# Welcome to Apache Axis2 version 1.3

### 10-08-2007

    Just over 4 months since the original 1.2 release, we are very proud to
    announce the release of Apache Axis2 version 1.3.

    Downloads are available at:
        http://ws.apache.org/axis2/download.cgi

    Apache Axis2 is a complete re-design and re-write of the widely used
    Apache Axis engine and is a more efficient, more scalable, more modular
    and more XML-oriented Web services framework. It is carefully designed to
    support the easy addition of plug-in "modules" that extend its
    functionality for features such as security and reliability.

    Modules supporting WS-Security/Secure-Conversation (Apache Rampart),
    WS-Trust (Apache Rahas), WS-Reliable Messaging (Apache Sandesha) and
    WS-Eventing (Apache Savan) will be available soon after the Apache Axis2
    1.3 release. Please see these projects' own sites for further information.

    Major Changes Since 1.2:
    - Moved to maven2 from maven1
    - Significantly improved documentation
    - Significantly improved support for POJO services and clients
    - Significantly improved Deployment module and custom deployers
    - Significantly improved support for Spring services
    - Significantly improved Axis Data Binding (ADB) to increase schema
      coverage and overall stability
    - Improved handler and module interfaces
    - Improved Eclipse and Idea plugins
    - Fixed tons of small and not-so-small bugs
    - Major code cleanup and improved exception handling
    - All the asynchronous MessageReceivers have been deprecated
    - Deprecating the introspection to find init()/destroy() methods on service classes.
    - Deprecated the Callback interface [http://wiki.apache.org/ws/FrontPage/Axis2/changesfrom1.2to1.3]
    - Added a new phase called "Addressing" and moved all the addressing handlers into that phase
    - Name of the wsdl2java generated Exception classes changed.
      Earlier it had the Exception suffix and from Axis2 1.3 it has been removed
    - Interface changed in ADB Datasource class
    - Classpath module loading support

    Known Issues and Limitations in 1.3 Release:
     - Java2WSDL and runtime WSDL generation only support doc-lit/bare and doc-lit/wrapped
     - Custom deployers only work in file system based repository.
     - POJO does not support HasMap , Hastable and Vectors.

    Apache Axis2 1.3 is a major new release compared to Axis2 1.2. We are
    striving for a simple and happy first time user experience as well as a
    satisfying experienced user experience with this release. We welcome any
    and all feedback at:
        axis-user@ws.apache.org (please include "[axis2]" in the subject)
        axis-dev@ws.apache.org (please include "[axis2]" in the subject)
        http://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/AXIS2

    Thank you for your interest in Apache Axis2!

    The Axis2 Development Team
    http://ws.apache.org/axis2/

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    Features of Apache Axis2:

    Programming Model
       - Simple XML-centric client API with full WSDL and policy support
       - Support for easy deployemnt of POJO with or without annotation
       - Support for Spring services and clients
       - Support for any message exchange pattern (MEP)
       - Synchronous and asynchronous programming model (both in client side and server side)
       - Archived based service deployment model supporting full service
         encapsulation
       - Directory based service deployment support
       - Archived module deployment model supporting controlled
         extensibility with versioning support
       - Hot deployment and Hot update suport for services
       - WS-Policy driven code generation extensions
       - Flexible service life cycle model and session managment
       - Automatic support for POX (REST) style invocation of services
       - Support for querying service's WSDL (with ?wsdl), schema (with
         ?xsd) and policies (with ?policy)
       - Java2WSDL support for both doclit/bare and doclit/wrapped
       - Support for custom deployers
       - Classpath module loading support

    Supported Specifications
       - SOAP 1.1 and 1.2
       - Message Transmission Optimization Mechanism (MTOM)
       - XML Optimized Packaging (XOP)
       - SOAP with Attachments
       - WSDL 1.1 and WSDL 2.0, including both SOAP and HTTP bindings
       - WS-Addressing submission and 1.0
       - WS-Policy
       - SAAJ 1.1

    Transports
       - HTTP/HTTPS
       - SMTP
       - JMS
       - TCP

    Supported Data Bindings
       - Axis Data Binding (ADB)
       - XMLBeans
       - JibX
       - JaxMe (Experimental)
       - JaxBRI (Experimental)

    Tools
       - WSDL2Java: Generate Java stubs and skeletons from a WSDL document.
       - Java2WSDL: Generate a WSDL document from a Java class.
       - Eclipse Plugins
       - IntelliJ Idea Plugins
       - Maven2 Plugins
       - Web application for administering Apache Axis2