Binding XML Schemas

This section describes the default XML-to-Java bindings used by JAXB. All of these bindings can be overridden on global or case-by-case levels by means of a custom binding declaration. See the JAXB Specification for complete information about the default JAXB bindings.

Simple Type Definitions

A schema component using a simple type definition typically binds to a Java property. Since there are different kinds of such schema components, the following Java property attributes (common to the schema components) include:

The rest of the Java property attributes are specified in the schema component using the simple type definition.

Default Data Type Bindings

Schema-to-Java

The Java language provides a richer set of data type than XML schema. Table 2-1 lists the mapping of XML data types to Java data types in JAXB.

Table 2-1 JAXB Mapping of XML Schema Built-in Data Types
XML Schema Type	Java Data Type
`xsd:string`	`java.lang.String`
`xsd:integer`	`java.math.BigInteger`
`xsd:int`	`int`
`xsd.long`	`long`
`xsd:short`	`short`
`xsd:decimal`	`java.math.BigDecimal`
`xsd:float`	`float`
`xsd:double`	`double`
`xsd:boolean`	`boolean`
`xsd:byte`	`byte`
`xsd:QName`	`javax.xml.namespace.QName`
`xsd:dateTime`	`javax.xml.datatype.XMLGregorianCalendar`
`xsd:base64Binary`	`byte[]`
`xsd:hexBinary`	`byte[]`
`xsd:unsignedInt`	`long`
`xsd:unsignedShort`	`int`
`xsd:unsignedByte`	`short`
`xsd:time`	`javax.xml.datatype.XMLGregorianCalendar`
`xsd:date`	`javax.xml.datatype.XMLGregorianCalendar`
`xsd:g`	`javax.xml.datatype.XMLGregorianCalendar`
`xsd:anySimpleType`	`java.lang.Object`
`xsd:anySimpleType`	`java.lang.String`
`xsd:duration`	`javax.xml.datatype.Duration`
`xsd:NOTATION`	`javax.xml.namespace.QName`

JAXBElement

When XML element information can not be inferred by the derived Java representation of the XML content, a JAXBElement object is provided. This object has methods for getting and setting the object name and object value.

Java-to-Schema

Table 2-2 JAXB Mapping of XML Data Types to Java classes.
Java Class	XML Data Type
`java.lang.String`	`xs:string`
`java.math.BigInteger`	`xs:integer`
`java.math.BigDecimal`	`xs:decimal`
`java.util.Calendar`	`xs:dateTime`
`java.util.Date`	`xs:dateTime`
`javax.xml.namespace.QName`	`xs:QName`
`java.net.URI`	`xs:string`
`javax.xml.datatype.XMLGregorianCalendar`	`xs:anySimpleType`
`javax.xml.datatype.Duration`	`xs:duration`
`java.lang.Object`	`xs:anyType`
`java.awt.Image`	`xs:base64Binary`
`javax.activation.DataHandler`	`xs:base64Binary`
`javax.xml.transform.Source`	`xs:base64Binary`
`java.util.UUID`	`xs:string`