Sun Microsystems has announced the availability of a 'Java XML Pack' providing a "convenient all-in-one download of Java technologies for XML. Java XML Pack brings together several of the key industry standards for XML -- such as SAX, DOM, XSLT, SOAP, UDDI, ebXML, and WSDL -- into one convenient download, thereby giving developers the technologies needed to get started with web applications and services. Bundling the Java XML technologies together into a Java XML Pack ensures Java developers of a quick and easy development cycle for integration of XML functionality and standards support into their applications. Java XML Pack technology enables interoperability between applications, services, and trading partners through a vendor-neutral platform that allows for sharing of custom industry standard data formats. The XML Pack includes all current, publicly-available releases of Java APIs and Architectures for XML, both production and early access versions. The first release is the Java XML Pack Fall Developer Bundle, which includes the Java API for XML Processing (JAXP) and the Java API for XML Messaging (JAXM). The Java XML Pack will be refreshed quarterly so as to include all current publicly-available releases of Java APIs and standards for XML and Web services, including processing, messaging, data binding and remote procedure calls, as well as services for registration, description and discovery." Also available in the Winter 01 Bundle are JAXR and JAX-RPC; the JAXR RI 1.0 EA in this bundle provides access to UDDI V1.0 registries.

Component descriptions:

• "The Java API for XML Messaging (JAXM) enables developers to send and receive XML messages based on the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) 1.1 with attachments specification and contains profiles for ebXML TR&P and SOAP-RP.
• The Java API for XML Processing (JAXP) enables developers to process XML documents by providing support for the XML processing standards SAX, DOM, and XSLT.
• The Java API for XML Registries (JAXR) provides a uniform and standard Java API for interacting with XML registries such as UDDI and ebXML Registry/Repository.
• The Java API for XML-based RPC (JAX-RPC) enables Java technology developers to build web applications and web services incorporating XML-based remote procedure call (RPC) functionality according to the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) 1.1 specification. By using JAX-RPC, Java developers can rapidly achieve web services interoperability based on widely adopted standards and protocols.

"The Java XML Pack Winter 01 Bundle includes the early access (EA) versions of the following: (1) Java API for XML Messaging (JAXM) v1.0.1 EA1, (2) Java API for XML Processing (JAXP) v1.2 EA1, (3) Java API for XML Registries (JAXR) v1.0 EA, and (4) Java API for XML-based RPC (JAX-RPC) v1.0 EA1. A future release will include Java Architecture for XML Binding (JAXB)."

Farrukh Najmi also announced on 2001-12-21 that the JAXR RI 1.0 EA is immediately downloadable as part of the Java XML Pack Winter 01, including tutorial and examples. This version of the JAXR RI provides access to UDDI V1.0 registries. OASIS ebXML V2 Registry support is being added to JAXR RI in a future release. That work is dependent upon there being a specification compliant OASIS ebXML V2.0 registry, as being developed at the open source project at http://sourceforge.net/projects/ebxmlrr. Despite the temporary lack of ebXML Registry support, you will find the JAXR RI interesting because the JAXR API uses an information model that is very similar to ebRIM V2.0."