Module Overview

If you need to quickly consume and/or publish WS-I compliant web services, GroovyWS can help you.

Installation

If you are online and using the latest groovy version, here is the no-brainer way to use GroovyWS:

import groovyx.net.ws.WSClient

@Grab(group='org.codehaus.groovy.modules', module='groovyws', version='0.5.1')
def getProxy(wsdl, classLoader) {
  new WSClient(wsdl, classLoader)
}
proxy = getProxy("http://www.w3schools.com/webservices/tempconvert.asmx?WSDL", this.class.classLoader)
proxy.initialize()

result = proxy.CelsiusToFahrenheit(0)
println "You are probably freezing at ${result} degrees Farhenheit"

Make sure to have the correct GroovyWS grape config file
Make sure that you have javac in your path - this is required for automatic generation of the classes on the client side
Groovy 1.6.3 relies on Ivy 2.0 which has problem computing some dependencies checksums - if you experience this problem, you have to either download a Groovy snapshot or upgrade Ivy to version 2.1.0 (or above) in your $GROOVY_HOME directory.

If you need more control, see the GroovyWS installation notes.

Getting Started

GroovyWS comes with two sets of APIS that are briefly described below using a simple example.

• Publishing a web-service
• Consuming a web service

When your service is using groovy beans on the server side, you may want to control the fields that are serialized. This is done using a small xml file located next to your script. A small example is demonstrating this:

• Using the Aegis mapping

When consuming a web service, you may also be using some complex types. Those types are automatically generated from the WSDL, compiled and made available via your classloader. The client API is providing you a method to easily instantiate such a complex object from its name. Obviously, knowing the class name can be difficult when using a complex web service and may require to study the contract (WSDL). In order to help the user, GroovyWS is logging the names of the classes generated on the fly.

• Using the client with complex objects

The client side integrates seamlessly with Grails applications.

• Using WSClient in Grails
• Using the Grails XFire plugin and GroovyWS
• [GROOVY:Using the Grails Axis2 plugin and GroovyWS]

You can also used secured web-services with GroovyWS. If you wish to do so check Using WS-Security.

There exists a lot of public web services. We provide two examples that show how easy it is to use GroovyWS to tap on these resources.

• Currency rate calculator
• TerraServer-USA by Microsoft

More WSClient configuration is available if you need to use proxies, basic authentication and security related features.

The javadoc is probably the ultimate place to the missing bits. If you are missing a feature email us user@groovy.codehaus.org.

Articles

1. A nice article from Geertjan's blog with several examples: http://blogs.sun.com/geertjan/entry/groovy_web_service
2. An article explaining the difference between the different WSDL styles http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/webservices/library/ws-whichwsdl/

They use GroovyWS

If you use GroovyWS, please let'us now and feel free too add a quote in this section.

Community

• Source repository

• The build process is using gradle.  In order to build the sources from svn, just run:

   ./gradlew
  

  in the directory containing the source tree.

• Feel free to contribute by testing, giving your feedback, reporting bugs and sending patches.