The package provides classes to create messages that are compliant to the OASIS Web Service Security specifications.

The OASIS WSS specifications define a number of features and it is possible to combine them in several ways. The WSS4J classes already support a large number of WSS features and their combinations. Here are the WSS specifications.

Currently this package contains two sets of classes that provide the same or similar functionality.

- The old classes, named WSAdd*, WSEncryptBody, WSSignEnvelope, WSBaseMessage. The usage of these classes is depreciated.
- The new, refactored classes. Their names start with the prefix <e>WSSec</e>.

### How to use the WSSec* classes

The new refactored classes follow the same usage pattern.

1. Create an object for the required security element, for example a `WSSecSignature`.
2. Set the required fields using setter methods, for example user name, signature algorithm, etc.
3. After the fields are set call `prepare(...)`. This initializes the internal structures, gets the required data like X509 tokens, etc.
4. After preparation you may do security element specific functions, for example add data refernces that should be included in the signature. You can also add the element to the `WSSecHeader` at this time (adding to the security header can be done at any time after `prepare(...)`). See the documentation of the various classes what is available.

In contrast to the old classes the handling of the security header is not longer implicitly performed. To provide better flexibilty the class `WSSecHeader` deals with the security header.

The new structure of the classes provide a much more flxible handling of the actions performed by the classes. This enhanced flexibility enables a precise control of the placement of security elements in the security header and a much better control which elements to sign or to encrypt.

This code snippet shows how to setup a Signature element:

            /*
             * Explicit security header handling. The WSSecHeader object
             * remains the same for all elements that shall go into this
             * security header. Thus you usually need to created one
             * WSSecHeader object only.
             */
            WSSecHeader secHeader = new WSSecHeader();
            secHeader.insertSecurityHeader(doc);

            WSSecSignature builder = new WSSecSignature();

            builder.setUserInfo("username", "password");
            builder.setKeyIdentifierType(WSConstants.ISSUER_SERIAL);

            Document doc = getSOAPEnvelope();

    		builder.prepare(doc, crypto, secHeader);

    		/*
    		 * Set parts to sign
    		 */
    		Vector parts = new Vector();
    		WSEncryptionPart encP = new WSEncryptionPart(localName, namespace, "Content");
    		parts.add(encP);

    		/*
    		 * Add the references to include into Signature. This can be done multiple
    		 * times.
    		 */
    		builder.addReferencesToSign(parts, secHeader);

    		/*
    		 * Add the Signature now to the security header
    		 */
    		builder.prependToHeader(secHeader);

    		/*
    		 * There maybe a BST to prepend it in front of the Signature according to
    		 * strict layout rules.
    		 */
    		builder.prependBSTElementToHeader(secHeader);

    		/*
    		 * Before calling computeSignature make sure all elements to sign are
    		 * available in the document (SOAP Envelope)
    		 */
    		builder.computeSignature();

Each new class also contains a `build()` method that is similar to the `build()` method in the old classes. Thus, if the flexibilty is not required you may use this method for convenience.

### Each top level security element has wsu:Id or plain Id attribute

The `prepare()` method autmatically generates an Id string for each new element and sets the wsu:Id or plain Id attribute. Which type of Id to use is determined by the security element. The <e>EncryptedKey</e> and <e>Signature</e> elements have a plain Id according to the W3C specifications, elements defined by the OASIS WS Security specifications contain a wsu:Id.

Each `WSSec*` class has a `getId()` that returns the id strig regardless if its qualified or not.

The security processing uses these Id to identify each top level security element to provide additional further processing of an element, for example to encrypt a Signature or any other top level element. Also a Signature may include each top level element. Which parts of a message to sign and/or encrypt is controlled by the Security Policy @since WSS4J 2.0