Why Customize?

In most cases, the default bindings generated by the JAXB binding compiler will be sufficient to meet your needs. There are cases, however, in which you might want to modify the default bindings. Some of these include:

• Creating API documentation for the schema-derived JAXB packages, classes, methods and constants; by adding custom Javadoc tool annotations to your schemas, you can explain concepts, guidelines, and rules specific to your implementation.

• Providing semantically meaningful customized names for cases that the default XML name-to-Java identifier mapping cannot handle automatically; for example:

  • To resolve name collisions (as described in Appendix D.2.1 of the JAXB Specification). Note that the JAXB binding compiler detects and reports all name conflicts.

  • To provide names for typesafe enumeration constants that are not legal Java identifiers; for example, enumeration over integer values.

  • To provide better names for the Java representation of unnamed model groups when they are bound to a Java property or class.

  • To provide more meaningful package names than can be derived by default from the target namespace URI.

• Overriding default bindings; for example:

  • Specify that a model group should be bound to a class rather than a list.

  • Specify that a fixed attribute can be bound to a Java constant.

  • Override the specified default binding of XML Schema built-in data types to Java data types. In some cases, you might want to introduce an alternative Java class that can represent additional characteristics of the built-in XML Schema data type.