java.lang.NoSuchMethodError: javax.xml.ws.WebFault.messageName()Ljava/lang/String

What a weird title to start with. I have to say the caption needs to be pretty straight forward to address the related issue. So what is it? Apache CXF developers working on JAX-WS OR JAX-RS project on Maven and Java 6 are likely to experience this exception.

Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NoSuchMethodError: javax.xml.ws.WebFault.messageName()Ljava/lang/String; 
[java] at com.sun.xml.ws.model.RuntimeModeler.processExceptions(RuntimeModeler.java:1162)   
     [java]     at com.sun.xml.ws.model.RuntimeModeler.processDocWrappedMethod(RuntimeModeler.java:898)   
     [java]     at com.sun.xml.ws.model.RuntimeModeler.processMethod(RuntimeModeler.java:666)   
     [java]     at com.sun.xml.ws.model.RuntimeModeler.processClass(RuntimeModeler.java:420)   
     [java]     at com.sun.xml.ws.model.RuntimeModeler.buildRuntimeModel

After digging around you'll realised the only option is to download the webservices-api.jar file, plus wack it onto C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0_18\jre\lib\endorsed directory to resolve it.

You might have probably ask yourself by now, where to grab webservices-api.jar easily from? two advice, download metro, unzip its content and the finally reach the lib directory to locate it OR right here.

Hold on! does it really resolves it? You are likely to enter into another annoyance when finally below exception spits onto your console log:

Exception in thread "main" java.lang.ClassCastException: $Proxy66 cannot be cast to com.sun.xml.internal.ws.developer.WSBindingProvider.

Like most people, the first thing that comes to mind is revisit and amend your service login object to see if it does the job. You are likely also to be told 'since you’re using CXF and not the JAX-WS reference implementation, the steps to set headers are probably going to be different and therefore Check the CXF docs', forgetting Apache CXF supports both JAX-WS OR JAX-RS implementations.

I tell you what don't explode yourself from annoyance, just take a close look at the Exception. You're referencing some of your object imports from com.sun.xml.internal.ws, and there is where your issue is.

Do NOT bombard yourself with new exceptions trying to regenerate your stubs with extra arguments as shown below, suggested by few people on the web.

  -exsh
  true

To resolve this Exception, just replace;

import com.sun.xml.internal.bind.api.JAXBRIContext;
import com.sun.xml.internal.ws.api.message.Header;
import com.sun.xml.internal.ws.api.message.Headers;
import com.sun.xml.internal.ws.developer.WSBindingProvider;

With

import com.sun.xml.bind.api.JAXBRIContext;
import com.sun.xml.ws.api.message.Header;
import com.sun.xml.ws.api.message.Headers;
import com.sun.xml.ws.developer.WSBindingProvider;

Job done! Now go grab a cuppa coffee and relax.