# Generate a Java REST Client from a WADL

The Web Application Description Language (WADL) is an XML-based file format that describes your RESTful Web services application. By default, a basic WADL is generated at runtime and can be accessed from your RESTful Web service by issuing a GET on the /application.wadl resource at the base URI of your REST application. For example: `GET http://<path_to_REST_app>/application.wadl`.

You can also use the options method to return the WADL for particular resource, as shown in Example: WADL Describing a REST Web Service.

WADL Describing a REST Web Service

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
    <application xmlns="http://research.sun.com/wadl/2006/10">
       <doc xmlns:jersey="http://jersey.dev.java.net/"
    jersey:generatedBy="Jersey: 0.10-ea-SNAPSHOT 08/27/2008 08:24 PM"/>
      <resources base="http://localhost:9998/">
      <resource path="/helloworld">
    <method name="GET" id="sayHello">
     <response>
     <representation mediaType="text/plain"/>
     </response>
     </method>
     </resource>
       </resources>
    </application>