[[java-rest-high-usage]]
== Getting started

This section describes how to get started with the high-level REST client from
getting the artifact to using it in an application.

[[java-rest-high-usage-maven]]
=== Maven Repository

The high-level Java REST client is hosted on
http://search.maven.org/#search%7Cga%7C1%7Cg%3A%22org.elasticsearch.client%22[Maven
Central]. The minimum Java version required is `1.8`.

The High Level REST Client is subject to the same release cycle as
Elasticsearch. Replace the version with the desired client version.

[[java-rest-high-usage-maven-maven]]
==== Maven configuration

Here is how you can configure the dependency using maven as a dependency manager.
Add the following to your `pom.xml` file:

["source","xml",subs="attributes"]
--------------------------------------------------
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.elasticsearch.client</groupId>
    <artifactId>rest-high-level</artifactId>
    <version>{version}</version>
</dependency>
--------------------------------------------------

[[java-rest-high-usage-maven-gradle]]
==== Gradle configuration

Here is how you can configure the dependency using gradle as a dependency manager.
Add the following to your `build.gradle` file:

["source","groovy",subs="attributes"]
--------------------------------------------------
dependencies {
    compile 'org.elasticsearch.client:rest-high-level:{version}'
}
--------------------------------------------------

[[java-rest-high-usage-dependencies]]
=== Dependencies

The High Level Java REST Client depends on the following artifacts and their
transitive dependencies:

- org.elasticsearch.client:rest
- org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch


[[java-rest-high-usage-initialization]]
=== Initialization

A `RestHighLevelClient` instance needs a <<java-rest-low-usage-initialization,REST low-level client>>
to be built as follows:

[source,java]
--------------------------------------------------
RestHighLevelClient client =
    new RestHighLevelClient(lowLevelRestClient); <1>
--------------------------------------------------
<1> We pass the <<java-rest-low-usage-initialization,REST low-level client>> instance

In the rest of this documentation about the Java High Level Client, the `RestHighLevelClient` instance
will be referenced as `client`.