JAX-WS relies on the annotation feature of Java 5. The JAX-WS annotations are used to specify the metadata used to map the SEI to a fully specified service definition. Among the information provided in the annotations are the following:
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The target namespace for the service.
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The name of the class used to hold the request message.
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The name of the class used to hold the response message.
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If an operation is a one way operation.
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The binding style the service uses.
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The name of the class used for any custom exceptions.
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The namespaces under which the types used by the service are defined.
Note: Most of the annotations have sensible defaults and do not need to be specified. However, the more information you provide in the annotations, the better defined your service definition. A solid service definition increases the likely hood that all parts of a distributed application will work together.