas out there?

Answer 1

Jersey, RESTEasy, and Restlet all claim to do what you're asking. I've only tried Restlet, and I thought it was pretty nasty.

Spring 3 hasn't reached final release yet, but the M2 build seems to be pretty solid, and has the REST stuff there. If I were building a new REST webapp, I'd probably take the risk with M2.

Answer 2

Yes, Jersey is rather good and based on your description would do exactly what you want.

I wouldn't wait for Spring-WS-thing -- Jersey is good, and I don't know what benefits there are to Spring alternative, beyond "Spring brand". To me JAX-RS (that jersey implements) is a very good example of choosing and using best components that implement open APIs; Jersey runs on (amongst other things) any servlet container, can use best XML/JSON/etc parsers, use pluggable validation (bean validation api) and so forth. Same should be true for other JAX-RS implementations too (like Resteasy).

Answer 3

I've used and committed some patches to CXF. It supports JAX-RS and is fully configurable with spring. There's a good tutorial here:

http://cwiki.apache.org/CXF20DOC/jax-rs.html

CXF is an apache project and as JAX-RS is a standard you should have no problems moving away from it if you have any difficulties.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Hi, I tried with Restlet, RestEasy, Jersey, CXF, Spring. Here are my feedbacks:

1. Restlet: Kind of nasty with its own set of Annotations. And little confusing as well. Cant blame much though, as they stared implementing this even before JAX-RS was there.

2. RestEasy / Jersey / CXF : As easy as its name is. Simple and straight forward to start working on it. Good part for these 3 framework is that, as they are compliant with JAX-RS, anytime in future can quickly fall back to so other JAX-RS compliant framework if its performing better or suiting your needs even better

3. Spring: Spring 3 have started supporting REST APIs. But make a not that it is NOT JAX-RS compliant, for the very reason as that for Restlet.

   So I would choose only from RestEasy / Jersey / CXF.