"Definition results in a loop" error using WSDL2Java for old SOAP 1.1/JAX-RPC/Axis 1.4 web service

Question

I downloaded Axis 1.4 because I have to make a client for an old SOAP 1.1 WSDL. (Unfortunately it seems JAX-WS is not backwards compatible with JAX-RPC.)

I used the helpful tutorial here: http://ibswings.blogspot.com/2009/05/using-axis-wsdl2java-ant-task-to.html in order to write an ant task. I also tried the command line version and got the same error:

java.io.IOException: The definition of {http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema}string[] results in a loop.

Does anyone know what is going on?

Answer 1

Ok, well I found a workaround, anyway.

It turns out the problem is related to Soap-encoded arrays, which is some obsolete Microsoft sludge that even Axis1 doesn't handle.

I copied the WSDL to my HDD, and changed all the soap encoded arrays to standard XML schema arrays. I had to remove one array-based batch operation in the process, but I have managed to maintain most of the core functionality.