Skip navigation.
Downloads | Product Documentation | Support

Developing WebLogic Server Applications

# Client Application Deployment Descriptor Elements

The following sections describe deployment descriptors for J2EE client applications on WebLogic Server. Often, when it comes to J2EE applications, users are only concerned with the server-side modules (Web applications, EJBs, connectors). You configure these server-side modules using the application.xml deployment descriptor, discussed in Enterprise Application Deployment Descriptor Elements.

However, it is also possible to include a client module (a JAR file) in an EAR file. This JAR file is only used on the client side; you configure this client module using the client-application.xml deployment descriptor. This scheme makes it possible to package both client and server side modules together. The server looks only at the parts it is interested in (based on the application.xml file) and the client looks only at the parts it is interested in (based on the client-application.xml file).

For client-side modules, two deployment descriptors are required: a J2EE standard deployment descriptor, `application-client.xml`, and a WebLogic-specific runtime deployment descriptor with a name derived from the client application JAR file.

- application-client.xml Deployment Descriptor Elements
- WebLogic Run-time Client Application Deployment Descriptor

# application-client.xml Deployment Descriptor Elements

The `application-client.xml` file is the deployment descriptor for J2EE client applications. It must begin with the following DOCTYPE declaration:

>     <!DOCTYPE application-client PUBLIC "-//Sun Microsystems,
>     Inc.//DTD J2EE Application Client 1.2//EN"
>     "http://java.sun.com/j2ee/dtds/application-client_1_2.dtd">

The following sections describe each of the elements that can appear in the file.

## application-client

`application-client` is the root element of the application client deployment descriptor. The application client deployment descriptor describes the EJB modules and other resources used by the client application.

The following table describes the elements you can define within an `application-client` element.

Element | Required Optional | Description
--- | --- | ---
`<icon>` | Optional | Specifies the locations of small and large images that represent the application in a GUI tool. This element is not currently used by WebLogic Server.
`<display-name>` |  | Specifies the application display name, a short name that is intended to be displayed by GUI tools.
<description> | Optional | The `description` element provides a description of the client application.
<env-entry> |  | Contains the declaration of a client application's environment entries. Elements that can be defined within the env-entry element are: description—Optional. The `description` element contains a description of the particular environment entry. env-entry-name—The `env-entry-name` element contains the name of a client application's environment entry. env-entry-type—The `env-entry-type` element contains the fully-qualified Java type of the environment entry. The possible values are: `java.lang.Boolean`, `java.lang.String`, `java.lang.Integer`, `java.lang.Double`, `java.lang.Byte`, `java.lang.Short`, `java.lang.Long`, and `java.lang.Float`. env-entry-value—Optional. The `env-entry-value` element contains the value of a client application's environment entry. The value must be a String that is valid for the constructor of the specified `env-entry-type`.
<ejb-ref> |  | Used for the declaration of a reference to an EJB referenced in the client application. Elements that can be defined within the ejb-ref element are: description—Optional. The `description` element provides a description of the referenced EJB. ejb-ref-name—Contains the name of the referenced EJB. Typically the name is prefixed by `ejb/`, such as `ejb/Deposit`. ejb-ref-type—Contains the expected type of the referenced EJB, either `Session` or `Entity`. home—Contains the fully-qualified name of the referenced EJB's home interface. remote—Contains the fully-qualified name of the referenced EJB's remote interface. ejb-link—Specifies that an EJB reference is linked to an enterprise JavaBean in the J2EE application package. The value of the `ejb-link` element must be the name of the `ejb-name` of an EJB in the same J2EE application.
<resource-ref> |  | Contains a declaration of the client application's reference to an external resource. Elements that can be defined within the resource-ref element are: description—Optional. The `description` element contains a description of the referenced external resource. res-ref-name—Specifies the name of the resource factory reference name. The resource factory reference name is the name of the client application's environment entry whose value contains the JNDI name of the data source. res-type—Specifies the type of the data source. The type is specified by the Java interface or class expected to be implemented by the data source. res-auth—Specifies whether the EJB code signs on programmatically to the resource manager, or whether the Container will sign on to the resource manager on behalf of the EJB. In the latter case, the Container uses information that is supplied by the Deployer. The res-auth element can have one of two values: `Application` or `Container`.

# WebLogic Run-time Client Application Deployment Descriptor

This XML-formatted deployment descriptor is not stored inside of the client application JAR file like other deployment descriptors, but must be in the same directory as the client application JAR file.

The file name for the deployment descriptor is the base name of the JAR file, with the extension `.runtime.xml`. For example, if the client application is packaged in a file named `c:/applications/ClientMain.jar`, the run-time deployment descriptor is in the file named `c:/applications/ClientMain.runtime.xml`.

## application-client

The `application-client` element is the root element of a WebLogic-specific run-time client deployment descriptor. The following table describes the elements you can define within an `application-client` element.

Element | Required Optional | Description
--- | --- | ---
`<env-entry>` |  | Specifies values for environment entries declared in the deployment descriptor. Elements that can be defined within the env-entry element are: env-entry-name—Contains the name of an application client's environment entry. Example: <env-entry-name>EmployeeAppDB</env-entry-name> env-entry-value—Contains the value of an application client's environment entry. The value must be a valid string for the constructor of the specified type, which takes a single string parameter.
`<ejb-ref>` |  | Specifies the JNDI name for a declared EJB reference in the deployment descriptor. Elements that can be defined within the ejb-ref element are: ejb-ref-name—Contains the name of an EJB reference. The EJB reference is an entry in the application client's environment. It is recommended that name is prefixed with `ejb/`. Example: <ejb-ref-name>ejb/Payroll</ejb-ref-name> jndi-name—Specifies the JNDI name for the EJB.
<resource-ref> |  | Declares an application client's reference to an external resource. It contains the resource factory reference name, an indication of the resource factory type expected by the application client's code, and the type of authentication (bean or container). Example: <resource-ref> <res-ref-name>EmployeeAppDB</res-ref-name> <jndi-name>enterprise/databases/HR1984</jndi-name> </resource-ref> Elements that can be defined within the resource-ref element are: res-ref-name—Specifies the name of the resource factory reference name. The resource factory reference name is the name of the application client's environment entry whose value contains the JNDI name of the data source. jndi-name—Specifies the JNDI name for the resource.