One domain model, multiple json views

Question

We have a set of domain classes which are serialized to json via jackson using jersey services. We are currently annotating the classes with JAXB (although we\'re not tied to th

Answer 1

Note: I'm the EclipseLink JAXB (MOXy) lead and a member of the JAXB (JSR-222) expert group.

MOXy offers JSON-binding based on JAXB annotations as well as an external binding document that allows you to apply alternate mappings to a domain model. I will demonstrate below with an example.

Metadata as JAXB Annotations

Below is a simple Java model mapping with the standard JAXB annotations.

package forum10761762;

import javax.xml.bind.annotation.*;

@XmlAccessorType(XmlAccessType.FIELD)
public class Customer {

    int id;

    @XmlElement(name="first-name")
    String firstName;

    @XmlElement(name="last-name")
    String lastName;

}

Alternate Metadata #1 (alternate1.xml)

Here we will use the XML mapping document to unmap a couple of fields by making them @XmlTransient.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<xml-bindings
    xmlns="http://www.eclipse.org/eclipselink/xsds/persistence/oxm"
    package-name="forum10761762">
    <java-types>
        <java-type name="Customer">
            <java-attributes>
                <xml-transient java-attribute="id"/>
                <xml-transient java-attribute="firstName"/>
             </java-attributes>
        </java-type>
    </java-types>
</xml-bindings>

Alternate Metadata #2 (alternate2.xml)

Here we will map the Java model to a different JSON structure using MOXy's path based mapping extension.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<xml-bindings
    xmlns="http://www.eclipse.org/eclipselink/xsds/persistence/oxm"
    package-name="forum10761762">
    <java-types>
        <java-type name="Customer">
            <java-attributes>
                <xml-element java-attribute="firstName" xml-path="personalInfo/firstName/text()"/>
                <xml-element java-attribute="lastName" xml-path="personalInfo/lastName/text()"/>
             </java-attributes>
        </java-type>
    </java-types>
</xml-bindings>

Demo Code

package forum10761762;

import java.util.*;
import javax.xml.bind.*;
import org.eclipse.persistence.jaxb.JAXBContextProperties;

public class Demo {

    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
        Customer customer = new Customer();
        customer.id = 123;
        customer.firstName = "Jane";
        customer.lastName = "Doe";

        Map<String, Object> properties = new HashMap<String, Object>();
        properties.put(JAXBContextProperties.MEDIA_TYPE, "application/json");
        properties.put(JAXBContextProperties.JSON_INCLUDE_ROOT, false);

        // Output #1
        JAXBContext jc1 = JAXBContext.newInstance(new Class[] {Customer.class}, properties);
        marshal(jc1, customer);

        // Output #2
        properties.put(JAXBContextProperties.OXM_METADATA_SOURCE, "forum10761762/alternate1.xml");
        JAXBContext jc2 = JAXBContext.newInstance(new Class[] {Customer.class}, properties);
        marshal (jc2, customer);

        // Output #2
        properties.put(JAXBContextProperties.OXM_METADATA_SOURCE, "forum10761762/alternate2.xml");
        JAXBContext jc3 = JAXBContext.newInstance(new Class[] {Customer.class}, properties);
        marshal(jc3, customer);
    }

    private static void marshal(JAXBContext jc, Object object) throws Exception {
        Marshaller marshaller = jc.createMarshaller();
        marshaller.setProperty(Marshaller.JAXB_FORMATTED_OUTPUT, true);
        marshaller.marshal(object, System.out);
        System.out.println();
    }

}

Output

Below is the output from running the demo code. Note from the same object model 3 different JSON documents were produced.

{
   "id" : 123,
   "first-name" : "Jane",
   "last-name" : "Doe"
}
{
   "last-name" : "Doe"
}
{
   "id" : 123,
   "personalInfo" : {
      "firstName" : "Jane",
      "lastName" : "Doe"
   }
}

For More Information (from my blog)

• JSON Binding with EclipseLink MOXy - Twitter Example
• MOXy as Your JAX-RS JSON Provider - MOXyJsonProvider
• MOXy's XML Metadata in a JAX-RS Service
• Specifying EclipseLink MOXy as Your JAXB Provider