Java4530: getting started with servlets

Table of contents

• Preface
  • Servlets, search engines, or JSON
  • Getting started
  • Viewing tip
    • Figures
    • Listings
• General background information
  • Test for a successful connection on localhost
  • Upgrading your Java development environment
• Discussion and sample code
• What's next?
• Miscellaneous
• Complete program listings

Preface

This module is one in a collection of modules designed for teaching INEW 2338 Advanced Java (Web) at Austin Community College in Austin, TX. The purpose of this module is to get youstarted writing, deploying, and testing Java servlets.

Servlets, search engines, or JSON

As explained in the page titled Java4510: Preface to INEW 2338 , only one of the topics Search Engines , Servlets , or JSON is covered in the course in any particular semester. However, all three are important. The course material in the Blackboard course management programindicates which topic is covered in the current semester.

Students are encouraged to study all three topics for their own educational purposes in order to enhance their prospects of landing a job as a Java programmer.

Getting started

If you haven't done so already, I strongly recommend that you study the following two modules before continuing with this module:

• Java4307: Servlets and JSP
• Java4308: Deploying JSP and Servlets

While studying Java4308 , I recommend that you download, install on your local machine, and test the Apache Tomcat web server. Eventually students enrolled in this course will deploy and test their servlet programs on a web server operated by thecollege. However, the first several modules in this sub-collection will expect students to deploy and test servlets on a local web server.

Viewing tip

I recommend that you open another copy of this module in a separate browser window and use the following links to easily find and view the Figures and Listings while you are reading about them.

Figures

• Figure 1 . Web server test.
• Figure 2 . Inew2338_050.java.
• Figure 3 . Inew2338_051.java.
• Figure 4 . Inew2338_052.jsp.

Listings

• Listing 1 . Inew2338_050.java.
• Listing 2 . Inew2338_051.java.
• Listing 3 . Inew2338_052.jsp.

General background information

Test for a successful connection on localhost

Assuming that you have properly installed the Tomcat web server on your machine, you should be able to start the server and point your browser to http://localhost:8080/ to see something similar to Figure 1 in your browser.

Figure 1 - Web server test.

If you don't see that, you should probably rectify the problem before continuing.

While you are there, stop and examine the page showing in your browser window. It is packed with information regarding Tomcat, includingdocumentation and the source code for numerous servlet and JSP examples.

Upgrading your Java development environment

In Java4308 , I showed you how to upgrade your Java development environment to include twojar files named

• servlet.jar
• server.jar

I also explained that only the first one may actually be required, but since they are both small, there is no harm in having both of them on your machine.