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Web Applications

Stephanie Bodoff

A Web application is a dynamic extension of a Web server. A Web application can consist of dynamic Web pages containing various types of markup language (HTML, XML, and so on) as well as static resources such as images. A Web application can also be the endpoint of a fine-grained Web service that is used by the dynamic Web pages. In the Java 2 Platform, Web components provide the dynamic extension capabilities for a Web server. Web components are supported by the services of a runtime platform called a Web container. In the Java Web Services Developer Pack ("Java WSDP"), Web components are either Java Servlets and JSP pages and they run in the Tomcat Web container.

This chapter describes the organization of and configuration, and deployment procedures for Web applications. Subsequent chapters, Java Servlet Technology (page 393) and JavaServer Pages Technology (page 429), cover how to develop the Web components. Many features of JSP technology are determined by Java Servlet technology so you should familiarize yourself with that material.

Most Web applications use the HTTP protocol and support for HTTP is a major aspect of Web components. For a brief summary of HTTP protocol features see HTTP Overview (page 525).

In This Chapter

Web Application Life Cycle

Web Application Archives

Creating a WAR File

Web Application Deployment Descriptors

Prolog

Context Parameters

Filter Mappings

Event Listeners

Alias Paths

Error Mappings

References to Environment Entries, Resource Environment Entries, or Resources

Deploying Web Applications

Specifying the Web Application Context

Example

Running Web Applications

Updating Web Applications

Internationalizing and Localizing Web Applications

Accessing Databases from Web Applications

The Examples

Downloading and Starting the Database Server

Populating the Database

Configuring the Web Application to Use the Database

Configuring the Server to Recognize the Database

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