30.3. The Object Factory

Overview

JAXB uses an object factory to provide a mechanism for instantiating instances of JAXB generated constructs. The object factory contains methods for instantiating all of the XML schema defined constructs in the package's scope. The only exception is that enumerations do not get a creation method in the object factory.

Complex type factory methods

For each Java class generated to implement an XML schema complex type, the object factory contains a method for creating an instance of the class. This method takes the form: 
typeName createtypeName();
For example, if your schema contained a complex type named widgetType, Apache CXF generates a class called WidgetType to implement it. Example 30.5, “Complex Type Object Factory Entry” shows the generated creation method in the object factory.

Example 30.5. Complex Type Object Factory Entry

public class ObjectFactory
{
  ...
  WidgetType createWidgetType()
  {
    return new WidgetType();
  }
  ...
}

Element factory methods

For elements that are declared in the schema's global scope, Apache CXF inserts a factory method into the object factory. As discussed in Chapter 31, Using XML Elements, XML Schema elements are mapped to JAXBElement<T> objects. The creation method takes the form: 
public JAXBElement<elementType> createelementName(elementType value);
For example if you have an element named comment of type xsd:string, Apache CXF generates the object factory method shown in Example 30.6, “Element Object Factory Entry”

Example 30.6. Element Object Factory Entry

public class ObjectFactory
{
    ...
    @XmlElementDecl(namespace = "...", name = "comment")
    public JAXBElement<String> createComment(String value) {
        return new JAXBElement<String>(_Comment_QNAME, String.class, null, value);
    }
    ...
}