# JiBX: Bindings Tutorial

JiBX Basics
Overview
Flexibility
Performance
Clean code
News and Status
User Comments
Sponsors
Bugs
Getting Started
Binding Tutorial
A basic binding
Binding extras
Structure mapping
Collections
Using mappings
Advanced binding
Method hooks
Custom code
Binding Compiler
Binding on Load
Runtime
JiBX Extras
Building JiBX
Schema Compatibility
Mailing Lists
FAQ
Contributing
License
Binding Definition
Definition details
Definition contexts
Conversions
XML summary
<binding> element
<include> element
<format> element
<namespace> element
<mapping> element
<value> element
<structure> element
<collection> element
Attribute groups
Usage API
Runtime JavaDocs
Subprojects
Generator Tools
JibxSoap
Xsd2Jibx

Binding definitions are the core of working with JiBX. In order to usefully apply JiBX to your applications you need to understand what can and can't be done in a binding definition. This tutorial is designed to give an overview of doing various types of binding operations in JiBX to help you get up to speed as quickly as possible. For full information on working with binding files, see the Binding Definition reference section of the documentation.

You can go through the tutorial in sequence using the forward links at the bottom of each page, use the menu to the left to browse by individual page, or use this table of contents to jump directly to a particular section of the tutorial:

- Getting started: A basic binding
- Digging into the binding
- Variations on a theme - ways of working with values
- Mixing it up - unordered elements
- Structure mapping - handling structural differences
- Collection handling
- Working with IDs - object references
- Normal mappings
- Abstract mappings
- Mappings and inheritance
- Directions and tracking - global binding options
- Working with namespaces
- Structuring bindings
- User extension method hooks
- Custom serializers and deserializers
- Using custom code with JiBX
- Custom marshallers and unmarshallers
- Controlling JiBX with front-end code

The actual Java code, binding definition files, and XML documents for many of the examples are included in the JiBX distribution under the /tutorial directory. The /tutorial/index.html file gives a list of the specific examples provided.

Next: A basic binding