Skip to main content

Notice: this Wiki will be going read only early in 2024 and edits will no longer be possible. Please see: https://gitlab.eclipse.org/eclipsefdn/helpdesk/-/wikis/Wiki-shutdown-plan for the plan.

Jump to: navigation, search

EclipseLink/FAQ/MOXy

What is EclipseLink MOXy?

MOXy is EclipseLink's Object to XML Mapping services. MOXy allows for a POJO object model to be mapped to an XML schema. The Java Architecture for XML Binding (JAXB) provides a Java standard for object XML mapping (OXM). MOXy supports JAXB, as well as providing its' own native API and integration with Web Services.

Why should EclipseLink MOXy be used?

EclipseLink MOXy offers additional benefits versus usage of the JAXB reference implementation. These include:

  • Greater flexibility with meet-in-the-middle mapping
  • Integrated support for usage with EclipseLink JPA
  • Specific support for usage with SOA and SCA
  • Transaction XML Storage

Meet in the Middle Mapping

In addition to the schema-to-Java and Java-to-schema approaches offered by standard JAXB, EclipseLink MOXy offers meet in the middle mapping. Meet-in-the-middle mapping allows you to map your own classes to your own XML schema.

  • The mapping is XPath based, this breaks the one-to-one correspondence between classes and XML elements in your schema.
  • The mapping isolates the object model from changes in the XML schema and vice versa.
  • There is an external XML document representation for the mapping metadata so that JAXB annotations are optional.
  • The mapping is built on the same framework as EclipseLink's object-relational mapping and benefits from years of custom use and input as well as many customizable features.

JPA Compatibility

EclipseLink MOXy offers specific features to address mapping JPA entities to XML

  • Mapping of compound keys.
  • Mapping of relationship back-pointers and handling during marshaling and marshaling.
  • Support usage of EclipseLink JPA specific enhancements for lazy loading and change tracking.
    • Note: these ehancements are typically added to the JPA entities through dynamic of static weaving

EclipseLink JAXB in your SOA

EclipseLink JAXB was designed to turn your JPA applications into SOA components. Through the meet-in-the-middle mapping and JPA compatibility you can map your existing JPA models to industry standard schemas. Not using JAX-WS? You can use our POJO/SDO bridge to expose your data as SDO (JSR-235, EclipseLink is the RI) Data Objects. The bridge leverages EclipseLink JAXB.

Transactional XML Storage

Interacting with a persistent data store based on XML? Since EclipseLink MOXy is built on the EclipseLink Foundation you can combine MOXy mappings and EclipseLink's persistence framework to interact with your data through JCA.

Back to the top