Amazon.co.uk Review
Aimed at those with some previous Java experience,
Core Servlets and JavaServer Pages covers all you need to know to create effective Web applications using server-side Java. Combining plenty of practical advice with detailed information on these APIs, this book provides both the necessary background on Web programming and how to use Java effectively to power your Web site.
Similar in spirit to the author's previous title, Core Web Programming, which covered the disparate tools and technologies for successful Web development centred on Java/CGI/JavaScript, this newer book covers all the APIs and standards you'll need to work with today's Java 2 standard. This means a solid tour of servlets and JavaServer Pages (JSPs), but also related standards like HTML forms and JDBC for database programming. The hands-on approach here means there are tips for installing and configuring today's Java platforms (including Apache's free Tomcat servlet package).
For sample programs, this text shows off an e-commerce online travel web application, as well as more theoretical (but still interesting) examples using large prime numbers. The author--a physicist and accomplished teacher--makes use of many of his skills here with a lively and effective presentation.
The second half of the book explains JSPs (which simplify using servlets through embedded Java statements in HTML). A standout chapter here explains how to combine servlets with JSPs to create maintainable Web sites with plenty of dynamic content. Sections on database programming with JDBC are supplemented by a discussion of connection pooling (including a custom class for better performance).
With its tour of the essential APIs and design techniques, Core Servlets and JavaServer Pages delivers what every programmer needs to know to use Java effectively for the Internet. It's a great choice for anyone wants to take advantage of the latest standards from Sun for serious Java web development. --Richard Dragan, Amazon.com
Topics covered:
- Overview of Java servlets and JavaServer Pages (JSPs)
- servlets vs. CGI and ASPs
- survey of servlet products
- installation and configuration hints
- the servlet life cycle
- initialisation parameters
- debugging tips
- submitting and processing form variables
- HTTP request and response headers,
- session tracking with servlets
- JSP scripting elements and attributes
- including files, using applets, JavaBeans and tag libraries with JSPs
- strategies for combining servlets and JSPs effectively
- database and JDBC tutorial
Product Description
Servlets and JavaServer Pages dramatically simplify the creation of dynamic Web pages and Web-enabled applications. With Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE), these tools have come of age, earning the support of an unprecedented range of Web and application servers on every major operating system. This book is a comprehensive guide for every experienced developer who wants to master the new versions of these powerful tools. Start by mastering servlet syntax, installation and setup fundamentals and the servlet life cycle. Use cookies and session tracking, optimize browsers, compress pages to slash download time, and decrease overhead with persistent HTTP sessions. Next, master every key JavaServer Pages 1.1 technique you'll need: expressions, declarations, and scriptlets; controlling the format of the servlet that results from the page; incorporating reusable JavaBeans; sharing Beans among pages; dynamically including other files; defining your own JSP tag libraries, and combining servlets and JSP in a single application. Part III offers the industry's most in-depth, practical coverage of using applets and HTTP tunneling as servlet front ends, using JDBC and connection pooling, and HTML forms.
