Java and C Client Support

A JMS provider is only required to support Java clients; however, as Figure 1–6 shows, a Message Queue client can use either the Java or a provider-specific C API to send or receive a message. These interfaces are implemented in Java or C runtime libraries, which do the actual work of creating connections to the broker and packaging the bits appropriately for the connection service requested.

• The Java client runtime supplies Java clients with the objects needed to interact with the broker. These objects include connections, sessions, messages, message producers, and message consumers.

• The C client runtime supplies C clients with the functions and structures needed to interact with the broker. It supports a procedural version of the JMS programming model. C clients cannot use JNDI to access administered objects, but can create connection factories and destinations programmatically.

The Message Queue service provides a C API to enable legacy C and C++ applications to participate in JMS-based messaging. There are a number of differences in the functionality provided by these two APIs; these are documented in Java and C Clients.

It is important to remember that the JMS specification is a standard for Java clients only. C support is specific to the Message Queue provider and should not be used in client applications that you plan to port to other providers.