Welcome to the Instant Apache Camel Messaging System. This book has been specially created to provide you with all the information that you need to get started using Apache Camel in your Java project. You will learn the basics of Apache Camel, how to add it to your Java project and set up tests for your Camel-based applications, how to use it with the Spring Framework, and how to transform and exchange data between systems.

This document contains the following sections:

So what is Camel? explains what Apache Camel actually is, what you can do with it, and why it would work for your project.

Installation explains how to download and start using Apache Camel in your Java project, either using Maven or by managing dependencies manually.

Quick start – creating a Camel application explains how to create a simple application that uses Apache Camel or add Apache Camel to an already existing application.

Top 6 features you need to know about explains how to set up tests for your application, use the Spring Framework and utilize various Apache Camel modules. By the end of this section, you will be able to route data using Java DSL and Spring DSL, and perform data transformation using converters and templates.

People and places you should get to know provides you with many useful links to the project page and forums, as well as a number of helpful articles, tutorials, and blogs of the Camel core developers.