[#javax-xml-bind-annotation-adapters-XmlRootElement]
= `@XmlRootElement` (`jaxb`)

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The `@XmlRootElement` annotation provides an alternative way to define a xref:userguide:ROOT:view-models.adoc[view model], in particular one intended to act as a DTO for use within xref:vro:ROOT:about.adoc[RestfulObjects viewer], or which contains arbitrarily complex state.

A view model is a non-persisted domain object whose state is converted to/from a string memento.
In the case of a JAXB-annotated object this memento is its XML representation.
JAXB generally requires that the root element of the XML representation is annotated with `@XmlRootElement`.
Apache Causeway makes this a mandatory requirement.

In comparison to using either the xref:refguide:applib:index/ViewModel.adoc[ViewModel] interface or the
xref:refguide:applib:index/annotation/DomainObject.adoc[@DomainObject(nature=VIEW_MODEL)] annotation,
using `@XmlRootElement` has a couple of significant advantages:

* the view model can be used as a "canonical" DTO, for example when accessing data using the xref:vro:ROOT:about.adoc[RestfulObjects viewer] in combination with the
xref:refguide:applib:index/services/conmap/ContentMappingService.adoc[ContentMappingService].
+
This provides a stable and versioned API to access data in XML format using whatever client-side technology may be appropriate.

* the XML graph can be as deep as required; in particular it can contain collections of other objects.
+
In contrast, if the `@DomainObject(nature=VIEW_MODEL)` annotation is used then only the state of the properties (not collections) is captured.
If using `ViewModel` interface then arbitrary state (including that of collections), however the programmer must write all the code by hand

The main disadvantages of using JAXB-annotated view models is that any referenced persistent entity must be annotated with the xref:refguide:applib-ant:XmlJavaTypeAdapter.adoc[@XmlJavaTypeAdapter], using the framework-provided `PersistentEntityAdapter`.
This adapter converts any references to such domain entities using the `oidDto` complex type (as defined by the Apache Causeway xref:refguide:schema:common.adoc[common schema]): the object's type and its identifier.

[TIP]
====
The memento string for view models is converted into a form compatible with use within a URL.
This is performed by the xref:refguide:applib:index/services/urlencoding/UrlEncodingService.adoc[UrlEncodingService], the default implementation of which simply encodes to base 64.
If the view model XML graph is too large to be serialized to a string, then an alternative implementation (eg which maps XML strings to a GUID, say) can be configured using the technique described in xref:userguide:btb:hints-and-tips.adoc#replacing-default-service-implementations[here] in the user guide.
====

== Example

For example:

[source,java]
----
@XmlRootElement(name = "toDoItemDto")           // <.>
public class ToDoItemDto implements Dto {
    @Getter @Setter                             // <.>
    protected String description;
    @Getter @Setter
    protected String category;
    @Getter @Setter
    protected String subcategory;
    @Getter @Setter
    protected BigDecimal cost;
}
----
<.> identifies this class as a view model and defines the root element for JAXB serialization
<.> using Project Lombok for getters and setters

== See also

Although (like any other viewmodel) a JAXB-annotated can have behaviour (actions) and UI hints, you may wish to keep the DTO "clean", just focused on specifying the data contract.

Behaviour can therefore be provided using xref:userguide:ROOT:mixins.adoc[mixins] (annotated with xref:refguide:applib:index/annotation/DomainObject.adoc[@DomainObject(nature=MIXIN)]), while xref:applib-classes:events.adoc#ui-event-classes[UI events] can be used to obtain title, icons and so on.

For a more complete discussion of writing JAXB view models/DTOs, see xref:userguide:ROOT:view-models.adoc[this topic] in the user guide.

