Web Component

Development Using Java

Web Component Development Using Java

Learners Guide
2014 Aptech Limited
All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means graphic, electronic or
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APTECH LIMITED
Contact E-mail: [email protected]
First Edition - 2014

Dear Learner,
We congratulate you on your decision to pursue an Aptech course.
Aptech Ltd. designs its courses using a sound instructional design model from conceptualization
to execution, incorporating the following key aspects:

Scanning the user system and needs assessment

Needs assessment is carried out to find the educational and training needs of the learner
Technology trends are regularly scanned and tracked by core teams at Aptech Ltd. TAG*
analyzes these on a monthly basis to understand the emerging technology training needs for
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to understand the technologies that Industries would be adapting in the next 2 to 3 years.
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Needs analysis and design of curriculum

The Learning objectives are then analyzed and translated into learning tasks. Each learning
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 The detailed instructional material Training aids, Learner material, reference material, project
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Careful consideration is given for the integral development of abilities like thinking, problem
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the students and the trainer. The positive aspects of web based learning acquiring information,
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aspects, which are incorporated, in the instructional process.

Assessment of learning
The learning is assessed through different modes tests, assignments & projects. The
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The instructional process is backed by an elaborate monitoring system to evaluate - on-time
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integral part of this process, we request you to kindly send us your feedback in the reply prepaid form appended at the end of each module.

*TAG Technology & Academics Group comprises members from Aptech Ltd., professors from
reputed Academic Institutions, Senior Managers from Industry, Technical gurus from Software
Majors & representatives from regulatory organizations/forums.
Technology heads of Aptech Ltd. meet on a monthly basis to share and evaluate the technology
trends. The group interfaces with the representatives of the TAG thrice a year to review and
validate the technology and academic directions and endeavors of Aptech Ltd.
Industry Recruitment Profile Survey - The Industry Recruitment Profile Survey was conducted
across 1581 companies in August/September 2000, representing the Software, Manufacturing,
Process Industry, Insurance, Finance & Service Sectors.

Aptech New Products Design Model

Key Aspects

1
Scanning the
user system
and needs
assessment

Evaluation of
Instructional
Processes and
Material

Need Analysis
and design of
curriculum

Design and
development of
instructional
material

Assessment
of learning

Strategies for
delivery of
instructions

Preface
With the advent of Internet and its technologies, people are able to communicate and transfer knowledge
at the click of the mouse. There are several platforms evolving which are powering Web with dynamic
capabilities. One such technology, which has helped Web to become what it is today, is Java technology.
Last two decades have seen tremendous changes as far as computing is concerned. Programmers are
being pushed to create online applications. Under such scenario, Java platform offers Servlets and JSP
as two main components for development application to be hosted on the Web.
Servlet, being a small pluggable extension to a server, enhances the capabilities of the servers
functionalities, such as Java enabled Web server, mail server, an application server or any customized
server. Servlet APIs available in Java support a higher degree of portability, power, security, flexibility and
endurance. Servlets are elegant, object oriented and simple. They can be organized more effectively into
manageable parts. They are persistent and fast, as they are loaded, once but can be used many times.
JavaServer Pages, or JSP in short, is a Java-based technology that simplifies the process of developing
Web-based applications. It makes the task of maintaining information rich and dynamic content really
very easy. Web-based application, which are platform independent, are developed through JSP. This
makes JSP all the more desired technology for Web application development. Any Web development
process or a large application consists of a combination of application and presentation logic. Using JSP,
presentation logic can be separated from application logic quite easily.
The book begins with an introduction to Web applications and its architectures. Then, it explains the
Servlet and JSP API that help the programmers to do server-side processing of the request and response.
It explains the use of HTTP protocol and its methods used in client-server model of Web applications.
The book also cover the new features of Servlet specifications provided on Java Enterprise Edition (Java
EE) 7 platform. These includes: Asynchronous Servlet, file uploading, use of annotations in developing
Servlets, and so on. It explains the concept and architecture of JSP technology. Further, explains the use
of expression language, Java Standard Tag Library (JSTL), use of JavaBeans, and so forth in JSP.
The book also provides an overview of Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture used in developing
Web applications on Java platform.
The knowledge and information in this book is the result of the concentrated effort of the Design Team,
which is continuously striving to bring to you the latest, the best, and the most relevant subject matter
in Information Technology. As a part of Aptechs quality drive, this team does intensive research and
curriculum enrichment to keep it in line with industry trends and learner requirements.
We will be glad to receive your suggestions. Please send us your feedback, addressed to the Design
Centre at Aptechs corporate office, Mumbai.
Design Team

Table of Contents

Sessions
1.

Introducion to Web Applications

2.

Java Servlet

3.

Session Tracking

4.

Filters and Annotations

5.

Database Access and Event Handling

6.

Asynchronous Servlet Communication

7.

JavaServer Pages

8.

JSP Implicit Objects

9.

Standard Actions and JavaBeans

10.

Model-View-Controller Architecture

11.

JSP Expression Language

12.

JavaServer Pages Standard Tag Library

13.

JSP Custom Tags

14.

Internationalization

15.

Securing Web Applications

01

Introduction to Web Applications

Welcome to the Session, Introduction to Web Applications.

This session explains the basics concept of Web applications. It explains the architecture of Web application
and technologies involved in the Web development. It also explains the request-response mechanism offered
by HTTP protocol in accessing the Web resources from the Web servers. Further, the session explains the role
of Java in Web application developments and its components such as Servlet and JSP used for extending the
functionality of the Web server. The session explains the Web application life cycle, services of Web container,
and packaging of Web application in the Web archive file. Finally, the session demonstrates the building and
testing of Java Web application in NetBeans IDE.

In this Session, you will learn to:

E xplain the purpose of different applications

Explain Web applications and their advantages
Describe the architecture and components of Web application
Describe the role of HTTP protocol and its methods used for accessing Web pages
Explain the use of Common Gateway Interface (CGI) language
Explain the different types of components used in developing Web application
Explain the advantages and disadvantages of Servlets
Explain the services provided by a Web container
Describe the life cycle and directory structure of a Web application
Explain how to package Web application
Develop a Web application in NetBeans Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
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1.1

Introduction

An application is a collection of programs designed to perform a particular task. Different types

of applications are designed for different purposes. Based on the environment in which an
application is run and their accessibility by the users, they are classified as follows:
Desktop Application
A desktop application runs only in a local machine and can neither be viewed nor be controlled by other users. For example, Microsoft Word.
Figure 1.1 depicts the desktop application.

Figure 1.1: Desktop Application

Networking Application
A network application runs in a Local Area Network (LAN), Metropolitan Area Network
(MAN), or World Area Network (WAN) and can be viewed and controlled by users in that
particular network only. For example, Novell Netware.
Figure 1.2 depicts the networking application.

Web Application

Figure 1.2: Networking Application

A Web application runs at a remote location. It can be viewed and controlled by all the
users having administrative or equivalent privilege, throughout the globe, at any instance
of time. For example, Internet mail services, such as www.yahoo.com or www.rediff.com.

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Figure 1.3 depicts the Web application.

Figure 1.3: Web Application

1.1.1

Web Applications

A Web application is a software application that runs on a Web server. A Web site that a user
visits is actually an application running in a Web server at a remote location and executed in a
Web browser.
A Web application consists of Web pages which can be static and dynamic. The static Web pages
are created using Web technologies such as HyperText Markup Language (HTML), Cascading
Style Sheet (CSS), and JavaScript. However, to achieve dynamic functionalities on Web pages,
server-side programs are used. The dynamic Web pages provide interactivity with the users. For
example, an online shopping Web application allows user to select and deselect the items on the
Web page.
Web applications have the following advantages over desktop applications:
Easier access to information

The protocol used for accessing a Web application is Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and
is supported by most of the Operating System (OS). Moreover, the client software required
is just a Web browser, which now comes packaged with most of the OS.
Lower maintenance and deployment costs

Unlike desktop applications, Web applications run in a Web browser and do not need client
software to be installed on every client system. Web application code can be modified and
maintained at the server end. This saves time and cost involved in upgrading and deploying
the applications.
Platform independence

Web applications run in Web browsers and therefore, can be accessed on any machine with
different OS.
Wider visibility
The Web application can easily be accessed around the globe at any instance of time.

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1.1.2

Web Application Architecture

A Web application basically has three components: the presentation layer, the application layer,
also known as business layer, and the data access layer. The architecture of an application
defines how these three components will be clubbed together and their interaction with each
other. Based on this structure, following are the four application architectures:
One-tier architecture
In one-tier architecture, the code related to presentation, business, and data access logic
are all clubbed together. Figure 1.4 shows the one-tier architecture.

Figure 1.4: Web Application One-tier Architecture

Two-tier architecture
In two-tier architecture, the code related to data access logic is separated from the other
two components. Any interaction with data tier will be done through business tier. Figure
1.5 shows the two-tier architecture.

Figure 1.5: Web Application Two-tier Architecture

Three-tier architecture
In three-tier architecture, code related to all three components is separated from each
other. However, the business tier acts as an interface between the data tier and the presentation tier. Note that the presentation tier cannot directly communicate with the data
tier. Figure 1.6 shows the three-tier architecture.

Figure 1.6: Web Application Three-tier Architecture

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N-tier architecture
In N-tier architecture, the layers are further subdivided for ease of functioning. In this
architecture, the presentation layer is a graphical user interface that displays data to
users. Business layer and application layer are separated reducing the number of locations
implementing the logic. Figure 1.7 shows the N-tier architecture.

Figure 1.7: Web Application N-tier Architecture

1.2

Web Application Technologies

The most common technologies for communication on the Web are HTML and HTTP.

1.2.1

HTML

HTML is a presentation language which enables Web designer to create visually attractive Web
pages. These pages are stored on Web. The users accessing the Web pages on the World Wide
Web (WWW) are referred to as Web clients.
HTML allows Web designers to add images, create forms, and embed media objects on the Web
pages. All these are referred as Web resources which are stored on the Web server along with
HTML pages.
Figure 1.8 shows the Web page designed using HTML.

Figure 1.8: Web Page Designed Using HTML

The Web pages are transferred between the Web client and Web server through HTTP protocol.
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1.2.2

HTTP Protocol

The requests and responses sent to a Web application from one computer to another computer
are sent using HTTP.
An HTTP client, such as a Web browser, opens a connection and sends a request message to
an HTTP server asking for a resource. The server, in turn, returns a response message with the
requested resource. Once the resource is delivered, the server closes the connection.
HTTP does not store any connection information about the page and hence, it is referred to as a
stateless protocol.
Figure 1.9 depicts HTTP request and response to a Web application.

Figure 1.9: HTTP Request and Response Cycle

1.2.3

HTTP Request

The request message sent by the client is a stream of text. Figure 1.10 depicts the request
message structure.

Figure 1.10: Request Message Structure

It consists of the following elements:
Request line
This element contains the HTTP method, the address of the Web page or document referred to as Uniform Resource Locator (URL), and the HTTP version it is using to send the
request message.

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Figure 1.11 shows the request line of the request message.

Header information

Figure 1.11: Request Line Structure

This element specifies the User-Agent along with the Accept header. The User-Agent element header indicates the browser used by the client. The Accept header element provides
information on what media types the client can accept. After the header, the client sends a
blank line indicating the end of request message.
Figure 1.12 shows the sample header information sent in the request message.

Figure 1.12: Header Information

1.2.4

HTTP Response

The Web application processes the request sent by a client and generates a response message for
the requesting client.
Figure 1.13 depicts the response message structure.

Figure 1.13: Response Message Structure

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The response message consists of the following elements:
Status line

This element indicates status of the requested process.

Header information
The header information contains information such as server, last modified date, contentlength, and content type. The server header specifies the software being used on the
server. Last-modified header indicates the last modified date of the requested file. The
content-length specifies the size of file in bytes. Content-type header specifies the type of
document.

Figure 1.14 shows the sample message format sent in the response with the HTML content from
the Web server.

Figure 1.14: Response Message Format

1.2.5

HTTP Methods

Web applications allow users to enter information using forms and send to the server for
processing. The data entered into the fields in a form is sent to the Web server through URL. The
data is processed on the Web Server and the appropriate response is generated which is sent
back to the user.
For example, in a banking site, the user enters username and password. The information is sent
to the Web server through the request parameters and after validating the data received with the
database, the account information is sent as a response. The server treats the data entered in
each field as a request parameter. The server can extract the values of each request parameter
in the request for processing.
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Figure 1.15 shows an example of request parameters.

Figure 1.15: Example of Request Parameters

The HTTP request messages uses the following HTTP methods for transmitting request data over
the Web. The HTTP methods specified in the request-line element of the request indicate
the type of operation to be performed on the resource.
The most commonly used HTTP methods are as follows:
GET
The GET method informs the server to retrieve information from the request URL. The information is passed as a sequence of characters that are appended at the end of the request
URL. This forms a query string. For example, search engine such as www.google.com
uses the GET method to retrieve search results for search strings entered by user.
Following is a sample query string constructed while sending user data in the request URL.
http://www.abcBank.co.uk/search?name=john&pass=j7652

The length of query string is restricted to 240 to 255 characters depending on the server.
Thus, this method cannot be used to send large amount of data from the forms. Also, the
data sent on the URL is visible; hence, this method is not reliable to send the important information such as credit card number or password.
POST
The POST method is used when sending information, such as credit card numbers or information to be saved in the database. Data sent using POST is in encrypted format and not
visible to the client and there is no limit on the amount of data being sent. The data is passed
to the server in the body of the HTTP message. Thus, the request cannot be bookmarked or
emailed.

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Figure 1.16 shows the request structure with HTTP POST method.

Figure 1.16: POST Method

HEAD

The HEAD method is functionally same as GET, except that the client uses HEAD method
to receive only the headers of the response and not the message body. This method is
advantageous when the user want to check characteristics of a resource without actually
downloading the complete resource.
PUT

The PUT method is used to request the server to store the data enclosed in the HTTP
message body at a location provided in the request URL.
DELETE

The DELETE method is used to request the server to delete file at a location specified in
the request URL.
OPTIONS

The OPTIONS method can be used to query the server on the methods supported for a
particular resource available on the server.
TRACE
The TRACE method is basically used for debugging and testing the request sent to the
server. It asks the user to echo back the sent request. This method is useful when the
request sent to the server reaches through the proxies.

1.3

Java in the Web

The potential of Java as a server-side development platform extends the power of the Web
in creating Web applications. However, the first release of Java did not support the APIs for
developing Web application, but was intended for use in embedded devices. Also, during that
time, even the Web pages contain largely static content.

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Soon with the development of Java Applets which support the execution of Java code within the
browsers, Java came out as a powerful platform for developing Web components accessed on

multiple platforms providing dynamic functionality to the Web pages.
Web components are functional software running on the Web server which handles the incoming
HTTP request and provides responses.
Java Web application consists of the following Web components:
Servlet: Servlets are Java classes that dynamically process HTTP requests and construct
responses.
JSP: A JSP page is a text document that creates dynamic Web content, usually to display
the content in the Web browser.
The Java Web technology named Servlet formed a key component in Web development. However,
before Servlets, there were technologies such as Common Gateway Interface (CGI), Active Server
Pages (ASP), and so on which were practiced for generating dynamic content for the pages.

1.3.1

Prevalent Server-side Technologies

Currently, there are various server-side technologies, which execute various programs on the Web
server. These are as follows:
Common Gateway Interface (CGI)
Proprietary Web server API (ISAPI)
Server-side JavaScript
Active Server Pages
PHP
Java Servlets
Java Server Pages (JSP)

1.3.2

CGI - Solution to Dynamic Content Generation

CGI is one of the most popular server-side technologies. CGI is a set of standards that specify
how data is transferred between the Web server and server-side CGI programs. The data provided
by the client in the Web page is sent from HTTP server to the gateway or CGI program. The CGI
program processes the data and returns the result to the Web server which in turn sends it to the
client.

Note

A program that gives dynamic output thereby executing in real time is written
at the server-side using standards of CGI.

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Figure 1.17 depicts the server process for running CGI.

Figure 1.17: Server Process for Running CGI

When a Web server receives a request that need to access a CGI program, it creates a new
instance or process of the CGI program and then pass the client data to it. This means for every
new request, the server creates a separate instance of CGI program which is responsible to
generate a response for its request.
Figure 1.18 depicts the working of CGI program.

Figure 1.18: Working of CGI Program

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Creating a process for each request occupies server resources, thus, limiting the number of
requests a server can handle concurrently.
CGI as a server-side scripting language has certain disadvantages as described here:
Reduced efficiency
Number of processes that can be executed by a Web server is limited to each server. Each
time a process is executed, different instances of the same processes is created on the
server, thereby, resulting in overloading of server and in reducing efficiency of server.

Reloading Perl interpreter

The widely accepted platform for writing CGI script is Perl. Each time the server receives a
request, the Perl interpreter needs to be reloaded. This reduces the efficiency of the server.

1.3.3

Proprietary Web Server APIs (ISAPI, NSAPI)

Microsoft and Netscape, each developed their own APIs that allows developers to write server
applications very quickly. The server application can be used as shared libraries. Several libraries
are loaded into the same process area with the Web server. These libraries are able to service
multiple requests without creating a new process. These can either be loaded when they are
needed. Once any of these have been idle for a set amount of time, they are unloaded by the Web
server from the memory.

1.3.4

Server-side JavaScript

The server-side uses JavaScript as its scripting language. It is an extension of the core JavaScript
language with features such as database access, session management, inter-operability with
server-side Java classes, using Netscape LiveWare technology. The compiled server-side
JavaScript is not platform specific, however, specific to Netscapes HTTP servers.

1.3.5

Servlet - Solution to CGI Problems

Servlet are Java codes that are used to add dynamic content to Web server. The processing of
Servlet is very similar to CGI program, as it also responds to HTTP request and generates dynamic
response. However, it is different in its execution.
There is only a single instance of Servlet created on the Web server. To service multiple clients
request, the Web server creates multiple threads for the same Servlet instance. Each thread
handles request received from the client and generates response that is sent to the Web engine
which in turn sends the response to the client.

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Figure 1.19 shows the working of a Servlet.

Figure 1.19: Working of a Servlet

The initialization code in Servlets is executed only once at the beginning of the program and is
refreshed automatically on receiving separate requests. Whereas in CGI, separate instances of
the program are being invoked each time a process is executed.
The multi-threading property of servlets helps in handling separate requests by allocating
resource to separate threads. This gives a boost to the performance, thereby, increasing the
efficiency of servlets.

1.3.6

Merits of Servlet

Servlets are written using Java, which makes extensive use of Java API. The merits of servlets
are as described follows:
Enhanced efficiency

Servlet is required to be executed only once at the beginning with the initialization code.
Thereafter, it gets auto refreshed each time a request is sent for execution.
Ease of use

Servlets does not have too many complexities. It is just basic Java along with HTML
implemented within the Java code, which increases the ease of use.
Powerful

The usage of Java APIs makes the Servlets a powerful server-side scripting language.
Portable

Java is platform independent and since Servlet uses Java code for writing scripts, it can
be executed in any platform.
Safe and cheap
Usage of Java codes provides high security of data to be sent and received thereby maintaining the safety.

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1.4

Introduction to Web Applications

Developing Web Applications

An application registered into World Wide Web (WWW) and accessible to its users from a public
server is a Web application. Java Web application comprises servlets, JSP pages, images, HTML
files, JavaBeans, Applets, and Java classes.
If a Web application is to be ported to some other server or system, a developer has to copy or
move all these files to the new system. However, an easy alternative is to package all the files
associated with Web application into a single Web archive file (war) and deploy this war file on
the Web server.
The Java Web applications are deployed on a Java-enabled Web server such as Tomcat. Every
Java Web server contains a Web container which is responsible for handling the Web components
present in the Web application.
Figure 1.20 shows a Web server containing a Web container used for processing the HTTP request
and HTTP response for the accessed Servlet or JSP.

Figure 1.20: Java Web Server

1.4.1

Web Container

The Web container is a program that manages execution of Servlets and JSP pages. The Web
container takes request from a Web server and passes it to a servlet for processing. It manages
the servlet life cycle and other services such as security, transaction, and so on for the Web
components. The performance of a servlet depends upon the efficiency of the Web container. The
Web container is also referred as Servlet container.

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Figure 1.21 depicts a Web container.

Figure 1.21: Web Container

1.4.2

Web Application Life Cycle

Web applications are needed to create a dynamic application using different Web components
such as Java Servlets, JSP, HTML, Images, and JavaScript helper classes and libraries.
The process or life cycle for creating, deploying, and executing a Web application can be
summarized as follows:
Develop the Web component code.
Develop the Web application deployment descriptor.
Compile the Web application components and helper classes referenced by the components.
Optionally package the application into a deployable unit.
Deploy the application into a Web container.
Access a URL which references the Web application.

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Figure 1.22 describes the Web application life cycle.

Figure 1.22: Web Application Life Cycle

1.5

Packaging Web Applications

A Web application is composed of Web pages and Web components which are collectively referred
as Web resources. These files are to be placed in the correct structure, so that the files are located
properly by the Web engine for correct functionality.
Java applications are packaged as Java Archive (JAR) which contains multiple classes and other
related resources. All the components required in the Java application are packaged into a single
jar file. Similar to Java applications, the Web applications also need to be packaged with Web
resources before the application is deployed on the Web server.
The package file used for a Web application has a specific set of directory structure which helps the
Web container to ensure proper functionality of the application. The Web applications are therefore,
packaged in a Web Archive (WAR) which distinguishes it from the normal Java application. The
Web application resources are packaged in the .war file.

1.5.1

Web Application Context Root

The Web container supports multiple Web applications, so each application is identified or assigned
with a context root. The context root or context path of the Web application is the base URL used
for locating Web pages and Web components such as Servlet and JSP within the application.
For example, consider a .war file named WebApp contains a file named index.html in a
page folder. When the war file is deployed on the Java Web server, then you need the URL to
access the pages from the application.
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Suppose the application is deployed on the local Web server, then the URL to access the index.
html page will be http://localhost:8080/WebApp/page/index.html. Thus,
the context root of the deployed application is the /WebApp.

1.5.2

Web Application Directory Structure

As discussed, the contents of the Web application are accessed from the applications context
root. The context root of the Web application contains two main components in the directory
structure. These are described as follows:
Static files
All the HTML pages and images comprise the static files. Images can be collectively stored
in an images directory. For example, to access a file index.html in the book folder on the
Website www.corejava.com, the URL would be http://www.corejava.com/
book/index.html.
WEB-INF
This directory exists within the context root. However, this directory cannot be referenced. For
example, referencing www.corejava.com/book/WEB-INF is not possible.
Figure 1.23 shows the directory structure of the .war file.

Figure 1.23: WAR Directory Structure

The WEB-INF directory consists of the following contents:
classes directory
Servlet classes, JavaBean classes, and any other classes required by the Web applications are stored in this directory. Servlets and JavaBean classes that are part of a package
are placed to match their package names. For example, if a servlet or JavaBean class is
part of a package such as www.bookstore.com, then the corresponding class file will be
placed in classes/com/bookstore directory.
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web.xml

This file is called the deployment descriptor of the Web application. It is basically an XML
structured file which provides configuration information for the components of the Web application. The configuration information includes information, such as the default pages to
show, mapping Servlets with their URLs, and so on.
lib directory

It contains .java archive files required for Web application such as database drivers. In
other words, the library JAR files used by the application are stored within the WEB-INF/
lib directory.
tags directory

This directory contains tag files, which provide implementation for custom tags. Tag files
have .tag extension.
Tag Library Descriptor files
These files provide information about the attributes of a custom tag and the class to be
invoked when the tag comes across in a JSP page. These files have .tld extension.
However, tag library descriptor files are required only if tag files need to be distributed as a
separate package or if the custom tags are implemented using Java.

1.5.3

Deployment Descriptor

A deployment descriptor is a configuration file which describes how the Web application should be
deployed. It is written using XML with name web.xml and placed under the WEB-INF folder,
that is, WEB-INF/web.xml.
When the Web server receives a request for the application, it uses the deployment descriptor to
map the URL of the request to the Servlet that handles the request. For example, to map a URL
request to a Servlet, you must do the following settings in the web.xml file:
1.

Declare the servlet with the <servlet> element.

2.

Define a mapping from a URL path to a Servlet declaration with the

<servlet-mapping> element.

The <servlet> element declares the Servlet, which including a name used to refer to the
Servlet by other elements in deployment descriptor and the Servlet class. The name for each
Servlet must be unique across the deployment descriptor.
The <servlet-mapping> element specifies a URL pattern and the name of a declared Servlet
(declared in <servlet> element) to use for requests whose URL matches the pattern.

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Code Snippet 1 shows the configuration setting for the HelloServlet class created in the
Web application named FirstWebApplication.

Code Snippet 1:
<!-- web.xml -->

<?xml version=1.0 encoding=UTF-8?>

...

<servlet>

<servlet-name>HelloWorldServlet</servlet-name>

<servlet-class>Mypkg.HelloServlet</servletclass>
</servlet>

<servlet-mapping>

<servlet-name> HelloWorldServlet</servlet-name>
<url-pattern>/sayhello</url-pattern>

</servlet-mapping>

</web-app>

As shown in the given code snippet, the URL pattern to access the HelloServlet class will be
http://localhost:8080/FirstWebApplication/sayhello.
Figure 1.24 shows the mapping of Servlet with the URL through which it is accessible to the
application.

Figure 1.24: Servlet Mapping in web.xml

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From Java EE 6 onwards, the web.xml file is optional, as the configuration information can be
applied with the annotations. Annotations are meta information embedded in the Java source

files. The meta information creates the dynamic configuration setting for the deployed component
during runtime.
Servlet 3.0 has also introduced a new feature called Web fragments. Web fragment is the
mechanism to include deployment descriptor information which is specific to a library. This helps
to segregate the unrelated information from the main deployment information.
The developer might have created functionality for the application separately in some other Java
EE project and import its .jar in WEB-INF\lib as plug-in within the Web application.
The content of web.xml and web-fragment.xml are almost the same, but the difference in its
location, we put web.xml in WEB-INF\web.xml and web-fragment.xml in METAINF\ web-fragment.xml.

1.6

Developing Web Application in NetBeans IDE

The developer can create and work with Web applications using different frame works. Mainly,
NetBeans Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is used to create Java EE based projects with
JSPs and Servlets. NetBeans IDE is a software program which is designed to help programmers
and developers build and test Java applications. NetBeans IDE provides text or source code editor,
debugger, and compiler all in one in a single environment.

1.6.1

NetBeans IDE

Some of the features of the NetBeans IDE are as follows:

A source code editor is similar to an HTML text editor. This is where programmers write
the source code for their programs.
A compiler compiles the source code into an executable program and an interpreter runs
programs and scripts that dont need to be compiled.
Build automation tools help automate the processes that need to happen with most
software developments such as debugging, compiling, and deployment.
A Debugger helps to pin-point the exact spot where there is problem or error in the source
code.

1.6.2

Creating a New Project

To create a new project:

Open NetBeans IDE and select New Project from the File menu.
Select Java Web from the Categories list.
Select Web Application from the Projects list.
Click Next to specify the name and location.

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Figure 1.25 shows how to create a project.

Figure 1.25: Creating Project in NetBeans

1.6.3

Specifying Name and Location for the Project

To specify the name and location for the project:

Enter the name of the project, for example, FirstWebApp.
Click the Browse button and select a location for saving the project.
Click Next to specify the server used for deploying Web application.
Click Server drop-down list and select the Web server for the application. If Web server
is not available, then you can add a new one (for current application we will be using
Apache Tomcat 7.0).

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Figure 1.26 shows how to select a Web server for the project.

Figure 1.26: Specifying a Web Server

Click Next and select frameworks used in Web application. Currently, the Web application
is not using any framework.
Click the Finish button.

Figure 1.27 shows the structure of the FirstWebApp project created in NetBeans IDE.

Figure 1.27: Web Project Structure in NetBeans IDE

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1.6.4

Writing the Code for Servlet

Right-click the Source Packages and select Servlet from the context menu. This opens
New Servlet window.
Type the name of the Servlet as FirstServlet and package as
com.controller as shown in figure 1.28.

Figure 1.28: Create a Servlet within the Project

Click the Finish button.

Then, a new Java class in the package needs to be created. For example, a class named as
FirstServlet is created within the package com.controller.
Code Snippet 2 shows the code generated for the FirstServlet class.

Code Snippet 2:
import javax.servlet.http.*;

public class FirstServlet extends HttpServlet {

protected void processRequest(HttpServletRequest request,

HttpServletResponse response)throws ServletException,
IOException {
response.setContentType(text/html;charset=UTF-8);
try (PrintWriter out = response.getWriter()) {
out.println(<!DOCTYPE html>);
out.println(<html>);

out.println(<head>);

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out.println(<title>Servlet FirstServlet</title>);
out.println(</head>);

out.println(<body>);

out.println(<h1>Servlet FirstServlet at + request.

getContextPath() + </h1>);
out.println(</body>);

out.println(</html>);

...
protected void doGet(HttpServletRequest request,
HtttpServletResponse response)throws ServletException,
IOException {
processRequest(request, response);
}

...

protected void doPost(HttpServletRequest request,

HttpServletResponse response)throws ServletException, IOException
{
}

processRequest(request, response);

As shown in the given code snippet, the out object of PrintWriter class is created within
the processRequest() method in NetBean IDE. This method is invoked by doGet() and
doPost() method based on how the data is sent by the client in HTTP request.
The println() method of out object is used to display the message string on the Web
page. Change the out.println(<h1>Servlet FirstServlet at + request.

getContextPath() + </h1>); with this out.println(<h1> Hello World </

h1>);

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1.6.5

Creating the Deployment Descriptor

Code Snippet 3 shows the web.xml file within the Web-INF directory. The web.xml file is
updated with the configuration settings of the FirstServlet.

Code Snippet 3:
. . .
<?xml version=1.0 encoding=UTF-8?>
<servlet>
<servlet-name>FirstServlet</servlet-name>
<servlet-class>com.controller.FirstServlet</servlet-class>
</servlet>
<servlet-mapping>
<servlet-name>FirstServlet</servlet-name>
<url-pattern>/myservlet</url-pattern>
</servlet-mapping>
</web-app>

1.6.6

Build and Execute the Web Application

To run the application, right-click the project and select Run from the context menu. When you
run the application, it first compile the Servlet code and then deploy the resource to the Web
server, if Web server is not running, first start the server and then deploy the Web application to
server.
After building and deployment is completed successfully, NetBeans will launch the Servlet page
in the browser as shown in figure 1.29.

Figure 1.29: Output of Servlet in Web Browser

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Check Your Progress

1.

2.

3.

Identify the features of a Web client-server model.

(A)

The architecture of Web client-server model can be one-tier, two-tier, three-tier,

or N-tier.

(B)

Web applications have higher maintenance cost.

(C)

Code related to presentation, business, and data access logic are all clubbed
together in the one-tier architecture of Web application.

(D)

Web-applications are platform independent.

(A)

A, C

(C) B, C

(B)

B, D

(D) A, D

hich of the following statements about Request and Response message structure are
W
true?
(A)

Request message structure consists of only header information.

(B)

Header information contains information such as server, last modified date,

content-length, and content type.

(C)

Request line returns the User-Agent along with the status code header.

(D)

Response message structure consists of status line and header information.

(A)

A, C

(C) A, D

(B)

B, D

(D) C, D

Identify the correct feature of the HTTP request GET methods.

(A)

The GET method is used to receive information over the Web.

(B)

Data sent using POST method is not encrypted.

(C)

The POST method is used to receive response over the Web.

(D)

The length of query string is restricted to 240 to 255 characters in GET method.

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Check Your Progress

4.

5.

6.

7.

Which of the following options is a limitation that is overcome by a Web server?

(A)

Username and password are retained by the browser.

(B)

Each time user is prompted for username and password for accessing subsequent
pages.

(C)

Dynamic Web content can be managed from the client end.

(D)

It is feasible to maintain static Web content from the customer's end.

Which of the options are disadvantages of using CGI?

(A)

Reduced Efficiency

(B)

Ease of use

(C)

Reloading PERL interpreter

(D)

Safe and Cheap

Identify the merits and demerits of servlets.

(A)

Servlets are easy to use.

(B)

Servlets are portable.

(C)

Servlets are less efficient than other scripting languages.

(D)

Servlets are safe and less costly to develop.

(A)

A, C

(C) A, B, C

(B)

B, D

(D) A, B, D

Which of the following statements, about the deployment descriptor are true?
(A)

Instructs a deployment tool to create specific configuration requirements for

deployment of a servlet.

(B)

Written using HTML syntax.

(C)

Placed under the WEB-INF directory.

(D)

Stored in web.xml file.

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Answer
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

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Summary

An application is a collection of programs designed to perform a particular task.

Different types of applications are designed for different purposes.

A Web application is a software application that runs on a Web server. The Web
application basically has three components: the presentation layer, the application layer,
also known as business layer, and the data access layer.

The most common technologies for communication on the Web are HTML and HTTP.
HTML is a presentation language which enables Web designer to create visually
attractive Web pages.

The requests and responses sent to a Web application from one computer to another
computer are sent using HTTP. HTTP does not store any connection information about
the page and hence, it is referred to as a stateless protocol.

The HTTP request messages uses the HTTP methods for transmitting request data over
the Web.

Java Web application comprises servlets, JSP pages, images, HTML files, JavaBeans,
Applets, and Java classes.

T he Web applications are packaged in the .war file which allows the content of the Web
application are accessed from the applications context root.

deployment descriptor describes how the Web application should be deployed. It is

A
written using XML with name web.xml and placed under the WEB-INF folder, that is,
WEB-INF/web.xml.

Java Web applications are developed in NetBeans IDE which provides fully-integrated
environment for building and executing the Web applications.

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Welcome to the Session, Java Servlet.

This session explains the Java Servlet and its architecture. It describes the Java Servlet API
and also explains the life cycle of a Servlet. Further, the session introduces RequestDispatcher
interface that help in Servlet communication. It also explains how to work with the Servlet
initialization parameters and handle errors in the Servlet.
In this Session, you will learn to:

Explain the Servlet API

Explain the servlet architecture and life cycle of Servlet

Explain the methods of ServletRequest and HttpServletRequest interfaces

Explain the methods of ServletResponse and HttpServletResponse interfaces

Describe the use of response headers

Explain how to read text and binary data from a request

Explain the ServletConfig and ServletContext interface

Explain redirection of client requests

Explain RequestDispatcher interface

Explain error handling in Servlet

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2.1

Introduction

A Servlet is a server-side program written in Java programming language. A Servlet is a Web

component that processes the client requests and generates dynamic content in response.
Normally, the generated response contains HTML content that is sent back to the client.
Servlet is protocol independent which means different types of clients can access Servlet. The
different types of clients to a Servlet can be a Web client which send request through HTTP
protocol or it can be a Web service endpoint sending request data through SOAP protocol.

2.2

Servlet API

All the classes related to developing and managing Servlets are provided in two packages namely,
javax.servlet
javax.servlet.http

javax.servlet

The javax.servlet package contains generic interfaces and classes that are implemented and extended by all Servlets. This package basically provides a framework for the
Servlet operations.

It includes an interface named Servlet which defines the life cycle methods for a Servlet.
Every Servlet must implement the javax.servlet.Servlet interface directly or indirectly (by extending the class which already implements this interface).
javax.servlet.http
The javax.servlet.http package contains classes and interfaces used for developing a
Servlet that works with HTTP protocol.
Figure 2.1 displays the Servlet API hierarchy.

Figure 2.1: Servlet Hierarchy

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The javax.servlet package contains an abstract class named GenericServlet which

inherits from Object class and helps to design a protocol independent Servlet. You can inherit the

GenericServlet class to design your own Servlet.
The GenericServlet implements three interfaces namely,
Servlet This interface defines the life cycle methods for a Servlet.
S
ervletConfig This interface defines methods that are used by Servlet container to
pass information to a Servlet instance during its initialization.
S
erializable This interface is defined in java.io package to serialize the state of an
object.
Consider a situation where you need to develop a login Servlet to validate the users information.
Code Snippet 1 demonstrates how to create a protocol-independent login servlet.

Code Snippet 1:
public class LoginServlet extends GenericServlet{
...

In the given code, the class named LoginServlet is a generic servlet.

To develop a Servlet which is accessible only through a Web browser, you can create an
HTTP Servlet by extending HttpServlet class. The HTTPServlet class is a subclass of
GenericServlet and enables to create an HTTP-based Servlet as part of a Web application.
Code Snippet 2 shows the creation of login servlet to be accessed on the Web.

Code Snippet 2:
public class LoginServlet extends HttpServlet{
}

...

In the given code, the LoginServlet is defined as HTTP servlet, so it will be accessed through
HTTP protocol.

2.3

Servlet Life Cycle

The life cycle define how the servlet is loaded, initialized, handles requests from clients and is
taken out of service.
Instantiation
In this stage, the servlet container creates an object of the servlet.

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Initialization

When the Servlet is instantiated, it is in initialization stage. In this stage, the servlet
container calls the init() method which begins the life cycle of the servlet.
Service

In this stage, the servlet processes the request given by the client and generates the
dynamic response to be sent back to the client.
Destroy

In this stage, the servlet container destroys the servlet instance. Some of the conditions
where a Servlet instances is destroyed includes: an explicit request from administrator,
Web server shutting down, or a Servlet instance is idle and not processing any request.
Unavailable

In this stage, the servlet container frees up the memory occupied by the servlet.
Figure 2.2 depicts the servlet life cycle.

Figure 2.2: Servlet Life Cycle

2.3.1

Servlet Life Cycle Methods

The servlet life cycle is defined by the following methods:

init()
The method initializes the servlet. The life cycle of the servlet begins with the init()
method. The init() method is called only once by the server and not again for each
user request.

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service()

The method processes the request made by the client. It passes the ServletRequest
and ServletResponse objects which collect and pass information such as the values of
the named attributes, the IP address of the agent or the port number on which the request
was received.
destroy()

The method destroys the servlet interface, if there are no more requests to be processed. A
server calls this method after all requests have been processed or a server-specific number
of seconds have passed, whichever comes first.

2.3.2

Servlet Architecture

The Servlet container is responsible for handling Servlet execution which is based on multithreaded
model. This means, when the container receives the request for the same Servlet, it creates a new
thread that handles the execution of the Servlet and dies once the execution is completed.
Figure 2.3 shows the handling of multiple clients request by a Servlet.

Figure 2.3: Servlet Multithreaded Model

As shown in figure 2.3, the flow of information in a Servlet is as follows:
1.

The Web browser sends an HTTP request to the Web server through a Uniform Resource
Locator (URL). For example, a URL, http://localhost:8080/.../LoginServlet is
sent to the Web Server.

2.

n receiving the request, the Web engine looks into the web.xml deployment descriptor
O
file to match the URL with the registered Servlets.

3.

nce the requested Servlet is found, the Web engine forwards it to the Servlet container
O
which is responsible for instantiating the Servlet instance.

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4.

T he container first locates the servlet class, loads the servlet, and creates an instance of
the servlet in the memory.

5.

After the Servlet is loaded by the Servlet container, it is initialized completely and then
the client request is processed.

To service multiple clients request, the servlet container creates multiple threads for the same
Servlet instance. Each instance handles request received from the client and generates response
that is sent to the Web engine which in turn sends the response to the client.

2.4

Handling Servlet Request

When a servlet is requested to handle a request, it needs specific information about the request
so that it can process the request appropriately. The ServletRequest interface provides
access to this specific information.
When a servlet handles a request, the server passes a request object, which implements the
ServletRequest interface. With this object, the servlet can find out information about the
actual request such as protocol, Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and type. It can access parts
of the raw request such as headers and input stream. In can also retrieve client-specific request
parameters such as data entered in online forms.
Figure 2.4 depicts a Servlet request.

Figure 2.4: Servlet Request

2.4.1

ServletRequest Interface

The ServletRequest interface defines an object that makes client request information
available to servlets. The ServletRequest object is passed as an argument to the service()
method of the servlet.
Some of the methods defined in the ServletRequest interface are as follows:
public String getParameter(String s)

Returns the value of a specified parameter that is sent along with the request information. For
example, the statement, String name1 = request.getParameter(names1);
retrieves the value from the parameter names1 passed in the request.

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public Object getAttribute(String name)

The method retrieves the value of an attribute specified by name, that was set using the
setAttribute() method and returns null when no attribute with the specified name
exists. For example, Object cobj1 = cnt1.getAttribute(obj1);
public int getContentLength()

Returns the length of content in bytes and returns -1, if the length is not known.
Code Snippet 3 shows the use of getContentLength() method.

Code Snippet 3:
// The length of the content is passed to len1 and compared with the
size of file limit
if((len1 = request.getContentLength()) > fileLimit){

System.out.println (Name1 +login + Id1 +id +

Expected Upload size is more than specified file Limit);

public ServletInputStream getInputStream() throws IOException

Returns the binary data of the body of request, requested by the client and stores it in
a ServletInputStream object. For example, to read the binary data, the following
statement can be used:

ServletInputStream inStream1 = request.getInputStream();

public String getServerName()

Returns the host name of the server to which the client request was sent. For example,
String serverName = request.getServerName());

2.4.2

HttpServletRequest Interface

The HttpServletRequest defines an HttpServletRequest object, which is passed as an

argument to the service() method.
The methods defined by the HttpServletRequest interface are as follows:
public Cookie[] getCookies()

Returns an array containing the entire Cookie objects and returns null if no cookies were
found. For example, Cookie[] cookies = request.getCookies();
public String getHeader (String name)

Returns the value of the specified request header as a String and returns null if the request
did not include a header of the specified name.

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For example, out.println(request.getHeader(host)+<br>); returns

the value of the header host.
public String getMethod()

Returns the name of the HTTP method used to make the request. For example, GET,
POST, and PUT. For example, out.println(<td align=center> + request.

getMethod() + </td></tr>);
public String getPathInfo()

Returns the path information associated with a URL. For example, String ses_id1 =

req.getPathInfo();
public String getAuthType()

Returns the basic authentication scheme used to protect the servlet from unauthorized
users. For example, out.println(request.getAuthType());

2.4.3

Reading Parameters from Request

Request parameters are strings sent by the client to a servlet container as a part of its
request. These parameters are stored as a set of name-value pairs. Following methods of the
ServletRequest interface are available to access parameters:
public java.lang.String getParameter(java.lang.String name)

Returns the value of a request parameter as a String, or null if the parameter does not exist.
For HTTP servlets, parameters are contained in the query string or posted form data. For
example, String name= request.getParameter(names);
public java.util.Enumeration getParameterNames()

Returns an enumeration of string objects containing the names of the parameters of this
request. If the request has no parameters, the method returns an empty enumeration. For
example, Enumeration Books = req.getParameterNames();
public java.lang.String[] getParameterValues(java.lang.String
name)

Returns an array of string objects containing all of the parameter values or null if parameters
do not exist. For example, String[] value = request.getParameterValues
(interests);

2.4.4

Http Request Headers

The request-header fields allow the client to pass additional information about the request,
and about the client itself, to the server. Few of the request headers available are as follows:
A
ccept - It is used to specify types of headers acceptable by the client.
Accept-Charset - The character sets acceptable by the response is specified by this
field.
Accept-Encoding - Restriction of content-coding which is accepted by response is
mentioned in the field.

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ccept-Language - Restriction of a group of natural languages which is used by

A
response is set by this field.
Authorization - Authentication of a user agent with a server is done by this field.

2.4.5

Reading Headers form Request

A servlet can access the headers of an HTTP request through the following methods of the
HttpServletRequest interface:
public String getHeader (String name)
Returns the value of the specified request header as a String. For example, out.print (

<TD> + request.getHeader(headerName));
public java.util.Enumeration getHeaders(java.lang.String name)

Returns all the values of the specified request header as an Enumeration of String objects.
For example, Enumeration headers = request.getHeaders();
public java.util.Enumeration getHeaderNames()

Returns an enumeration of all the header names this request contains. If the request has
no headers, this method returns an empty enumeration. For example, Enumeration
strHeaderName = request.getHeaderNames();

2.4.6

HTML Forms

HTML forms are used to collect user input data. These input data are stored as form fields and
passed through browser URL for further processing in the Servlet.
Several input types are provided by HTML to be used with <form> element. Some of them are
as follows:
Text input Allows the user to enter a single line of text.
Drop-down list input Provides a list of options to the user to be selected.
Submit button Allows the user to send the data to the server for processing.
The HTML form has the two following major attributes:
Methods Defines the way of data transfer is done to the Web server. The methods such
as Get, POST, and so on are used to forward the parameters with the HTTP request.
GET - With the GET method, all form data is encoded into the URL, appended to the
action URL as query string parameters. The GET method is taken as the default if the
method attribute is not specified in the HTML form.
POST - With the POST method, form data appears within the message body of the
HTTP request.

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Action - Includes the servlet class name. For example, <form method=POST
action=Login>

Code Snippet 4 shows the HTML page for accepting the user choice.

Code Snippet 4:
<form method=GET action=Login>

<Username: <input type=text name=username/>

<br/>

<select name=color size=1>

<option> light
<option> amber
<option> brown
<option> dark

</select>
<center>

<input type=SUBMIT>

</center>
</form>

2.4.7

Handling Form Data Using Request Object

In Servlet, doGET() and doPOST() are the methods that handle form data. The request object
allows the servlet to obtain the user data from the form. To handle the form data, call the data
reading methods of the request object.

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Code Snippet 5 shows the use of getParameter() method in handling data.

Code Snippet 5:

public void doGet(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse

response)
throws IOException, ServletException
{

String name = request.getParameter(username);

String selectedColorValue = request.getParameter(color);

// data processing code here

The code invokes the getParameter() method to gets value of the field name and color and
stores them as String.

2.5

Handling Servlet Response

Handling Servlet response defines an object to help a Servlet in sending a response to the client
using different interfaces.

2.5.1

ServletResponse Interface

Servlet response is the response sent by the servlet to the client. The ServletResponse and
HttpServletResponse interfaces include all the methods needed to create and manipulate a
servlets output.
Figure 2.5 depicts servlet response.

Figure 2.5: Servlet Response

The ServletResponse interface defines methods that allows to retrieve an output stream to
send data to the client, decide on the content type, and so on. The ServletResponse interface
defines an object, which is used to provide response to a client.

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This object is passed as an argument to service() method of a servlet.

The methods defined by the ServletResponse interface are as follows:

public java.lang.String getContentType()
Returns the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) type of the request body or
null if the type is not known. For example, out.println (Message content

type:+msg.getContentType()+<br />);
public PrintWriter getWriter() throws IOException

Returns an object of PrintWriter class that sends character text to the client. For example,

PrintWriter out1= response.getWriter(); out1.println(Some

text and HTML);
public ServletOutputStream getOutputStream() throws
IOException

Uses ServletOutputStream object to write response as binary data to the client. For
example, ServletOutputStream out2 = response.getOutputStream();

out2.write(twoBytearray);
public void setContentType(java.lang.String str)

Used to set the format in which the data is sent to the client, either in normal text format or
html format. For example, response.setContentType(text/html);

2.5.2

HttpServletResponse Interface

The HttpServletResponse interface extends ServletResponse interface and provides

information to an HttpServlet. It defines an HttpServlet object, which is passed as an
argument to the service() method of a servlet.
Using the HttpServletResponse interface, you can set HTTP response header, set the
content type of the response, acquire a text stream for the response, acquire a binary stream for
the response, redirect an HTTP request to another URL or add cookies to the response.

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Figure 2.6 depicts HTTP servlet response.

Figure 2.6: HTTP Servlet Response

2.5.3

Methods in HttpServletResponse Interface

The methods defined by the HttpServletResponse interface are as follows:

public void addCookie(Cookie cookie)
Adds the specified cookie to the response, sent to the client.
Code Snippet 6 shows the use of addCookie() method.

Code Snippet 6:
// Adds a cookie named cookie2 with color red to the existing
cookies
Cookie cookie2 = new Cookie(color, red);
response.addCookie(cookie2);

public void addHeader(java.lang.String name, java.lang.String

value)

Used to add name and value to the response header. For example, response.
addHeader(Refresh, 15);

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public boolean containsHeader(String name)

Used to verify if the response header contains any values. It returns true if the response
header has any values. It returns false otherwise. For example, res.containsHeader

(Cache);
public void sendError(int sc) throws java.io.IOException

Sends an error response to the client using the specified status code and clearing the buffer.
Status codes are used to indicate the reason, a request is not satisfied or that a request has
been redirected. For example, httpResp.sendError(HttpServletResponse.
SC_FORBIDDEN, Good Bye for now!);

2.5.4

Response Headers

The response header is attached to the files being sent back to the client. It contains the date,
size, and type of file that the server sends back to the client and also data about the server itself.
Response headers can be used to specify cookies to supply the modification date. It is also used
to instruct the browser to reload the page. In addition, it specifies how big the file is, to determine
how long the HTTP connection needs to be maintained.

2.5.5

Sending Headers

The methods of HttpServletResponse interface that are used to send header information
to the client are as follows:
a
ddHeader() - Adds a response header with the given name and value. For example,

response.addHeader(Cache, 3.14);
addDateHeader() - Adds a response header with the given name and date value. For
example, res.addDateHeader(Cache, 20-02-2002 )
addIntHeader() - Adds a response header with the given name and integer-value. For
example, res.addIntHeader(Cache, 3)
containsHeader() - Returns a boolean value to indicate if response header has

already been set.

2.5.6

Sending Data from Servlet Using Response Object

Let us create a servlet to send the jar file data using response object to the client.
The Response object should perform the following steps:
Inform the browser, the type of file/data that is getting transferred.
Convert the object data to stream.

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Code Snippet 7 shows how to send data using response object.

Code Snippet 7:

public class CodeReturnJARfile extends HttpServlet {

public void doGet(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse
response)
throws IOException, ServletException {

response.setContentType(application/jar);
ServletContext ctx = getServletContext();

InputStream is = ctx.getResourceAsStream(/JAVAcompactV3.jar);
int read = 0;

byte[] bytes = new byte[1024];

OutputStream os = response.getOutputStream();
while ((read = is.read(bytes)) != -1) {
os.write(bytes, 0, read);

os.flush();

os.close(); }

In the given code snippet, response.setContentType(application/jar); tells the

browser to recognize that the response object carries a JAR. The statement, OutputStream os
= response.getOutputStream(); reads the JAR bytes and writes the bytes to the output
stream that is received from the response object.

2.6

Reading Binary Data

Some Web applications such as e-mail need to send files such as documents and images, from one
system to another as attachment. In this case, data transmitted from a client to a Web application
will be of binary type. In such cases, the user will specify the reference to the binary files in online
form.

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Multipart/form-data is an Internet media type that returns a set of values as the result of a user
filling out a form. These set of values are transmitted as binary data. Each request handled by a
servlet has an input stream associated with it.
You use getInputStream() to retrieve the input stream as a ServletInputStream
object. The syntax of the method getInputStream() is as follows:
Syntax:
public ServletInputStream ServletRequest.getInputStream() throws
IOException

2.6.1

Producing Text and Binary Data

Two methods belonging to ServletResponse interface for producing output streams are as
follows:
public
ServletOutputStream
io.IOException

getOutputStream()

throws

java.

The getOutputStream() returns a ServletOutputStream, which can be used for

binary data.
public java.io.PrintWriter getWriter()throws java.io.IOException

The getWriter() returns a java.io.PrintWriter object, which is used only for textual
output. The getWriter() method examines the content-type to determine what character set
to use, so setContentType() should be called, before getWriter().

2.6.2

Sending Text and Binary Data

Whenever any file sent to the client has to be encoded, for example, images or text attachments,
it is sent as binary data. ServletOutputStream provides an output stream for sending binary
data to the client.
The methods supported by the ServletOutputStream class are as follows:
public void print(boolean b)throws java.io.IOException
Writes a boolean value to the client with no Carriage Return-line Feed (CRLF) character at
the end.
public void println(char c)throws java.io.IOException

Writes a character value to the client, followed by a Carriage Return-line Feed (CRLF).

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2.7

Java Servlet

Redirecting Requests

Whenever the client makes a request, the request goes to the servlet container. The Servlet
container decides whether the concerned servlet can handle the request or not. If the servlet
cannot handle the request, it decides that the request can be handled by another servlet or JSP.
Then, the servlet calls the sendRedirect() method and sends the response to the browser
along with the status code. The browser makes a new request, with the name of the servlet that
can now handle the request and displays the result on the browser. This redirecting is done by the
following methods:
public void sendRedirect(java.lang.String location) throws
java.io.IOException

Sends a redirect response to the client using the specified redirect location URL. For example,

response.sendRedirect(response.encodeRedirectURL(contextPath +
/maps)); redirects the request to the specified location.
public java.lang.String encodeRedirectURL(java.lang.String url)

Encodes the specified URL for use in the sendRedirect() method or, if encoding is not
needed, returns the URL unchanged. All URLs sent with the sendRedirect() method
should be run encoded using this method.

2.7.1

Request Dispatcher

The servlets sometimes need to access network resources to satisfy client requests. The resources
can be another servlet, a JSP page, or a CGI script. A servlet runs in an environment called the
servlet context, which describes various parameters associated with the servlet. A servlet belongs
to only one servlet context.
A servlet cannot access resources such as static HTML pages, which are stored in local files
using the RequestDispatcher objects. The local resource can be accessed using the method
getResource(String path) of ServletContext object that returns a URL object for a
resource specified by a local Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), for example, /html.
The method ServletRequest.getRequestDispatcher(java.lang.
String) allows using relative path whereas the method ServletContext.
getRequestDispatcher(java.lang.String) allows only absolute path.

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The servlets belonging to same application can share data using the following methods of
RequestDispatcher interface are as follows:
forward() method
The method is used to forward request from one servlet to another resource on the same
server.
Syntax:
public void forward(ServletRequest request1, ServletResponse
response1) throws ServletException, IOException

where,
request1 is the request made by the client to the servlet
response1 is the response made by the servlet to the client
Code Snippet 8 retrieves the servlet context, from it RequestDispatcher instance, and
then forwards control to the JSP page.

Code Snippet 8:
public class MyServlet extends HttpServlet
{

public void doGet(HttpServletRequest request,

HttpServletResponse response)
throws ServletException, IOException {

request.setAttribute(title, Home Page);

ServletContext servletContext = getServletContext();

RequestDispatcher dispatcher = servletContext.

getRequestDispatcher(/cart.jsp);
dispatcher.forward(request,response);

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include() method
The method is used to include the contents of another servlet, JSP page or an HTML file.
Syntax:
public void include(ServletRequest request1, ServletResponse
response1)
throws
ServletException,IOException
void
println(char c)throws java.io.IOException

where,
request1 is the object that contains clients request.
response1 is the object that contains servlets response.
Code Snippet 9 demonstrates the code that includes the content from the specified path.

Code Snippet 9:
// Include static page or servlet/JSP page from the specified path,
...

RequestDispatcher dispatcher = getServletContext().

getRequestDispatcher(/contactus.jsp);
if (dispatcher == null)

out.println(path + not found);

else

dispatcher.include(request, response);

...

2.8

Initializing Servlets

In a Web application, the database connection information, such as SQL username and password
are not sent to the servlet every time a client makes a request. Hence, this information needs to be
passed to the servlet before beginning the servlet life cycle.
To pass the parameters from the client-side to the servlets for executing the first time and
retrieve the data required as specified by the user the servlet needs to be initialized. To set up an
uninterrupted client-server communication at the beginning of a process initialization is done. After
setting up the first connection, the process is carried out by auto refreshing the page, which is
managed by the servlet itself.

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2.8.1

init Parameters

To pass as an argument during initialization, the servlet container uses an object of ServletConfig
interface. The ServletConfig interface provides various methods to configure a servlet, before
processing the data requested by the client.
The Servlet has the direct access to Servlet initialization parameters using the
getInitParameter() method.
The syntax of using the getInitParameter() method is as follows:
public String getInitParameter(String name)

This method retrieves the value of the initialization parameter. This method returns null if the
specified parameter does not exist.
Code Snippet 10 demonstrates the code that retrieves the parameters of the servlet.

Code Snippet 10:

//Retrieves the parameters user and password
super.init(config);

String user1 = getInitParameter(user);

String password1 = getInitParameter(password);

...

The same method is available in the ServletConfig interface to read the initialization
parameters.

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Figure 2.7 depicts servlet initialization.

Figure 2.7: Servlet Initialization Using ServletConfig

2.8.2

Reading Parameters in init() Method

public void init() throws ServletException

Code Snippet 11 illustrates how a servlet reads initialization parameters.

Code Snippet 11:

int count;

public void init(ServletConfig config) throws ServletException {

super.init(config);

String initial = config.getInitParameter(initial);

try {

count = Integer.parseInt(initial);

} catch (NumberFormatException e) {
count = 0;

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2.8.3

ServletContext

The container first locates the servlet class, loads the servlet and creates an instance of the
servlet. It then invokes init() method to initialize the servlet. A ServletConfig interface
object is passed as an argument to the init() method, which provides the servlet with access
to ServletContext interface.

2.8.4

ServletContext Interface

The servlet context provides access to various resources and facilities, which are common to all
servlets in the application. The servlet API is used to set the information common to all servlets
in an application.
Servlets running in the same server sometimes share resources, such as JSP pages, files,
and other servlets. This is required when several servlets are bound together to form a single
application, such as a chat application, which creates single chat room for all users.
The servlet API also knows about resources to the servlets in the context. The attributes of
ServletContext class can be used to share information among a group of servlets.

2.8.5

ServletContext Methods

The ServletContext methods are used to get and set additional information about the servlet.
Following are some commonly used methods of ServletContext interface:
p
ublic String getInitParameter(String name): Returns the parameter
value for the specified parameter name.

public void setAttribute(String name,Object object): Sets the given
object in the application scope.

public Object getAttribute(String name): Returns the attribute for the
specified name.

public Enumeration getInitParameterNames(): Returns the names of the
contexts initialization parameters as an Enumeration of String objects.
p
ublic void removeAttribute(String name): Removes the attribute with the
given name from the servlet context.

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Code Snippet 12 shows the web.xml file for specifying the context parameters and servlet
initialization parameters.

Code Snippet 12:

<web-app xmlns=http://java.sun.com/xml/ns/j2ee
...

<context-param>

<param-name>Global</param-name>

<param-value>ValueToAll</param-value>

</context-param>

<!-- other stuff including servlet declarations -->

<servlet>

<servlet-name>ParamServletTests</servlet-name>
<servlet-class>TestInitParams</servlet-class>

<init-param>

<param-name>ServletSpecific</param-name>

<param-value>ServletValue</param-value>

</init-param>
</servlet>
</web-app>

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Code Snippet 13 demonstrates the code to read the context parameters from the web.xml file.

Code Snippet 13:

...

public class ContextParameters extends HttpServlet{

public void doGet(HttpServletRequest req,HttpServletResponse res)

throws ServletException,IOException
{

res.setContentType(text/html);
PrintWriter pw = res.getWriter();
// Creating ServletContext object

ServletContext context=getServletContext();

//Getting the value of the initialization parameter and printing it

String str = context.getInitParameter(Global);
pw.println(driver name is=+ str);
}

pw.close();

2.9

Error Handling in Servlets

There are many situations where a Web server can give an error. A requested page may be
moved from one location to another. The address may be wrongly typed. The requested page may
be forbidden, may be temporarily deleted or correct HTTP version might not have found. There are
other situations where an error may be generated.

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2.9.1

Java Servlet

Status Codes

Errors may occur due to one reason or the other but the status code for each type of error, makes
it easy for identifying the error.
Table 2.1 lists some of the error codes along with their associated message and meaning.

Status Code
301

302
400
401
404
408
500

Associated
Message

Meaning

Moved Permanently

Document is moved to a separate location as

mentioned in the URL. The page is redirected
to the mentioned URL, to find the document.
Found
Temporary replacement of file from one
location to the other as specified.
Bad Request
The request placed is syntactically incorrect.
Unauthorized
Authorization is not given to access a
password protected page.
Not Found
Resource not found in the specified address.
Request Timeout
Time taken by client is very long to send the
request (only available in HTTP 1.1).
Internal Server Error
Server is unable to locate the requested file.
The servlet has been deleted or crashed or
has been moved to a new location without
informing.
Table 2.1: Status Codes

Figure 2.8 depicts an example of status code.

Figure 2.8: Status Code 404

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2.9.2

Error Methods in HttpServlet Class

Errors during the execution of a Web application are reported using the following methods:
sendError()
This method checks for the status code and sends to the user the specified response
message. After sending the error message the buffer is cleared.
Syntax:
public void sendError(int sc1) throws java.io.IOException

where,
sc1 is a status code passed as an integer value to the method.
The sendError() method sends a predefined error message as a response for the file
not found error.
Code Snippet 14 shows the use of sendError() method.

Code Snippet 14:

// Return the file file1
try {
}

ServletUtils.returnFile(file1, out);

catch (FileNotFoundException err) {

}

res.sendError(res.SC_NOT_FOUND);

setStatus()
This code is specified earlier so that on receiving the setStatus() method, the error
message is thrown or redirected to another default Web page.
Syntax:
public void HttpServletResponse.setStatus(int sc1)

where,
sc1 is the status code.

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Code Snippet 15 shows the use of setStatus() method.

Code Snippet 15:

/* If the client sent an If-Modified-Since header equal or after
the servlets last modified time, send a short Not Modified status
code Round down to the nearest second since client headers are in
seconds */
if (servletLastMod == -1) {
}

super.service(req, res);

else if ((servletLastMod / 1000 * 1000) <=

req.getDateHeader(If-Modified-Since)) {

res.setStatus(res.SC_NOT_MODIFIED);

2.9.3

Logging Errors

Servlets can store the actions and errors through the log() method of the GenericServlet
class. The message along with the stacks trace is thrown to a servlet log.
The log() method also assists in debugging by describing all the details about an error. The error
can be viewed by using log() to record in a server.
log()
The log() method can be used by passing either a single argument or two arguments as
given here:
Syntax:
public void log(String msg1)

where,
msg1 is the specified message to be written to the servlet log file.

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Code Snippet 16 shows the use of log() methods.

Code Snippet 16:

// Return the file
try {

ServletUtils.returnFile(file, out);

}catch (FileNotFoundException e){

log(Could not find file: + e.getMessage());

res.sendError(res.SC_NOT_FOUND);

catch (IOException e) {

log(Problem sending file, e);

res.sendError(res.SC_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR);

The method writes an explanatory error message and a stack trace for specified throwable
object into the servlet log file.
Figure 2.9 depicts a log file.

Figure 2.9: Log File

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2.9.4

Java Servlet

Forwarding to Error Page

A RequestDispatcher object is used to redirect the client request to a Web page on receiving
an error message on the server. The RequestDispatcher object is created by the servlet
container.
Following methods creates object for the RequestDispatcher interface:
ServletContext.getRequestDispatcher(String path)

This method takes a string argument as a path, which is within the scope of the
ServletContext. The path, relative to root is passed as an argument. This path, in turn,
is used to locate the servlet to which it is redirected.
ServletContext.getNamedDispatcher(String name)
The method takes a string argument indicating the name of servlet to the ServletContext.
It returns a RequestDispatcher object for the named servlet.
ServletRequest.getRequestDispatcher(String path)

This method uses relative path which is the location of the file relative to current path. This
is similar to the method in the same name as in the servletContext. Transforming the
current servlet path relative to a complete path.
Code Snippet 17 shows the dispatching of error object.

Code Snippet 17:

public class Dispatcher extends HttpServlet {

public void doGet(HttpServletRequest req1,
HttpServletResponse res1) {

RequestDispatcher dispatcher1 =

if (dispatcher1 != null)

request.getRequestDispatcher(/error_page.
jsp);

dispatcher1.forward(req1, res1);

}
}

The Dispatcher class requests for error_page.jsp file and wait for the response.
If the dispatcher1 is not null, then the file is forwarded as response to the request
received from the dispatcher class.

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Check Your Progress

1.

2.

Identify the methods present in life cycle of a servlet.

(A)

service()

(B)

destroy()

(C)

authorize()

(D)

init()

(A)

B, C, D

(C) C, D

(B)

A, B, D

(D) A, D

Match the methods of the ServletRequest interface with their corresponding

description.
Description

Method

(A)

Returns the actual length of the request

sent by the client.

(1) getInputStream()

(B)

Returns the binary data requested

by the client and stores it in a
ServletInputStream object.

(2) getAttribute()

(C)
(D)

Gives additional information about the

servlet.
Used to get the additional information
that is sent along with the request
information.

(3) getContentLength()
(4) getServerName()

(E)

Returns the name of the server to which

(5) getParameter()
the request was sent.

(A)

A-2, B-3, C-4, D-5, E-1

(C) A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3, E-5

(B)

A-3, B-1, C-2, D-5, E-4

(D) A-5, B-4, C-2, D-1, E-3

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Check Your Progress

3.

4.

Which of the following request-header fields allow the client to pass additional information
about the request?
(A)

Accept-Numeric

(B)

Accept-Encoding

(C)

Accept-Language

(D)

Accept-Charset

(E)

Accept

(A)

A, B, C

(C) B, C, D, E

(B)

B, C

(D) C, D, E

Match the methods of the ServletResponse interface with their corresponding

description.
Description
(A)

(B)

Method

Returns an object of PrintWriter

class that sends character text to the
client.
Uses ServletOutputStream object
to write response as binary data to the
client.

(1) setContentType()
(2) getContentType()

(C)

Returns the MIME type of the request.

(3) getWriter()

(D)

Used to set the format in which the data

is sent to the client.

(4) getOutputStream()

(A)

A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1

(C) A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3

(B)

A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1

(D) A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4

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Check Your Progress

5.

Match the methods used to send text and binary data to a client with their corresponding description.
Function

6.

Method

(A)

Writes a boolean value to the client

(1) getWriter()

(B)

Writes a character value to the client

(2) getOutputStream()

(C)

Method used to send binary data

(3) print(boolean b)

(D)

Method used for textual output only

(4) println(char c)

(A)

A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3

(C) A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1

(B)

A-4, B-1, C-3, D-2

(D) A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4

Which of the following methods is used for redirecting requests?

(A)

getHeader()

(B)

redirectRequest()

(C)

sendRedirect()

(D)

RequestDispatcher()

(A)

(C) D

(B)

(D) C

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Check Your Progress

7.

8.

Which of the following error code is associated with the message Resource Not
Found?
(A)

301

(B)

302

(C)

404

(D)

408

(A)

(C) D

(B)

(D) B

Match the following methods with their corresponding functions.

Function
(A)

Method

The method returns a

RequestDispatcher object for

the named servlet.

(1)

ServletRequest.
getRequestDispatcher
(String path)

The method transforms the current

servlet path relative to a complete
path.

(2)

Servlet.
getRequestDispatcher

The method assists in debugging

by describing all the details about
an error.

(3)

(String path)
ServletContext.
getNamedDispatcher

(D)

The path passed into the method is

used to locate the servlet to which
it is redirected.

(4) log()

(A)

A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1

(C) A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3

(B)

A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2

(D) A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2

(B)

(C)

(String name)

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Answer

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

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Summary

T he init(), service(), and destroy() methods are the servlets lifecycle methods. The
init() method intimates the servlet that it is being placed into service.
The service() method is called by the servlet container to allow the servlet to respond
to a request. The servlet container calls the destroy() method after all threads within
the servlets service method have exited or after a timeout period has passed.
A GenericServlet class defines a servlet that is not protocol dependent. To have better
control over the required servlets HttpServlet is extended to GenericServlet.
A servlet request contains the data to be passed between a client and the servlet. All
requests implement the ServletRequest interface, which defines the methods for
accessing the relevant information.
A servlet response contains data to be passed between a server and the client. All
responses implement the ServletResponse interface. This interface defines various
methods to process response.
You use getInputStream() to retrieve the input stream as a ServletInputStream object.
ServletOutputStream provides an output stream for sending binary data to the client.
Resources are included to a servlet by forwarding request from one servlet to another
by using the forward() and include() methods along with RequestDispatcher interface.
Inter-servlet communication can be used by the servlets to gain access to other
currently loaded servlets and perform some tasks on other servlets.
Errors may occur due to one reason or the other but the status code for each type of
error, makes it easy for identifying the error. Errors are reported using sendError() and
setStatus() methods. Errors are logged using the log() method of ServletContext and
forwarded to an error page using the RequestDispatcher interface.

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Session Tracking

Welcome to the Session, Session Tracking.

This session explains the concept of session tracking that allows the server to keep a track of
successive requests made by the same client. The session explains various session tracking
techniques, such as URL rewriting, hidden fields, cookies, and HttpSession that are used to
maintain the clients information.
In this Session, you will learn to:

Describe the stateless nature of HTTP protocol

Explain the need of tracking client identity and state

Explain the URL rewriting method for session tracking

Explain how to use hidden form fields

Explain the use of Cookie class and its methods

Explain how to store and retrieve information in a session

Describe the use of HttpSession interface and its methods

Explain how to invalidate a session

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Session Tracking

3.1

Introduction

A protocol is a set of rules, which governs the syntax, semantics, and synchronization of
communication.
When the configuration setting, transaction, and information are not tracked by a protocol, then
it is called a stateless protocol. For such a protocol connections last for only one transaction.
The HTTP protocol is a stateless protocol that is based on a client-server model. An HTTP client,
such as a Web browser, opens a connection and sends a request message to an HTTP server
asking for a resource. The server returns a response message with the requested resource. Once
the resource is delivered, the server closes the connection. Thus, no connection information is
stored, and hence HTTP is referred to as a stateless protocol.
The stateless nature of HTTP protocol has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages
The advantage of a stateless protocol is that hosts do not need to retain information about
users between requests. This simplifies the server design because it does not need to
dynamically allocate storage to manage conversations in progress or worry about freeing
it when a client connection dies in mid-transaction.

Disadvantages
A disadvantage of HTTP being stateless is that it may be necessary to include more information in each request and this extra information will need to be interpreted by the server
each time. Another disadvantage is that the acknowledgement that the information has
reached the client is absent. Hence, the loss of data, if any, is not known.

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Figure 3.1 depicts client-server model using HTTP protocol.

Figure 3.1: Client-Server Model Using HTTP Protocol

3.1.1

Session Tracking

Consider a scenario of an online shopping Web site where items are displayed on different
pages based on classifications, such as stationery, hardware, music, books, and so on. When a
customer is doing online shopping, he/she may select items from various pages and put it in the
shopping cart. However, due to HTTP being a stateless protocol, when the customer clicks a new
page, the information about the previously selected items is lost. As a result, the server may not
keep track of the selected items on the pages.
To resolve this problem, it is necessary for Web applications to adopt a mechanism that can be
used to keep a track of successive requests made by the same user.
The tracking mechanism allows the Web application to maintain information with the server as
long as the customer does not log out from the Web site. This tracking mechanism is known as
session tracking.
The session tracking mechanism serves the purpose of tracking the client identity and other state
information required throughout the session.
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Figure 3.2 depicts session tracking.

Figure 3.2: Session Tracking

3.1.2

Session Tracking Techniques

There are various techniques that can be used by a Web application to maintain a session which
keeps track of data between the multiple requests from a client.
Some of these techniques are as follows:
URL rewriting This technique is used to pass data from one page to another by
appending a text string at the end of the request URL.
Hidden field This technique is used to pass values from HTML form hidden fields to
Web resources.
Cookie This technique is used to store the information on the clients machine in a text
file.
These are the most common techniques used by Web applications for maintaining clients data.
Apart from these, Java Servlet API specification provides a session tracking mechanism through
javax.servlet.http.HttpSession object. The object is used by Servlet to store or
retrieve information related to the user for maintaining session on the server.

3.2

URL Rewriting

Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is the address of a resource located on the Web. The URL
rewriting technique adds some extra data at the end of the URL to identify the session.

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The extra information can be in the form of extra path information or added parameters. The user
does not see extra information on the surface as such but when he/she clicks a link, the data from

the page is appended after the ? in the URL.
Figure 3.3 shows the URL rewriting technique used for session management between the pages.

Figure 3.3: URL Rewriting

As shown in figure 3.3, the original URL,
http://www.mysite.com:8084/Servlet/Rewritten is appended with the
parameter sessionid=10 at the end of the URL. The sessionid parameter is sent to the
server as part of the clients request and helps the server to identify the client.
The URL rewriting is the lowest priority technique used for session management and is used as an
alternative for cookies. In case, if the setting to receive cookies at the client-side is disabled in the
Web browser, the URL rewriting is used.

3.2.1

Information in URL

A parameter or token is attached at the end of the query string in the request sent from the Web
browser. The token consist of name-value pair.

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Figure 3.4 shows the token in the URL.

Figure 3.4: URL Rewriting Technique

Code Snippet 1 demonstrates the working of URL rewriting technique using two Servlets.

Code Snippet 1:
/* Servlet1.java */
. . .

public class Servlet1 extends HttpServlet {

protected void doGet(HttpServletRequest request,
HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException, IOException
{
response.setContentType(text/html;charset=UTF-8);
String sessionID = Session1;

PrintWriter pw = response.getWriter();

pw.println(<html>);
pw.println(<head></head>);
pw.println(<body>);

pw.println(Please click the below link:<br>);

pw.println(<a href=/MyWebApp/Servlet2?sessionID=+sess
ionID+>View Report</a><br>);
pw.println(</body>);
pw.println(</html>);
}
}

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/* Servlet2.java */
...

public class Servlet2 extends HttpServlet {

protected void doGet(HttpServletRequest request,

HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException, IOException
{
response.setContentType(text/html;charset=UTF-8);
String sessionID = request.getParameter(sessionID);

PrintWriter pw = response.getWriter();

pw.println(<html>);

pw.println(<head></head>);
pw.println(<body>);

pw.println(This is the Session ID of the last page: <br>);

pw.println(SessionID=+sessionID+<br>);
pw.println(</body>);
pw.println(</html>);
}

In the code, the Servlet1 generates a hyperlink element which when clicked by the user
will send the request to Servlet2. A name-value parameter sessionID=Session1
is appended with the URL link specified with the <a> element. The Servlet2 access the
parameter using getParameter() method and displays its value on the page.
Figure 3.5 shows the output of Code Snippet 1.

Figure 3.5: Output URL Rewriting

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3.2.2

Advantages of URL Rewriting

 RL can be appended when sending the data from the form as well as it can be sent
U
along with the dynamic generated content from a Servlet.

 RL is a preferred way to maintain the session when the browser doesnt support
U
cookies or user disables the support for cookies.

3.2.3

Disadvantages of URL Rewriting

The only way to send the URL is through hyperlinks on the Web page.

 ometimes, the URLs are very long and cannot store that much information because of
S
the URLs length limitation.

URLs containing data information is visible, so it is not safe to be shared with others.

3.3

Hidden Form Fields

This technique is similar to URL rewriting, instead of appending values to the URL, hidden fields
are placed within an HTML form. Hidden form fields are either a part of the static HTML form or
dynamic form generated through Servlets. They can be used to hold any kind of data.
The hidden fields are not visible to the user and hence are not interpreted by the browser. Each
time the Servlet receives the form data, it would read all the parameters passed to it from the
form along with the values in the hidden fields received from the HTML page.
The advantage of hidden field technique over URL rewriting is that you can pass much more
information to the server and even character encoding is not necessary.
The syntax for adding the hidden field element in the HTML form is as follows:
Syntax:
<INPUT TYPE=HIDDEN NAME=... VALUE=...>

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Code Snippet 2 demonstrates the use of hidden field in the Web application.

Code Snippet 2:

<!-- index.html -->

...
<body>
<form action = MyServlet method=POST>
<input type=hidden name=job value=Developer/>
Name: <input type=text name=firstname/>
<input type=submit name=Submit/>
</form>
</body>
...

/* MyServlet.java*/
...

protected void doPost(HttpServletRequest request,

HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException, IOException
{
response.setContentType(text/html;charset=UTF-8);
PrintWriter out = response.getWriter();
try {

// Retrieves the name entered on the form

String name = request.getParameter(firstname);

// Retrieves the value from the hidden field

String job = request.getParameter(job);

out.println(<h3> Welcome: + name + <br>);

out.println(\n Your Job: + job + </h3>);
out.close();

} finally {

out.close();

...

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Figure 3.6 shows the output of Code Snippet 2.

Figure 3.6: Output - Hidden Form Field

3.3.1

Advantages of Hidden Form Fields

Hidden form fields are supported in all browsers.

Hidden form fields have no special server requirements from clients.

 idden form fields are not visible directly to the user, but can be viewed using View
H
page source option from the browsers.

 idden form fields works with or without cookies, even if the cookies are disabled, they
H
will not have any impact.

3.3.2

Disadvantages of Hidden Form Fields

 idden form fields works only when the page receives request through a submission of
H
a form. This means if the target page receives request by clicking a hyperlink, it will not
result in form submission.

3.4

Cookies

A cookie is a small piece of information sent by a server to the client Web browser. The cookies
are stored on clients machine and are read back by the server on receiving request for the same
page.
A cookie contains one or more name-value pairs which are exchanged in request and response
headers. The HTTP request header contains the request made by the client. It contains information
such as method, URL path, and HTTP protocol version.
The HTTP response header contains the date, size, and type of the file that server is sending back
to the client. When the server sends a cookie, the client receives the cookie, saves and sends it
back to the server each time the client accesses a page on that server.
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Cookies are stored for a limited life span on the clients machine and once the specified time period
is completed, they are automatically deleted.
The major drawback with cookies is that most browsers allow the users to deactivate (not to
accept) cookies.
As the value of the cookie can uniquely identify a client, cookies are commonly used in session
tracking.
Figure 3.7 depicts the concept of cookie.

Figure 3.7: Concept of Cookie

Code Snippet 3 demonstrates how to create and add cookie in the Servlet response.

Code Snippet 3:
// This snippet remember an added item by adding to a cookie
...
public void doGet (HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse
response) throwsServletException, IOException
{
// If the user wants to add an item in a cookie
if (values != null) {
ItemId = values[0];
Cookie getitem = new Cookie(Buy, ItemId);

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getItem.setComment(User has indicated a desire +

to buy this book from the bookstore.);

response.addCookie(getItem);
}
}

3.4.1

Cookie API

The Servlet API provides javax.servlet.http.Cookie class for creating and working
with cookies. These cookies are small amount of information sent by a servlet to the Web
browser. The value of cookie is unique and can be used to identify a client thereby helping in
session management.
The Cookie class provides several methods which help in cookie management. These are as
follows:
public void setMaxAge(int expiry)
This method sets the maximum age of the cookie in seconds. If the value is positive, then
the cookie will expire after that many seconds which is specified by the expiry. For example, demoCookie.setMaxAge(600);
public int getMaxAge()
This method returns the maximum age of the cookie. This method returns an integer which
specifies the maximum age of the cookies in seconds.
Code Snippet 4 demonstrates how to get the cookie age.

Code Snippet 4:
/* Prints the cookie age */
PrintWriter out = response.getWriter();
Cookie demoCookie = new Cookie(FavColor, Blue);
demoCookie.setMaxAge(600);
int result = demoCookie.getMaxAge();
out.println(Cookie Age: +result);
...

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The code returns the maximum age of the cookie, which is specified in seconds.
public void setValue(java.lang.StringnewValue)
This method assigns a new value to a cookie after the cookie is created. In case if binary
value is used, base 64 can be used for encoding.
Code Snippet 5 demonstrates how to set the value of the cookie.

Code Snippet 5:
// Sets the value of the cookie
public void setCookieValue(String value) {
if (value == null || (value.equals()))
value

throw new IllegalArgumentException(Invalid cookie

set in: + getClass().getName());

if (cookie != null)
cookie.setValue(value);
}

public java.lang.String getValue()

This method returns the value of the cookie. The method returns a string containing the
cookies present value.
public java.lang.String getName()
This method returns the name of the cookie. Once, the cookie has been created its name
cannot be changed.
Code Snippet 6 demonstrates how to retrieve the name and value of the cookie.

Code Snippet 6:
// Retrieves the name of the cookie and its value
for (int i = 0; i<cookies.length; i++) {
String name = cookies[i].getName();
String value = cookies[i].getValue();
out.println(name = + name +; value = + value);

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public void setPath(String uri)

This method sets the path for the cookie. The cookie is available to all the pages specified
in the directory and its subdirectories. A cookies path must have the Servlet which sets
the cookie.
Code Snippet 7 demonstrates how to set the path for the cookie.

Code Snippet 7:
// Sets the path for the cookie
cookie = new Cookie(sessionId, erased);
cookie.setPath(/servlet/SessionCookie);
resp.setHeader(Set-Cookie, cookie.toString());

public java.lang.String getPath()

This method returns the path on the server to which the client returns the cookie. The
cookie is available to all sub paths on the server. This method returns a string specifying a
path that contains a servlet name, for example, /AptechDemo.
public Cookie[] getCookies()
Cookies can be read from a request by using the HttpServletRequest.getCookies() method. The getCookies() method returns an array containing all of the
Cookie objects that the client sends with the request.
Code Snippet 8 demonstrates how to read cookies received in the client request.

Code Snippet 8:
// Retrieves cookies from the request object
Cookie[] cookies = request.getCookies();
// Iterates through the array
for(int i=0; i<cookies.length; i++) {
Cookie cookie = cookies[i];
// Print cookie details
out.println(Cookie Name: + cookie.getName();
out.println(Cookie Value: + cookie.getValue();
}

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void addCookie (Cookie cookie)

The cookies are sent by the servlet to the browser by using the HttpServletResponse.
addCookie(javax.servlet.http.Cookie) method.
This method adds field to the HTTP response headers to send cookies to the browser, one
at a time.
This method adds specified cookie to the response. This method can be called multiple
times to set more than one cookies. For example, response.addcookie(new Co
okie(cookiename,cookievalue));

3.4.2

Securing Cookies

To secure the cookies from hackers on the Web, you can configure cookies with two security
settings namely, secure and HttpOnly.
The secure flag informs the Web browser that cookies should be sent only on the SSL connection.
This means any page of the Web application that is not secured will not be able to access cookies.
The JavaScript can also be used to access the cookies from the machine. This means the cookies
are available across scripts and may be accessed by hackers for manipulation.
Servlet 3.0 provides an HttpOnly flag which informs the browser that the content of the cookie
are not accessible within JavaScript. It is included in the HTTP response header and prevent the
cookies from certain kinds of attacks.
The cookie class provides the following methods:
public void setSecure()
This method informs the browser to send the cookie only through secured protocol, such as
HTTPS.
public void setHttpOnly(boolean)
This method can be used to mark or unmark the cookie. If set as true, then cookie is marked
as HttpOnly and are not exposed to client-side scripting code.
public boolean isHttpOnly()
This method is used to check whether the cookie has been marked as HttpOnly.

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Code Snippet 9 shows how to set the cookies as HttpOnly and secure flag programmatically in
Servlet.

Code Snippet 9:
protected void doGet(HttpServletRequest req, HttpServletResponse
res) throws ServletException, IOException {
...
Cookie cookie = new Cookie(Color, Cyan);
Response.addCookie(cookie);
cookie.setHttpOnly(true);
cookie.setSecure(true);
...
boolean status = cookie.isHttpOnly();
out.println(<br>Status of Cookie - Marked as HttpOnly = +
status);
}

Alternatively, you can provide the declaration settings in the web.xml configuration file.
Code Snippet 10 shows the web.xml file with security setting for a cookie.

Code Snippet 10:

...
<session-config>
<cookie-config>
<http-only>true</http-only>
<secure>true</secure>
</cookie-config>
<session-config>
...

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3.5

Session Tracking

HttpSession

HttpSession helps in identifying user in a multi-page request scenario and information about
that user. The HttpSession interface is used to create a session between the client and server.
The session is created between an HTTP client and an HTTP server by the Servlet container using
this interface.
When users make a request, the server assigns it a session object and a unique session ID. The
session ID matches the user with the session object in subsequent requests. The session ID and
the session object are then passed along with the request to the server.
The methods of HttpSession interface used to create a session are:
public Object getAttribute(String name)
This method returns the object which is bound with the specified name in the session. It
returns null in case there is no object bound under the name.
public String getId()
This method returns a string containing the unique identifier assigned to this session. The
servlet container assigns the identifier and it is implementation independent.
public int getMaxInactiveInterval()
This method returns the maximum time interval, in seconds, for which the Servlet container
will keep the session alive between the client accesses. Once, this interval is over session
is invalidated by the servlet.
public ServletContextgetServletContext()
This method returns the ServletContext object to which the current session belongs.
public void invalidate()
This method invalidates the session and the objects bound to the session are unbounded. This
method throws IllegalStateException if called on already invalidated session.
public boolean isNew()
This method returns true if the client is unaware about the session or chooses not to be part
of the session. For example, if only cookie-based session is used and the client had disabled
the use of cookie, then each request would be considered as a session.
public void setAttribute(String name, Object value)
This method binds the object to the current session by using the specified name. In case of
repetition of name of the object bound to the session, the object is replaced.
This method throws IllegalStateException in case of being called on an
invalidated session.
public void removeValue(String name)
This method removes the object bound with the specified name from the session. In case of
absence of object bound to specified name, this method does nothing.

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This method throws IllegalStateException in case of being called on an invalidated session.
public void setMaxInactiveInterval(int interval)
This method specifies the time, in seconds, between the client requests before the servlet
container invalidates the current session.

3.5.1

Storing Information in a Session

The data can be stored in an HttpSession object using the name-value pairs. The data
which is stored is available throughout the current session. To store the data in a session, the
method setAttribute() is used.
The setAttribute() method sets the value of the attribute which can be retrieved later.
Code Snippet 11 demonstrates how to create a new session object and set object in it.

Code Snippet 11:

public void doGet( HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse
) throws IOException, ServletException
{
HttpSession httpSession = request.getSession(true);
// Gets current session or create a new one if not exist
if (httpSession.isNew())
{
// Set the maximum interval for the session
httpSession.setMaxInactiveInterval(60);
// Sets the name attribute name as Jami
httpSession.setAttribute(name, Jenny);
// Sets the attribute background color to #FFFFFF
httpSession.setAttribute(age, new Integer(20));
}
}

In the code, getSession() returns the current session object associated with the request.
If the session does not exists, then the boolean value true indicates to creates a new session.
The isNew() returns a boolean value indicating whether it is a new session or not. If it returns
true, then the objects are bounded to the new session through setAttributes() method.
The method setMaxInactiveInternal()specifies the time between the requests from
the client before servlet container invalidates the session.
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3.5.2

Session Tracking

Retrieving Information Stored in Session

The server, using the HttpSession, does session tracking. The previously stored value can be
retrieved using getAttribute() method. Since, the return type is an object, typecasting of
data associated with that attribute name in the session is done.
If the return value is null, it can be concluded that no such attribute exists. Therefore, it is required
to check for null before calling the methods on the object.
Code Snippet 12 explains the procedure for retrieving name and age stored in the session.

Code Snippet 12:

// Retrieves name and age from session
String myText = (String) httpSession.getAttribute(name);
int myNumber = ((Integer) httpSession.getAttribute(age)).
intValue();

3.5.3

Invalidate a Session

Sometimes an unauthorized user may hack into the Web application. To avoid the hacker from
causing any harm, the invalidate() method is called.
The invalidate() method destroys the data in a session that another servlet or JSP might
require in future. Therefore, invalidating a session should be done cautiously as sessions are
associated with the client, not with individual servlets or JSP pages.

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Code Snippet 13 demonstrates invalidating the session.

Code Snippet 13:

// Returns current session or a new session if it does not exist
HttpSession session = request.getSession (true);
// Checks the session
if (session.isNew() == false) {
// Invalidates the session if it is not a new session
session.invalidate();
// Creates a new session
session = request.getSession (true);
}

The code directs the session to invalidate itself if it is not created newly. To invalidate the session
manually, the invalidate() method is being called.

3.5.4

Session Timeout

Session timeout is necessary as a session utilizes the memory locations to store information
and long period of inactivity will occupy the memory unnecessarily. After a certain time period
of inactivity the session is destroyed to prevent the number of sessions increasing infinitely. The
data stored in the session disappears. Session timeout happens if the user remains inactive for
a period greater than the set inactive time period.
The session timeout period can be set either in the web.xml file or can be set by the method
setMaxInactiveInterval(). This method is used to specify the time between the
requests from the client before servlet container invalidates the session.
Syntax:
<session-config>
<session-timeout>N</session-timeout>
</session-config>

where,
N in the fragment is session timeout period.
The setting for session-timeout should be written in web.xml file.

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Check Your Progress

1.

hich of the following statements describing the stateless nature of HTTP protocol and
W
the need of tracking client identity and state are true?
(A)

When the configuration setting, transactions, and information are not tracked
by the protocol, then it is called stateless protocol.

(B)

The HTTP protocol is based on a client-server model.

(E)

The HTTP protocol sends an acknowledgement that the information sent by the
server has reached the client.
Session tracking allows the server to keep a track of successive requests made
by the same client.
In HTTP protocol, the loss of data can be easily detected.

(A)

B, C, D

(C) A, B, D

(B)

A, B, C

(D) A, C, D

(C)
(D)

2.

Which among the following statement relating to URL rewriting is incorrect?

(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)

3.

4.

URL is the address of a resource located on the Web.

The URL rewriting technique adds some extra data at the end of the URL to
identify the session.
Generally, the extra information appended in the URL rewriting is the unique
session ID and tracking can be done by retrieving this session ID.
Only information after ? is sent to the next page and information before ? is
detached.

hich among the following methods returns a string containing the cookies present
W
value?
(A)

getMaxAge()

(C) setMaxAge()

(B)

getValue()

(D) setValue()

Which among the following syntax does not belong to methods for reading cookies?
(A)
(B)

public java.lang.int
getValue()
public Cookie[]
getCookies()

public
(C) String
public
(D) String

java.lang.
getName()
java.lang.
getValue()

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Check Your Progress

5.

6.

7.

Which among the following methods is correct for sending cookie?

(A)

HttpServletResponse.
setCookie(javax.
servlet.http.Cookie)

(B)

HttpServletResponse.
addCookie(javax.
servlet.http.Cookie)

HttpServletRequest.
(C) addCookie(javax.
servlet.http.Cookie)
HttpServletResponse.
addCookie(javax.
(D) servlet.http.
addCookie)

hich among the following statements related to retrieving information in a session is

W
incorrect?
(A)

The previously stored value can be retrieved using getAttribute()

method.

(B)

While retrieving, the return type is a class.

(C)

Type casting of data associated with the attribute name in the session is
possible.

(D)

It is required to check for null before calling the methods on the object.

Which among the following statements related to session timeout is incorrect?

(A)
(B)

Session is automatically timed out when the maximum number of sessions is

reached.
Session timeout is necessary as it utilizes the memory locations to store
information.

(C)

The session timeout period can be set in the web.xml file.

(D)

The session timeout period can be set by the method

setMaxInactiveInterval() also.

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Answer
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

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Summary

Session tracking allows the server to keep track of successive requests made by the
same client.

ome of the session tracking techniques are namely, URL rewriting, hidden field, and
S
cookie.

Java Servlet specification provides a session tracking mechanism through javax.servlet.

http.HttpSession object.

T he URL rewriting technique adds some extra data at the end of the URL to identify the
session.

Hidden form fields are used to pass data to the server-side resource invisibly from the
user.

cookie is a small piece of information sent by a server to the client Web browser. The
A
cookies are stored on clients machine and are read back by the server on receiving
request for the same page.

T o secure the cookies from hackers on the Web, you can configure cookies with two
security settings namely, secure and HttpOnly.

T he HttpSession interface is used to create a session between the client and server. The
session is created between an HTTP client and an HTTP server by the servlet container
using this interface.

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Filters and Annotations

Welcome to the Session, Filters and Annotations.

This session introduces the concept of filter as a vital Web component. The session explains
how to create filters that can manipulate client requests and server responses. Further, the
session provides a comprehensive study of annotations supported by Java Servlets. Finally, the
session concludes with the explanation on uploading the files using HTML forms and Servlets.
In this Session, you will learn to:

Explain the concept and working of filters

List the benefits of filters

Explain the Filter API interfaces and there methods

Explain the use of wrapper classes in managing Servlets

Explain how to alter a request and response using filters

Describe the basic concept of annotations

Explain the different types of annotations supported in Servlet API

Explain the steps to upload the file using HTML form elements

Explain the mechanism to upload files on the server using Servlet

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4.1

Introduction

There are some situations when data sent or received from the Web resources need to be
processed with extra functionality. For example, a common scenario for processing the sensitive
data sent in response over the network. The data sent in the response from a Servlet must be
encrypted to avoid any malfunction threat. This needs an extra processing of encryption to be
done on the received response from the Servlet.
Java supports filters objects that performs processing of the request before it acquires the
resource. Similarly, before sending the response, filters perform manipulation of the responses
sent to the client.
Some of the common scenarios of the Web applications where filters can be configured are
authentication of the users, logging of the messages, image conversion, compression of data,
encryption of responses, transformation to XML, and so on.

4.1.1

Concept of Filter

Filters are Java classes and are typically used to encapsulate the preprocessing and post
processing functionalities that are common to a group of Servlets or JSP pages.
Filters were introduced as a Web component in Java Servlet specification. They reside in the
Web container along with the other Web components, such as Servlet or JSP pages.
Figure 4.1 depicts filters in a Web application.

Figure 4.1: Filters

Figure 4.1 shows the filter acting as interceptors for processing the request and response between
the client and Web resources or end points, such as Servlet and JSP.
Some of the important features provided by the filters to the Web applications are as follows:
Optimization of the time taken to send a response back to a client.
Compression of the content size sent from a Web server to a user over the Internet.

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onversion of images, texts, and videos to the required format.

C
Optimization of the available bandwidth on the network thereby reducing the network
traffic and in turn, increasing the efficiency of all Web-based services.
Authentication of the users in the secured Web site.
Encryption of the request and response header for addressing security concerns.

4.1.2

Filter Channing

There can be more than one filter between the client and the Web resources, thus forming a filter
chain. A request or a response is passed through one filter to the next in the filter chain. So each
request and response has to be serviced by filters configured in the chain, before the Servlet is
called by the Web container and after the Servlet responds.
Figure 4.2 shows the channing of the filters.

Figure 4.2: Filter Channing

4.1.3

Working of Filters

Filters dynamically access incoming requests from the user before the servlet processes the
request. Filters can also access the outgoing response from the Web resources before it reaches
the user.
The information about the configured filters is provided when the application is deployed on the
server through web.xml.
A typical filter operates in the following way:
1.

When the request for the Web resource is sent to the Web server, the Web container
instantiates the filters and loads them for preprocessing.

2.

The filter intercepts the request from the user to the servlet.

3.

After the request is processed, the filter can do the following:

a.

Generate response and return to the client.

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4.

b.

Pass the modified or unmodified request to other filter in the chain.

c.

If the request is received by the last filter in the chain, it passes the request to the
destination Servlet.

d.

It may route the request to a different resource rather than the associated Servlet.

Then, the filter sends the serviced request to the appropriate Servlet.
Similarly, when the response is returned to the client, the response passes through same
set of filters in reverse order.
Figure 4.3 depicts working of a typical filter.

Figure 4.3: Working of a Filter

4.1.4

Usage of Filters

Filters are categorized according to the services they provide to the Web applications. Some of
the filter categories are:
Authentication filters

These filters allow the users to access any resource in secured Websites after providing
proper username and password.
Logging and auditing filters

These filters track the activities of users on a Web application and log them.
Image conversion filters

These filters scale the image size or change the image type as per requirements.
Data compression filters
These filters help in compressing uploaded or downloaded file size, thereby reducing the
bandwidth requirement and time for downloading.
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Encryption filters

These filters help in encrypting the request and response header.

Filters that trigger resource access events

These filters help in registering the particular database for a Web application before they
retrieve or manipulate data according to the request made by the client.
XML transformation filters
These filters read the XML data from the response and applies an XSLT transformation before sending it to the client browser.
Figure 4.4 depicts a compression filter.

Figure 4.4: Compression Filter

Note
Filters are not Servlets. However, even they have a life cycle for execution.

4.2

Filter API

The filter API brings in all the required interfaces namely Filter, FilterChain, and
FilterConfig for creating a filter class into the javax.servlet package.
Figure 4.5 depicts hierarchy structure of Filter API.

Figure 4.5: Hierarchy of Filter API

Any typical filter needs to implement the Filter interface and the methods contained in it.

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4.2.1

Filter Interface

The Filter interface is part of the Servlet API. The Filter interface provides the life cycle
methods of a filter. It must be implemented to create a filter class.
The methods of the Filter interface are as follows:
init()
This is called by the servlet container to initialize the filter. It is called only once. The
init() method must complete successfully before the filter is asked to do any filtering
work.
Syntax:
public
void
ServletException

init(FilterConfig

filterConfig)

throws

where,
filterConfig is the object of FilterConfig interface passed as a parameter to
the init() method.

ServletException is a general exception that can be thrown by a Servlet.

doFilter()

The doFilter() method of the Filter interface is called by the container each time
a request or response is processed. It then examines the request or response headers and
customizes them as per the requirements. It also passes the request or response through
the FilterChain object to the next entity in the chain.
Syntax:
public void doFilter(ServletRequest req, ServletResponse
res, FilterChain chain) throws IOException, ServletException

where,
ServletRequest defines an object to provide client request to a servlet.
ServletResponse defines an object to help the Servlet in sending response to the
user.

FilterChain interface creates an object chain to invoke next filter component in

the chain.

destroy()

This method is called by the servlet container to inform the filter that its service is no more
required. This method is also called only once similar to the init() method.

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Syntax:

public void destroy()

Figure 4.6 shows the template of a class implementing the Filter interface.

Figure 4.6: Implementation of Filter Interface

Code Snippet 1 demonstrates the implementation of filter to display a message before the
invocation of the configured Servlet.

Code Snippet 1:
public class MessageFilter extends Filter {
private FilterConfig filterConfig;
public void doFilter(final ServletRequest request,
final ServletResponse response,
FilterChain chain)
throws java.io.IOException, javax.servlet.ServletException {
System.out.println(Invoking Filter);

System.out.println(Preprocessing done by filter);

chain.doFilter(request,response);

In the code, the MessageFilter class implements the Filter interface. When the filter will
be invoked, the container will pass the request, response, and chain objects to the doFilter()
method. These objects are passed to the next component in the chain. It can be a filter or a Servlet.

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4.3

Configuring Filter

Each filter is a Web component, which along with others forms a complete Web application. To
be a part of a Web application, it needs to be configured in the web.xml file. The configuration of
a filter inside the web.xml file ensures that filter is the part of that application.
In the deployment descriptor, filter is declared by the <filter> element. It defines a filter class
and its initialization parameters.
Following elements can be defined within a filter element:
<display-name>

This element accepts the short name of the filter, which is intended to be displayed by GUI
tools. It is not mandatory inside the <filter> element.
<description>

This gives a short description about the filter.

<filter-name>

This defines the name of the filter. This is used to refer to the filter definition somewhere in
the deployment descriptor. This element is mandatory.
<filter-class>

It defines the class name of the filter. This is a mandatory element in a filter definition.
<init-param>

It holds the name and value pair of an initialization parameter. It is optional within the
<filter> element.

4.3.1

Filter-mapping Element

The <filter-mapping> element specifies which filter to execute depending on a URL pattern or
a Servlet name. This actually sets up a logical relation between the filter and the Web application
for sequential control flow of request and response between them.
Following elements are defined inside a filter-mapping element:
<filter-name>

The element inside the deployment descriptor holds the name of the filter to which a URL
pattern or a Servlet is mapped. It is a mandatory element for mapping a filter.
<url-pattern>

The element describes a pattern used to resolve URLs. It is a mandatory element for mapping a filter.
<servlet-name>

The element specifies the name of a servlet whose request and response will be modified
by the filter. It is a mandatory element.

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Code Snippet 2 shows the mapping of MessageFilter with the MyServlet in the
web.xml file.

Code Snippet 2:
<filter>

<display-name>Filter</display-name>
<description>This is my first filter

</description>

<filter-name>Message</filter-name>
<filter-class>

servlet.filter.MessageFilter

</filter-class>

</filter>

<filter-mapping>

<filter-name>Message</filter-name>

<servlet-name>MyServlet</servlet-name>

</filter-mapping>
...

The mapped filter named Message will be executed when the mapped servlet named
MyServlet is requested by the client. The <servlet-name> can be replaced with <urlpattern> element to match a specific URL pattern.

4.3.2

Passing Initialization Parameters to Filter

The init() method of a filter initializes the filter. The init() method receives the object of
FilterConfig object created by the Web container. Then, the initialization parameters are read
in the init() using the methods of FilterConfig.
Table 4.1 lists some of the methods of FilterConfig.

Method

String getFilterName()
String
getInitParameter(String
name)

Description

This method returns the name of the filter defined

in the web.xml or deployment descriptor file in
the Web application.
This method returns the value of the named
initialization parameter as a string. It returns null
if the servlet has no attribute.

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Method

Description

Enumeration getInitParam- This method returns the names of the

eterNames()
initialization parameter as an enumeration of
String objects. It returns an empty enumeration if
the servlet has no attribute.
S e r v l e t C o n t e x t This method returns the ServletContext object
getServletContext()
used by the caller to interact with its Servlet
container and filter.
Table 4.1: Methods of FilterConfig
Code Snippet 3 exhibits the use of the methods in the FilterConfig interface.

Code Snippet 3:
public class MessageFilter implements Filter {
private String message;

private FilterConfig config;

public void init(FilterConfig config) throws ServletException
{

this.config = config;

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message = config.getInitParameter(message);

public void doFilter(final ServletRequest request,

final ServletResponse response,

FilterChain chain)

throws java.io.IOException,javax.servlet.ServletException {

System.out.println(Entering MessageFilter);
request.setAttribute(messageObj,message);
chain.doFilter(request,response);

System.out.println(Exiting MessageFilter);

The init() method of a filter is called only once, when the filter is instantiated by the container.
The getInitParameter() method retrieves the value passed as parameter to the filter.
Figure 4.7 shows the configuration of filter with initialization parameters in the web.xml file.

Figure 4.7: Filter Initialization

4.3.3

Use of Wildcard in Mappings

The <url-element> element in the deployment descriptor is used to specify URL pattern for the
Web resources. It can either contain a specific URL or a even wild card character (*) can be used
to match a set of URLs. All the URLs mapped with filters are applied before the Servlet are invoked.

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When a Web application is executed, it creates an instance of each filter that has been declared
in the deployment descriptor. The sequence for execution of these filters is in the order, as they
are declared in the deployment descriptor.
Code Snippet 4 shows how to include multiple filters with a request to a mapped Servlet.

Code Snippet 4:
...

<filter-mapping>

<filter-name>LogFilter</filter-name>

<url-pattern>*.abc</url-pattern>

</filter-mapping>
<filter-mapping>

<filter-name>AuditFilter</filter-name>

<url-pattern>*.abc</url-pattern>

</filter-mapping>
...

Consider a situation where a Web page sends a request for a URL,

.../pages/add_customers.abc, then the filters will be applied to the request in the
order: LogFilter and then AuditFilter.

Servlet API allows you to specify multiple match criteria in the same entry. This implies that there
can be multiple entries for the <url-pattern> element.
You can also have multiple entries for <servlet-name> and <url-pattern> elements
inside the <filter-mapping> element.
Code Snippet 5 shows the mapping for multiple patterns with the filter.

Code Snippet 5:
...

<filter-mapping>

<filter-name>DispatchFilter</filter-name>

<servlet-name>*</servlet-name>

<dispatcher>FORWARD</dispatcher>

</filter-mapping>
...

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In this code, the <filter-mapping> element defines a filter named DispatchFilter in the
<filter-name> element to handle all the forward calls to the Servlets. This is achieved using the

<dispatcher> element having the value set to FORWARD.

4.4

Manipulating Requests and Responses

Apart from performing, pre and post processing operations on the request and response objects,
the filters can also wrap the request or response objects in custom wrappers. This helps to
intercept the request or response, before they can reach their logical destination.
The wrapper classes create the object to capture the request and response, before they reach
server and client respectively. Figure 4.8 shows the working of wrapper objects used for processing
of request and response in Servlets.

Figure 4.8: Wrapper Objects

The

wrapper object generated by the filter implements the getWriter()and

getOutputStream(), which returns a stand-in-stream. The stand-in-stream is passed to the
Servlet through the wrapper object. The wrapper object captures the response through the standin-stream and sends it back to the filter.
The classes defined by Servlet API for wrapping request and response are as follows:
ServletRequestWrapper

This class provides a convenient implementation of the ServletRequest interface. The

ServletRequest can be sub-classed by developers wishing to send the request to a
servlet. To override request methods, one should wrap the request in an object that extends
ServletRequestWrapper or HttpServletRequestWrapper.
ServletResponseWrapper
This class provides a convenient implementation of the ServletResponse interface. The
ServletResponse can be sub classed by developers wishing to send the response from
a servlet. To override response methods, one should wrap the response in an object that
extends ServletResponseWrapper or HttpServletResponseWrapper.

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Code Snippet 6 shows how to extend HttpServletRequestWrapper.

Code Snippet 6:
class MyRequestWrapper extends HttpServletRequestWrapper {
...

public MyRequestWrapper(HttpServletRequest nested) {

super(nested);

...

public void setParams(String key,String value) {

}

...

public String getParameter(String name) {

String response;
...

if (response==null){
}

response=super.getParameter(name);

return response;

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Code Snippet 7 shows how to extend HttpServletResponseWrapper class.

Code Snippet 7:

public class MyResponseWrapper extends HttpServletResponseWrapper {

public String toString() {

...
}

public MyResponseWrapper (HttpServletResponse response){

super(response);

...

public PrintWriter getWriter(){

...

4.5

Introduction to Annotations

There are two approaches adopted in developing Java server-side components namely, imperative
programming and declarative programming. The imperative programming approach specifies how
to achieve a goal. The declarative programming specifies only the goal, but not the implementation
code to achieve that specific goal.
Prior to Java EE 5, the Java EE platform supports the declarative approach where many of the APIs
require code to be written in external files such as the deployment descriptors, server specific
configurations, and so on. It would be more convenient if the code to be written in the deployment
descriptor is maintained as part of the program itself, but in a declarative way. To avoid writing
such kind of unnecessary codes, annotations are used.
Annotations are one of the major advancement from Java EE 5.0 that are used to configure the
server components. Using annotation in Java EE, makes the standard application.xml and web.
xml deployment descriptors files optional.

4.5.1

Addition or Removal of Excel Add-ins

Annotation can be defined as metadata information that can be attached to an element within the
code to characterize it. Annotation simplifies the developers work to a great extent by significantly
reducing the amount of code to be written by moving the metadata information into the source
code itself.

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Annotation can be added to program elements such as classes, methods, fields, parameters,
local variables, and packages. Unlike code, annotations are never executed. Annotations are
processed when the code containing it are compiled or interpreted by compilers, deployment
tools, and so on.
Processing of annotations can result in the generation of code documents, code artifacts, and so
on.

4.5.2

Advantages of Annotations

Some of the advantages of using annotations are as follows:

Ease of Use Annotations are checked and compiled by the Java language compiler
and are simple to use. Many vendors such as IBM and BEA have introduced the annotation feature in attributes for the deployment descriptor.
Portability Annotations are portable.
Type Checking Annotations are instances of annotation types and are compiled in
their own class files.
Runtime Reflection Annotations are stored in the class files and accessed for runtime
access.

4.5.3

Declaring Annotations

The annotation type is used for defining an annotation and is used when custom annotation needs
to be created. An annotation type takes an at (@) sign, followed by the interface keyword and
the annotation name.
Alternatively, an annotation takes the form of an at (@) sign, followed by the annotation type. The
various standard annotations include @Deprecated, @Override, @SuppressWarnings,
@Documented, and @Retention.
Before using annotation in your Web application, there are some rules and guidelines to be
followed by a developer. They are as follows:
A field or a method can be assigned any access qualifier.
A field or method cannot be static. However, the fields or methods of the main class that
have been annotated for injection must be static.
Resource annotation can be specified in any of the classes or their superclasses.
Any violation of these rules will generate an error that will result in logging of message or
messages.

4.5.4

Support for Annotation

Servlet API supports different types of annotations to provide information. Some annotations
can be used as an alternative to XML entries specified in the deployment descriptor, web.xml.
Other annotations act as a request for the container to perform tasks that would otherwise be
performed by the Servlet.

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The javax.servlet.annotation package provides annotations to declare Servlets by

specifying metadata information in the Servlet class. In addition to this, the javax.servlet.

annotation package also provides annotations to declare filters and listeners.
Figure 4.9 shows how to configure a Servlet by adding annotations to it.

Figure 4.9: Servlet with Annotations

4.5.5

Annotations API

If you use annotations to develop the Web application, there is no need to use the deployment
descriptor, web.xml. You should use higher version of NetBeans IDE and Web servers to run the
Servlets developed using annotations.
The javax.servlet.annotation package contains a number of annotations Servlets, filters,
and listeners. Using these packages, the developers can develop a complete Web application in
annotation.
The javax.servlet.annotation package provides different type of annotations.
Servlet annotations
Filter annotations
Listener annotations
Security annotations

4.5.6

Servlet Annotations

The mapping information of Servlet can be provided in Servlet file itself, instead of web.xml, using
annotations. The Servlet mapping annotations are supported with the various elements which are
optional.
Some of the annotations used by the Servlet are as follows:
WebServlet
This annotation is used to provide the mapping information of the Servlet. It is processed by
the servlet container at the time of the deployment. The result of processing the annotations
provides information about the Servlet to the container such as Servlet class, specified URL
pattern to access the Servlet, and so on.

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Table 4.2 shows the attributes of @WebServlet annotation.

Attribute Name

name

description
displayName
urlPatterns
asyncSupported
initParams
loadOnStartup
smallIcon
largeIcon

Description

Specifies the Servlet name. This attribute is optional.

Specifies the Servlet description and it is an optional attribute.
Specifies the Servlet display name, this attribute is optional.
An array of url patterns use for accessing the Servlet, this
attribute is required and should register one url pattern.
Specifies whether the Servlet supports asynchronous processing
or not, the value can be true or false.
An array of @WebInitParam, that can be used to pass servlet
configuration parameters. This attribute is optional.
An integer value that indicates servlet initialization order, this
attribute is optional.
A small icon image for the servlet, this attribute is optional.
A large icon image for the servlet, this attribute is optional.
Table 4.2: @WebServlet Annotation

Code Snippet 8 demonstrates how to assign @WebServlet annotation to the Servlet class.

Code Snippet 8:
...

import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.PrintWriter;
@WebServlet(

name = webServletAnnotation,

urlPatterns = {/hello, /helloWebApp},

)

asyncSupported = false

public class HelloAnnotationServlet extends HttpServlet {

@Override

protected void doGet(HttpServletRequest request,

HttpServletResponse response)

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throws ServletException, IOException {

response.setContentType(text/html);

PrintWriter out = response.getWriter();

out.write(<html><head><title>WebServlet Annotation</title></
head>);
out.write(<body>);

out.write(<h1>Servlet Hello Annotation</h1>);

out.write(<hr/>);

out.write(Welcome +
getServletConfig().getInitParameter(name));
out.write(</body></html>);
out.close();
}
}

Note that if the Servlet is already configured in the deployment descriptor, then the deployment
descriptor will have higher precedence than annotations. However, this is time consuming since
he container has to find all the annotation. In other words, the container has to scan all the files
including the jar files present in the classpath.
To avoid this wastage of time, there is an option to disable annotation using the metadatacomplete attribute in the web.xml file. If you set the metadata-complete attribute value
to true, then the container will ignore all annotations in the Servlet files. In case, the attribute value
is set to false or not specified, then by default, it will search for the annotation declaration.
Code Snippet 9 shows the code to disable annotation in the Servlet files with version 2.5.

Code Snippet 9:
...

<web-app version=3.1 xmlns=http://xmlns.jcp.org/xml/ns/javaee

xmlns:xsi=http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance

xsi:schemaLocation=http://xmlns.jcp.org/xml/ns/javaee
http://xmlns.jcp.org/xml/ns/javaee/web-app_3_1.xsd
metadata-complete=true>

</web-app>
...

In this code, the version of Servlet files is specified as 3.1 and the metadata-complete
attribute value is set to true, so that the container will disable and ignore all annotations applied
in the Servlet files.

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WebInitParam

This annotation is used to specify the initialization parameters. This can be used with Servlets as well as filters.
Table 4.3 shows the attributes of @WebInitParam annotation.

Attribute Name

name
value

Description

Specifies the names of the initialization parameters.

Specifies the value for the initialization parameters.
Table 4.3: Methods of @WebServlet Annotation

Code Snippet 10 shows how to apply the @WebInitParam annotation to the servlet.

Code Snippet 10:

@WebServlet(

name = webServletAnnotation, urlPatterns = {/hello, /

helloWebApp},
asyncSupported = false,
initParams = {

@WebInitParam(name = name, value = admin),

@WebInitParam(name = param1, value = paramValue1),

@WebInitParam(name = param2, value = paramValue2)

public class HelloAnnotationServlet extends HttpServlet {

protected void doGet(HttpServletRequest request,

HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException, IOException
{
...

out.write(Welcome + getServletConfig().
getInitParameter(name));
...
}

The initParams attribute of @WebServlet is used that can be used to pass Servlet
configuration parameters.

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Filters and Annotations

Listener Annotation

The Servlet API provides different types of listener interfaces to handle different events. For
example, to handle HttpSession life cycle events, the HttpSessionListener can be used.
The declare a class as a listener class, the @WebListener annotation can be used.
The @WebListener annotation is used to register the following types of listeners:
Context Listener - javax.servlet.ServletContextListener
Context Attribute Listener -javax.servlet.ServletContextAttributeLis

tener

Servlet Request Listener - javax.servlet.ServletRequestListener

Servlet Request Attribute Listener - javax.servlet.ServletRequestAttributeListener

Http Session Listener - javax.servlet.http.HttpSessionListener

Http Session Attribute Listener - javax.servlet.http.HttpSessionAttributeListener

Code Snippet 11 shows the implementation of the class that will log the session created or
destroyed.

Code Snippet 11:

...
...

import javax.servlet.annotation.WebListener;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpSessionEvent;

import javax.servlet.http.HttpSessionListener;
@WebListener

public class MySessionListener implements HttpSessionListener{

@Override

public void sessionCreated(HttpSessionEvent se) {

System.out.println(Session Created:: ID=+ se.getSession().

getId());
}

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@Override

public void sessionDestroyed(HttpSessionEvent se) {

System.out.println(Session Destroyed:: ID=+ se.getSession().

getId());
}

Code Snippet 12 shows the Servlet class to create the HttpSession object.

Code Snippet 12:

@WebServlet(/MyServlet)

public class MyServlet extends HttpServlet {

private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

protected void doGet(HttpServletRequest request,

HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException, IOException
{
HttpSession session = request.getSession();
session.invalidate();
}
}

The code creates an HttpSession object to store the session object. The session object is also
destroyed to check the invocation of listeners.

4.5.8

Filter Annotations

In a Web application, the @WebFilter annotation is used to define a filter. It is specified on a

class and contains metadata regarding the filter being declared. Atleast one URL pattern must
be specified with the annotated filter. The urlPatterns or value attribute on the annotation
accomplishes this. The other attributes are optional and have default settings.

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Code Snippet 13 shows the creation of filter using @WebFilter annotation.

Code Snippet 13:

...

@WebFilter (value=/hello,
initParams=({

@WebInitParam(name=message, value=Servlet says: )

}))

public MyFilter implements Filter {

private FilterConfig _filterConfig;

public void init(FilterConfig filterConfig)

throws ServletException

_filterConfig = filterConfig;

public void doFilter(ServletRequest req,

ServletResponse res,
FilterChain chain)

throws ServletException, IOException

PrintWriter out = res.getWriter();

out.print(_filterConfig.getInitParameter(message));

public void destroy() {

// destroy

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4.5.9

Security Annotations

Security annotations can be used to specify permission on the methods of the Servlet class.
Some of the security annotations are as follows:
ServletSecurity

This annotation is used on a Servlet class to specify security constraints to be enforced by

a servlet container on HTTP protocol messages.
HttpConstraint
This annotation is used within the ServletSecurity annotation to represent the security constraints to be applied to all HTTP protocol methods.
For example, to restrict the user from accessing any other method in the Servlet class,
when logged in the role as User, then the annotation will be:

@ServletSecurity(@HttpConstraint(rolesAllowed = User))

HttpMethodConstraint

This annotation is used within the ServletSecurity annotation to represent security

constraints on specific HTTP protocol messages.
For example,
@ServletSecurity(httpMethodConstraint=@
HttpMethodConstraint(value = POST), emptyRoleSemantic = EmptyRoleSemantic.DENY)

4.5.10

Dependency Injection Annotations

Dependency injection (DI) is a mechanism that allows the container to inject the dependent
objects in the application components. The application components can be dependent on many
resources to perform the necessary operations. For example, datasource object to connect to a
database, a JavaBean object, an enterprise bean object, and so on.
The dependent objects are injected before the life cycle methods are invoked and before any
reference is made to the dependent object.
Servlet API supports various dependency injection annotations for different types of resources on
which Servlet can be dependent. These are as follows:
@Resource
@RJB
@PersistenceUnit
@PersistenceContext
@WebServiceRef

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Code Snippet 14 demonstrates the code that can be used to obtain a reference for the data source
in the Servlet class.

Code Snippet 14:

// Injecting the Datasource named EmployeeDB
@Resource(name=jdbc/EmployeeDB)

private javax.jdbc.DataSource myDB;

// Creating connection with the data source
Connection con;

// Obtaining the connection

con = myDb.getConnection();

The @Resource annotation is used for accessing data source registered in JNDI service on the
server.

4.6

Uploading Files with Servlet

A very common requirement of a Web application is to upload the files on the server. File can be
uploaded on the sever using the following two ways:
1.

Client-side file upload

2.

Server-side file upload

4.6.1

Client-side Uploading

To upload the files on Web pages, there are some changes required in the HTML form. The
requirements are as follows:
a.

Create the input element with the attribute type=file.

b.

The form method supported for file upload will be POST, as GET method is not supported
in file uploading.

c.

Use the attribute named enctype with the form element. This element specifies how
the form data will be encoded when the form is submitted for processing on the server.

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Table 4.4 shows the values that can be assigned to the enctype attribute.

Value

Description

application/x-www-form-urlencoded

This is the default value if not specified. The

value ensures that all characters are encoded
before they are sent to the server.
multipart/form-data
The value is provided when the form is using
a file upload control. It does not encode the
characters before sending them in the request.
text/plain
The value converts the spaces with the "+"
symbols, however no other special characters
are encoded.
Table 4.4: Values of enctype Attribute
Code Snippet 15 shows the upload.jsp page containing the HTML form element to upload the
file on the server.

Code Snippet 15:

<html>

<head>

<title>File Uploading Form</title>

</head>
<body>

<h3>File Upload:</h3>

Select a file to upload: <br />

<form action=UploadServlet method=post

enctype=multipart/form-data>

<input type=file name=file size=50/>

<br />
<br />
<input type=submit value=Upload File />
</form>
</body>
</html>

The file element displays the Browse button on the form which allows the user selects the file
from the system. When the user click Upload File, the HTTP request will pass the uploaded
file to the Servlet, which will write the uploaded file to the folder on the server.

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Figure 4.10 shows the output of the JSP page.

Figure 4.10: JSP File with Single File Upload

4.6.2

Server-side File Upload

In server-side file upload, the files are uploaded using Servlet class. The Servlet specification
provides the classes that are used to handle encrypted from data. The classes that are involved in
handling the file uploading in the Servlet are HttpServletRequest.
The HttpServletRequest class includes two methods for handling the file upload. These are
Part getPart(String name) This method extracts the individual parts of the file
and returns each as a Part object. The Part object belongs to the Part interface and
provide methods that can be used to extract information from the returned Part object.
The information includes: the name, the size, and the content-type of the file returned as a
part. It also provide methods for querying the header content submitted with the Http
request object, writing the part to the external disk, and deleting the part.
Collection<Part> getParts() This method returns a collection of Part objects
which can be iterated to extract individual Part object from the collection.

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Code Snippet 16 demosntrates the Servlet code that uploads the file on the server.

Code Snippet 16:

public class UploadServlet extends HttpServlet {

public void doPost(HttpServletRequest request,

HttpServletResponse response) throws IOException {
response.setContentType (text/html);
PrintWriter out = response.getWriter();

boolean isMultipartContent = ServletFileUpload.

isMultipartContent(request);
if (!isMultipartContent) {

out.println(No file uploaded<br/>);

return;
}
out.println (You are trying to upload:<br/>);
FileItemFactory factory = new DiskFileItemFactory();
ServletFileUpload upload = new ServletFileUpload(factory);
try {

List<FileItem> fields = upload.parseRequest(request);

out.println(Number of fields: + fields.size() + <br/><br/>);
Iterator<FileItem> it = fields.iterator();
if (!it.hasNext()) {
out.println(No fields found);
return;
}

while (it.hasNext()) {
FileItem fileItem = (FileItem)it.next();
boolean isFormField = fileItem.isFormField();

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if (!isFormField) {
String fileName = fileItem.getName();
File file = new File(fileName) ;
fileItem.write(file) ;
out.println(Uploaded Filename: + fileName +

<br>);
}
}
}
catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}

Code Snippet 17 shows the corresponding web.xml file for configuring the Servlet.

Code Snippet 17:

<servlet>

<servlet-name>UploadServlet</servlet-name>

<servlet-class>com.Upload.UploadServlet</servlet-class>

</servlet>

<servlet-mapping>

<servlet-name>UploadServlet</servlet-name>
<url-pattern>/UploadServlet</url-pattern>

</servlet-mapping>

<welcome-file-list>

<welcome-file>uploadfile.jsp</welcome-file>

</welcome-file-list>

</web-app>

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4.6.3

MultipartConfig Annotation

The javax.servlet.annotation.MultipartConfig annotation is specified on a Servlet

class. It provides file information to the server while uploading its content.
The information provided by the MultipartConfig annotation is as follows:
The maximum size of the data that can be uploaded on the server
The default location where the file will be uploaded on the server
Table 4.5 lists the attributes of the MultipartConfig annotation.

Attribute

fileSizeThreshold

Description

Specifies the size of the file in bytes. The default

size of the file is 0.
maxFileSize
Specifies the maximum file limit allowed to
upload the file on the server. If the size of the
file to be uploaded is greater than the specified
limit, then throws IllegalStateException.
maxRequestSize
Specifies the maximum file size in bytes to be
accepted for encrypted file data sent in the
request.
location
Specifies the default location for the file upload
on the server.
Table 4.5: Methods of MultipartConfig Annotation

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Code Snippet 18 shows the attributes of @multipartconfig annotation that are applied to
the Servlet.

Code Snippet 18:

@WebServlet(name=UploadServlet , urlPatterns={/Upload})
@MultipartConfig(

fileSizeThreshold=100,

maxFileSize=400,

maxRequestSize=50,
location=C:/tmp)

public class UploadServlet extends HttpServlet{

protected void doPost(HttpServletRequest request,

HttpServletResponse response) throws IOException {
...
...

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Check Your Progress

1.

HTTP is a ______________ layer protocol.

(A)
(B)

2.

Filter was introduced as a Web component in Java servlet Specification

version 2.3.
A filter optimizes the time it takes to send back a response from your Web
server.

(C)

A logging and auditing filter allows users to log in to a Web application.

(D)

Filter optimizes the available bandwidth on the network thereby reducing the
network traffic and in turn increasing the efficiency of all Web-based services.

(E)

An authentication filter tracks the activities of users of a Web application.

(A)

B, C, D

(C) A, B, D

(B)

A, B, C

(D) A, C, D

Match the methods to their appropriate descriptions.

Description
(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

This method returns the names of

the initialization parameter as an
enumeration of String objects.
This method returns the name of
the filter defined in the web.xml or
deployment descriptor file inside
the Web application.
This method returns the Servlet
Context object used by the caller to
interact with its servlet container
and filter.
This method returns the value of
the named initialization parameter
as a string.

Method
(1) getInitParameter(name)

(2) getInitParameterNames()

(3) getFilterName()

(4) getServletContext()

(A)

A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2

(C) A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3

(B)

A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1

(D) A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4

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Check Your Progress

3.

Which of these statements is incorrect?

(A)

(B)

4.

The object invokes the previous

The
FilterChain
interface
filter in a filter chain starting
provides an object through the Web (C)
from the first filter from a
container.
particular end.
If the calling filter is the last
The
doFilter(request,
filter in the chain, it will invoke
response)method invokes the (D)
the Web resource, such as JSP
next filter in the filter chain.
and servlet.

Match the elements to their appropriate features.

Feature

(A)

(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

Element

This element inside the deployment

descriptor holds the name of the filter
to which a URL pattern or servlet is
mapped.
This specifies the location of a small or
a large image used to represent the filter
in a GUI tool within a Web application.
It holds the name and value pair of an
initialization parameter of the filter.
This element specifies the name of a
servlet whose request and response
will be modified by the filter.
This is the short name of the filter, i.e.
intended to be displayed by GUI tools.

(1) <icon>

(2) <init-param>
(3) <filter-name>
(4) <display-name>
(5) <servlet-name>

(A)

A-3, B-4, C-1, D-5, E-2

(C) A-4, B-5, C-2, D-3, E-1

(B)

A-2, B-3, C-5, D-1, E-4

(D) A-3, B-1, C-2, D-5, E-4

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Check Your Progress

5.

6.

7.

8.

Which of these statements is correct about altering a response using filters?

(A)

The request wrapper object is

generated by the filter by extending
to ServletResponseWrapper
class.

(B)

The request object overrides

The stand-in-stream is then passed
the getWriter() and
to the servlet through the response (D)
getOutputStream()
wrapper object.
methods.

The stand-in-stream allows

(C) the servlet from closing the
response generated by it.

Which of the following annotation will help to create a Servlet?

(A)

@WebListener

(C) @MultipartConfig

(B)

@WebServlet

(D) @WebInitparam

Which type of input type we can use on the client-side to upload the file on the server?
(A)

text

(C) button

(B)

file

(D) option

Which of the following annotation is used to create the filter?

(A)

@WebFilter

(C) @MultipartConfig

(B)

@WebServlet

(D) @WebInitparam

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Answer

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

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Summary

Filter acts as an interface between client and servlet inside the server. It intercepts the
request or response to and from the server. More than one filter can also exist between
a client and a servlet. This is called a filter chain.
The Filter API is a part of the servlet package. It contain interfaces namely, Filter,
FilterConfig, and FilterChain.
All the information about the filter is described within the <filter> element inside the
web.xml file. The filter also needs to be mapped to the servlet for which it will function.
This is done by assigning URL name and servlet name inside the <filter-mapping>
element.
The request and response to and from the servlet is manipulated by the filter. The
wrapper object of RequestWrapper or ResponseWrapper classes created by the filter
intercepts the request or response and sends it to the filter.
Annotation can be defined as metadata information that can be attached to an element
within the code to characterize it. Annotation can be added to program elements such
as classes, methods, fields, parameters, local variables, and packages.
The javax.servlet.annotation package contains a number of annotations Servlets, filters
and listeners. Apart from this, Servlet API also supports various dependency injection
annotations.
File can be uploaded on the sever using the following two ways namely,
Client-side file upload and server-side file upload.
The javax.servlet.annotation.MultipartConfig annotation is specified on a Servlet class
to provides file information to the server while uploading its content.

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Database Access and Event Handling

Welcome to the Session, Database Access and Event Handling.

This session explains the concept of establishing the database connection in the Servlet using
the Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) API. The session also explains the concept of Object
Relational Mapping (ORM) and persist the entities in the database using Java Persistence (JPA)
API. Further, the session explains the event-handling mechanism in Servlets.
In this Session, you will learn to:

Explain database handling using JDBC

Describe JDBC and its role

Explain connecting database using JDBC

Describe JPA and its role

Describe connecting database using JPA

Explain the significance of session handling and session events

Explain different types of listener interfaces used in Servlets

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5.1

Introduction

The most common operation performed by the Servlet is storing and retrieving database
information.
Java provides various mechanisms using which data can be accessed from the database. These
are as follows:

Using Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) API - It is a part of Java SE platform that
enables a Web application to interact with a Database Management System (DBMS).

Using Object Relational Mapping (ORM) API It is a persistence mechanism used by

enterprise application to access relational databases. It maps the Java objects to database tables through XML configuration. The Java Persistence API (JPA) is one such
specification that is based on ORM.

5.2

JDBC API

The JDBC API provides classes and interfaces that allow a Web application to access and perform
operations on the databases. The operations that can be performed on the databases include:
Connecting to the databases
Processing SQL statements
Building result sets
Executing the parameterized statements
Invoking callable statements

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Figure 5.1 shows the layers of the JDBC architecture.

Figure 5.1: JDBC Architecture

The Servlet uses JDBC APIs to access database. The JDBC API uses a driver manager, which
ensures that the correct driver is used for accessing a specific database. A JDBC driver translates
standard JDBC calls into a clients API specific calls. These API calls facilitate communication with
the database.
The application developer using JDBC API need not bother about repackaging the application, if
the database is changed or upgraded.
Note, that the JDBC drivers are database specific.

5.2.1

JDBC Driver Types

There are four different types of JDBC drivers that are as follows:
Type 1: JDBC-ODBC Bridge Plus ODBC Driver The JDBC-ODBC bridge provides
access to the database through standard ODBC libraries. The driver translates the standard JDBC calls to the corresponding ODBC calls.
This driver is a part of the sun.jdbc.odbc package. Its major limitation is that the
JDBC drivers capabilities depend on the capabilities of the ODBC driver.

Type 2: Native API Partly Java Driver The native APIs partly Java driver calls the
native database library that accesses the database. This driver also requires the native
database libraries to be installed and configured on the clients machine.

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Type 3: JDBC-Net Pure Java Driver This is a pure Java driver that communicates
with the JDBC middle tier on the server through a proprietary network protocol. The
Java Servlet sends a JDBC call to the middleware through the JDBC driver without
translation. The middleware then sends the request to the database.

Type 4: Native-Protocol Pure Java Driver The type 4 drivers implement a proprietary database driver. It provides database connectivity through the standard JDBC
APIs and do not require any native libraries on the client machine. These drivers are the
fastest.

5.3

Accessing Database Using JDBC

The Servlet interacts with the database using JDBC APIs and follows certain steps in sequence:
1.

Registering the JDBC driver

2.

Establishing a database connection

3.

Executing an SQL statement

4.

Processing the results

5.

Closing the database connection

5.3.1

Registering the JDBC Driver

Registering the driver notifies the driver manager that a JDBC driver is available. The JDBC
automatically registers itself with the driver manager as soon as it is loaded.
The JDBC driver can be loaded at run time using the forName() method.
Syntax:
Class.forName(String driver-name)
The forName() is a static method that instructs the JVM to locate, load, and link the specified
driver classes.

5.3.2

Establishing a Database Connection

The database connection can be established when a valid driver is loaded. The JDBC connection is identified by a database URL.

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The syntax for specifying the URL is as follows:

Syntax:
jdbc:<subprotocol>:<database_identifier>
The first part specifies that JDBC is used for establishing the connection. The <subprotocol>
is the name of any valid database driver or any other database connectivity that is being requested.
The <database_identifier> is the logical name of the database connection that maps to
the physical database. It is basically the Data Source Name (DSN) that holds the information to
establish a connection.
The database connection is established using the getConnection() method of the DriverManager
class in JDBC API.
Code Snippet 1 demonstrates the connecting to a SQL Server database from the Servlet.

Code Snippet 1:
public class JDBCServlet implements HttpServlet
{
...
Connection conn = null;
try {
// Loads Type 4 driver for connecting to SQL Server 2012 database
Class.forName(com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerDriver);
// Obtains a connection to the database
conn = DriverManager.getConnection(jdbc:sqlserver://
localhost:1433;
+ database=ProductStore;user=sa;password=sa;);
...
} catch (ClassNotFoundException ex) {
...}
...
}

In the given code snippet, the Conn object is created using the getConnection() method
of the DriverManager class.

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5.3.3

Executing an SQL Statement

Once the database connection is established, several SQL statements such as retrieving,
inserting, updating, or deleting of data can be performed on the database. In order to query the
database, the Statement interface of JDBC API can be used.
The Statement object reference can be created using the createStatement() method
on the obtained connection.
For example, the following statement is used to create the Statement object:
Statement stat = conn.createStatement();
The Statement interface provides methods to perform various database operations including
SQL query execution. The executeQuery() method of Statement interface accepts SQL
query as argument and returns a ResultSet object.
For example, the following statement shows the creation of query using Statement object.
ResultSet rs = stat.executeQuery(SELECT * FROM Product);
In case of any error, the executeQuery() method throws an exception
SQLException.
The ResultSet object contains all the rows returned by the SQL query.

5.3.4

Processing the ResultSet

ResultSet is an interface is used to describe ResultSet object. This object represents

data in a tabular form that is retrieved by executing an SQL query.
Some of the features of ResultSet object are as follows:
ResultSet follows the iterative pattern.
ResultSet object maintains a cursor which points to the current row in the result
table.
There are three types of ResultSet as follows:
TYPE _ FORWARD _ ONLY

In this, the cursor moves only in forward direction in the resultset.

TYPE _ SCROLL _ INSENSITIVE

In this, the cursor scrolls forward and backward. The resultset is not sensitive to changes,
which have been made by other users to the database.
TYPE _ SCROLL _ SENSITIVE.
In this, the cursor scrolls forward and backward. The resultset is sensitive to changes,
which have been made by other users to the database.

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Code Snippet 2 demonstrates the code that iterates through the resultset.

Code Snippet 2:
// Access column values
while(rs.next()) {
rs.getInt (product_id);
rs.getString (product_name);
}

Iterating the ResultSet includes next() method which moves the cursor forward one row.
This returns true, if the cursor is now positioned on a row and false, if the cursor is positioned
after the last row.
Code Snippet 3 demonstrates the code that is used to update the resultset.

Code Snippet 3:
rs.updateString(product_name, Beverages);
rs.updateRow();

5.3.5

Closing the Connection

It is particularly important to close database-related connections. In case we do not close them,

there will be unclosed connections to the database and it could eventually run out of connections.
The statement, conn.close() closes the connection explicitly allows garbage collector to
recollect memory as early as possible.

5.4

Java Persistence API (JPA)

Java Persistence API or JPA is a lightweight, POJO-based Java framework. It helps to persist the
Java Objects to the relational database. JPA is an ORM technology that persist the entities in the
database. The main benefit of using an ORM technology is that it supports the mapping to objectoriented software to the database schema through configuration mapping. The configuration
mapping information about the entity in the application domain to the database table is specified
either in XML file or through annotations.
JPA provides the persistence providers in the JPA application. JPA converts data between
incompatible type in object-oriented programming to the appropriate underlying database types.
This provides the database and schema independence. Generally, converting an object-oriented
domain schema into relational schema is a time consuming process. ORM software provides this
mapping in less time and requires less or almost no coding. It supports a simple mapping of Java
objects to database tables.

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Figure 5.2 shows the ORM technology such as JPA support for Java objects to database tables.

Figure 5.2: Mapping of Java Objects to Tables

Entities are annotated Plain Old Java Objects (POJOs). They are mapped to the tables in a relational database. While working with entities, it is required to declare an entity explicitly. This is
done to distinguish it from other regular Java objects that might be used in the application.
Java annotations or XML is used to define the mapping of entity to existing database tables.
The JPA specification provides the persistence manager which manages the life cycle of an
entity in the persistence context. It also provides the interfaces to execute both static and
dynamic queries.

5.4.1

JPA Specification

Sun Microsystems has laid the JPAspecification which is light weight and implemented by
different ORM products on Java EE platform, such as Hibernate, TopLink, and so on.
The features of JPA specification are as follows:
It supports POJO programming model for persisting objects into the database. The
POJOs persisted in the database by JPA are also referred as entities.
It provides a standard ORM API which incorporates concepts present in third-party
persistence frameworks such as Hibernate, Toplink, Java Data Object (JDO), and so on.
It defines a service provider interface implemented by different persistence providers.
Thus, any change in persistence provider does not affect the entities developed in the
application.

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5.4.2

Database Access and Event Handling

JPA Components

Figure 5.3 shows the primary components of JPA API.

Figure 5.3: Primary Components of JPA API

Components of JPA specification are as follows:

Persistence
The persistence is an identity which is a unique value used by the container to map the
entity object to the corresponding record in the database.

EntityManager
The EntityManager interface is providing the API for interacting with the Entity. The function
of EntityManager API is to manage entity life cycle instances. It is the core component of the
JPA API is used to create, retrieve, update, and delete data from a database.

EntityManagerFactory
The EntityManagerFactory is used to create an instance of EntityManager. In your
application, when there is no use of EntityManagerFactory or application shuts
down, then it is necessary to close the instance of EntityManagerFactory. Once
the EntityManagerFactory is used to create an instance of EntityManager.
In your application, when there is no use of EntityManagerFactory or application
shuts down, then it is necessary to close the instance of EntityManagerFactory.
Once the EntityManagerFactory is closed, all its EntityManager instances
are also closed.

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Persistence Unit
Persistence unit consists of XML configuration information and a bundle of classes that
are controlled by the JPA provider.

Persistence Context
Persistence context is associated with entity manager. A persistence context is a set of
entities such that for any persistent identity there is a unique entity instance. It can be
considered as the working copy of persistence unit.

5.4.3

Entities in JPA

In JPA, persistent objects are referred as Entities. Entities are plain old Java objects that are
persisted to relational databases or legacy systems.
Typically, an entity represents a table in the database and each instance of an entity maps to a
row in that table. The entities store data as fields or properties and have getter/setter methods
associated with each of the fields. For example, the employee details can be stored in an entity
named Employee entity.
Some of the requirements of entity class are as follows:
The entity class must be annotated with @Entity annotation defined in javax.persistence package.
The class must have a no-argument constructor with public or protected access
modifier.
The properties or methods of the entity class should not be declared as final. The class
also should not be declared as final.
If the entity instance is passed as parameter to a Session Bean remote interface, then
it must implement the Serializable interface.
Entities can be inherited from entity or non-entity classes.
The instance variables of entity class must be declared as private or protected and are
accessed only by the methods present in the class.
Each entity instance must be identified by a unique identifier or a primary key. The
primary key helps the client to access the entity instance. The @Id annotation applied
on the entity property specifies that the property is a primary key.
Creating instances of this class using the new() keyword will not create an Employee
class object in the database. An instance of EntityManager is required to create the
entity in the database.

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5.4.4

Database Access and Event Handling

Managing Entities in the Persistence Context

A persistence context represents a set of managed entity instances that exist in a particular data
store. It is a connection between the entity instances present in the memory and the database.
When the entity instance is newly created, it does not have any persistence context associated
with it. At this stage, even the database does not have information about them.
When entities are persisted or retrieved from the database, they are associated with the
persistence context. To manage the entity instances in the persistence context, an interface named
EntityManager API is used. The EntityManager interface is defined in javax.persistence
package and is used to interact with the persistence context. The EntityManager interface
provides methods to synchronize the state of the entity instance to the database.
Figure 5.4 shows the working of EntityManager in JPA.

Figure 5.4: EntityManager in JPA

Table 5.1 lists some of the methods defined in the EntityManager interface.
Methods

Description

public void persist (Object

entity)

The method saves an entity into the

database and makes the entity
managed.
public <T> T merge (T enThe method merges an entity to the Entitytity)
Managers persistent context and returns
the merged entity.
public void remove (Object
The method removes an entity from the
entity)
database.
public void flush()
The method synchronizes the state of an
entity in the EntityManagers persistent
context with the database.
Table 5.1: Methods in EntityManager Interface

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5.4.5

Packaging and Deploying Entity Classes

The packaging and deploying of an entity class is done using persistence units. A persistence
unit is a set of class mapped to a particular database. This persistence unit is defined in a
special descriptor file named persistence.xml. This file contains logical grouping of entity
classes, their metadata mappings, and configurations related to a database.
The configuration details in the persistence.xml are used while obtaining the EntityManager
instance in the client program. The EntityManager instance accordingly persists the entity
instances in the database.
Code Snippet 4 displays the code for a persistence.xml file developed as part of the enterprise
application.

Code Snippet 4:
...
<?xml version=1.0 encoding=UTF-8 ?>
<persistence xmlns=http://java.sun.com/xml/ns/persistence>
<persistence-unit name=intro />
</persistence>
...

In the given code snippet, the persistence.xml file can contain one or more
<persistence-unit> elements under the root element, <persistence>. Each
<persistence-unit> element defines the configuration for a single data source. Each
<persistence-unit> element is identified by the name attribute. The name attribute is
mapped to the unitName attribute of the @PersistenceContext annotation used in
the client program.
Some of the attributes defined in the <persistence-unit> element are as follows:
<description> - It describes the persistence unit and is optional.
<provider> - It must be present in the J2SE environment or when the application
requires a provider specific behavior.
<transaction-type> - It has a value either as Java Transaction API (JTA) or
RESOURCE_LOCAL or by default, the value is JTA.
<jta-data-source>/<non-jta-data-source> - It is used for specifying the
Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI) name of the data source. JNDI is used by
the persistence provider.
<mapping-file> - It contains a list of one or more additional XML files that are used
for O/R mapping. The mapping file is used to list the entity classes that are available in
the persistence unit.
<properties> - It specifies the configuration properties that are vendor-specific for
the persistence unit. Any properties that are not recognized by the persistence provider
are ignored.

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Accessing Database Using JPA

Let us consider an example for inserting and displaying of records of the players from the database.
The Web application containing JSP pages, Entities, and Servlet classes is created for performing
operations on the players details stored in the database.
Code Snippet 5 shows a JSP file with a form to add new records to the list.

Code Snippet 5:
<!-- addPlayers.jsp -->
<body>
<h1>New Player record</h1>
<form id=addNewPlayersForm action=addPlayers method=post>
<table>
<tr><td>Rank</td><td><input type=text id = rank
name=rank /></td></tr>
<tr><td>Player</td><td><input type=text id = playerName
name=playerName /></td></tr>
<tr><td>Team</td><td><input type=text id = team name=team
/></td></tr>
</table>
<input type=submit id=CreateRecord value=CreateRecord />
</form>
<a href=DisplayPlayers><b>Complete List</b></a>
</body>
</html>

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Code Snippet 6 shows the code to display the records which are also accessible from other
pages.

Code Snippet 6:

<!-- DisplayPlayers.jsp -->

<body>
<h1>ICC <b>ODI</b> Players Ranking List</h1>
<table id= PlayerTBList border=2 bgcolor=#B0B0B0>

<tr >
<th>Rank</th>
<th>Player</th>
<th>Team</th>
</tr>
<c:forEach
var=cricketer
begin=0
items=${requestScope.
playerList}>
<tr>
<td>${cricketer.rank}&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
<td>${cricketer.playerName }&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
<td>${cricketer.team}&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
</c:forEach>
</table>
<a href=addPlayers.jsp><b>Add New Player Record</b></a>
</body>
</html>

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Code Snippet 7 shows the index.jsp page.

Code Snippet 7:
<!-- index.jsp -->
<html>
<head>
</head>
<body>
<jsp:forward page=DisplayPlayers />
</body>
</html>

Code Snippet 8 shows the entity class named Players.

Code Snippet 8:
/** Players.java **/
@Entity
@Table(name = PLAYERS)
public class Players {
// column mapping
@Rank
@Column(name = RANK)
private String rank;
@Column(name = PLAYER)
private String playerName;
@Column(name = TEAM)
private String team;
public Players() {
}
public Players(String rank, String playerName, String team) {
this.rank = rank;
this.playerName = playerName;
this.team = team;
}

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public String getRank() {
return this.id;
}
public String getPlayer() {
return this.playerName;
}

public String getTeam () {

return this.team;
}

The code snippet defines a Java Persistence API entity class. To define an Entity class means the
variable is declared and annotated.
Code Snippet 9 shows the Servlet is for adding new players.

Code Snippet 9:
/** addNewPlayersServlet.java **/

@WebServlet(name=addNewPlayersServlet,
addPlayers})

urlPatterns={/

public class addNewPlayersServlet extends HttpServlet {

@PersistenceUnit
//The eManagerFactory corresponding to
private EntityManagerFactory eManagerFactory;
@Resource
private UserTransaction uTransaction;
/** Processes requests for both HTTP
<code>POST</code> methods.
* @param request servlet request
* @param response servlet response
*/

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<code>GET</code>

and

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protected
void
processRequest(HttpServletRequest
HttpServletResponse response)
throws ServletException {
assert eManagerFactory != null;
EntityManager eManager = null;
try {

);

request,

// the data from users form

String rank = (String) request.getParameter(rank);
String playerName = (String) request.getParameter(playerName
String team

= (String) request.getParameter(team);

// player instance
Players player = new Players(rank, playerName, team);
// begin transaction uTransaction
uTransaction.begin();
// since the eManager is created inside a transaction, it is
associated with the transaction
eManager = eManagerFactory.createEntityManager();
//persist the player entity
eManager.persist(player);
// commit transaction uTransaction
uTransaction.commit();
request.getRequestDispatcher(DisplayPlayers).
forward(request, response);
} catch (Exception ex) {
throw new ServletException(ex);
} finally {
//close the eManager to release any resource
if(eManager != null) {
eManager.close();
}
}
}

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EntityManagerFactory opens the database when it is constructed. An
EntityManagerFactory supports the instantiation of EntityManager instances.
EntityManagerFactory forms construct multiple EntityManager instances for a
specific database by managing resources efficiently and should be closed when the application
ends.
The EntityManager instance represents the following:

A remote connection to remote database server in client server mode.

A local connection to a local database file in embedded mode.

Database transactions are managed by the EntityTransaction interface. As shown in

the code snippet, every EntityManager holds a single attached EntityTransaction
instance.
Code Snippet 10 shows the code for displaying players data in the Servlet.

Code Snippet 10:

/** DisplayPlayersServlet.java **/
@WebServlet(name=
DisplayPlayersServlet
,
urlPatterns={/
DisplayPlayers })
public class DisplayPlayersServlet extends HttpServlet {
@PersistenceUnit
private EntityManagerFactory eManagerFactory;
/** Processes requests for both HTTP <code>GET</code> and
<code>POST</code> methods.
* @param request servlet request
* @param response servlet response
*/
protected
void
processRequest(HttpServletRequest
HttpServletResponse response)
throws ServletException, IOException {
assert eManagerFactory != null;
EntityManager eManager = null;

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try {

eManager = eManagerFactory.createEntityManager();
//query for all the players in database
List players = eManager.createQuery(select p from
Player p).getResultList();
request.setAttribute(playerList,players);
//Forward to the jsp page for rendering
request.getRequestDispatcher(DisplayPlayers.jsp).
forward(request, response);
} catch (Exception ex) {
throw new ServletException(ex);
} finally {
//close the eManager to release any resources held up
by the persistence provider
if(eManager != null) { eManager.close();} } }

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Figure 5.5 displays the JSP page with the index page and other pages in the players application.

Figure 5.5: Execution of Players Web Application

5.5

DAO Pattern for Databases

The DAO pattern provides the easy maintenance of the applications by separating the business
logics from the database access. In DAO pattern, the implementation of data access based
on JDBC API is encapsulated in the DAO classes. Thus, providing the independence and
increasing flexibility between the layers in the application development.
The business tier in the Web application includes business service classes, domain object
classes, and the DAO classes. The business service uses the DAO to perform the data access
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functions such as inserting or retrieving an object from the database.

The advantages of DAO pattern are as follows:

Separation of domain objects and persistence logic.
Achieving flexibility and reusability in changing the data access.
Different types of clients such as Servlets or normal Java classes can use the data access
logic provided in the DAO classes.
Provides independence to change the front-end technologies as well as backend database
systems.

5.6

Session Event Handling

A session is a collection of HTTP requests, between a client and a Web Server. Session handling
is used to maintain the state of a user till the lifetime of the session.
Operating Systems are programmed to run in event driven manner. Interrupt handlers are used as
event handlers by them. These are used for hardware events generated by the CPU.
Event driven programs are made up of functions, which listen and handle events. For example, act
of clicking a mouse button. In Java EE, the Web container transfer control to event handlers i.e.
event listeners to listen events related to Servlets, JSP, and so on.
For example, when you visited an Online Shopping Web site, wherein you added some items to
the shopping cart and logged off to pay later. When you again login in the shopping Web site, youll
desire that your cart shows the previously selected items. In such a condition, the server has to
keep track of the previous session to show the selected items. Now, you just have to pay for the
selected items to get them delivered. This is called session handling or tracking.

5.6.1

Listener Types

The javax.servlet package defines the listener interfaces. These interfaces are of three types as
shown in figure 5.6.

Figure 5.6: Listener Interfaces

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5.6.2

Handling Servlet Lifecycle Events

In Web Development, listeners assist by recognizing application events. These are also
known as observers or event handlers. This helps developers in controlling life cycle of
ServletContext, ServletRequest, and HttpSession objects.
The events in a servlet life cycle is monitored by defining listener objects. These objects
methods get invoked when life cycle events occur.
For using listener objects, follow these steps:
Define the listener class.
Mention the listener class in web.xml, that is, the Web application deployment
descriptor.
The servlet context provides access to various resources and facilities, which are common
to all Servlets in the application. The Servlet API is used to set the information common to all
servlets in an application.
Servlets running in the same server sometimes share resources, such as JSP pages, files,
and other servlets. This is required when several servlets are bound together to form a single
application, such as a chat application, which creates single chat room for all users.
The Servlet API also knows about resources to the Servlets in the context. The attributes of
ServletContext class can be used to share information among a group of Servlets.

5.6.3

ServletContextListener

The interface ServletContextListener extends java.util.EventListener

interface. The function of this interface is to receive notifications about changes to the Servlet
context of the Web application. The implementation class needs to be configured in the
deployment descriptor of the Web application to receive notification about events.
The methods present in the class are as follows:
contextInitialized()
The method returns the notification that a Web application initialization has started.
Syntax:
public
sce1)

void

contextInitialized(ServletContextEvent

where,
sce1 is an instance of ServletContextEvent

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contextDestroyed()
The method returns the notification about closing of the servletcontext. All servlets and
filters are closed before notification.
Syntax:
public void contextDestroyed(ServletContextEvent sce1)
where,
sce1 is an instance of ServletContextEvent
Code Snippet 11 shows the use of ServletContext methods.

Code Snippet 11:

public void contextInitialized(ServletContextEvent event){
ServletContext context = event.getServletContext();
String IP = 10.1.1.142;
context.setAttribute(DefaultAddress, IP);
}
public void contextDestroyed(ServletContextEvent event){
ServletContext context = event.getServletContext();
String IP = context.getAttribute(DefaultAddress);
}

5.6.4

ServletContextEvent

The ServletContextEvent class extends the java.util.EventObject class.

This event class notifies about changes made to a Servlet context in a Web application. The
method present in ServletContextEvent class is as follows:

getServletContext()
The method returns the modified servlet context.
Syntax:
public ServletContext getServletContext()

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Code Snippet 12 shows the use of the method getServletContext().

Code Snippet 12:

// Save and get an application-scoped value
getServletContext().setAttribute(app-param,app-value1);
value1 = getServletContext().getAttribute(app-param);

Figure 5.7 depicts the hierarchy for ServletContextListener.

Figure 5.7: ServletContextListener Hierarchy

5.6.5

ServletContextAttributeListener

The ServletContextAttributeListener interface extends java.util.EventListener interface. The

interface receives a notification about any modifications made to the attribute list on the servlet
context of a Web application. The implementation class must be configured in the deployment
descriptor for the Web application to receive notification events. The methods present in the
interface are as follows:
attributeAdded()
The method notifies that a new attribute is added to the ServletContext. The
method is invoked after an attribute has been added.

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Syntax:
public void attributeAdded(ServletContextAttributeEvent sca1)

where,
sca1 is an instance of ServletContextAttributeEvent
attributeRemoved()
The method notifies that an attribute is removed from ServletContext. The method is invoked
after an attribute has been removed.
Syntax:
public
sca1)

void

attributeRemoved(ServletContextAttributeEvent

where,
sca1 is an instance of ServletContextAttributeEvent
Code Snippet 13 shows the method of the ServletContextAttributeListener.

Code Snippet 13:

public
void
attributeAdded(ServletContextAttributeEvent
event1){
log.append(event1.getName() + , + event.getValue() +
, + new Date() + \n);
}
public
void
attributeRemoved(ServletContextAttributeEvent
event){
log.append(event.getName() + , + event.getValue() +value1
=
, + new Date() + \n);
}

attributeReplaced()
The method notifies that an attribute of ServletContext has been replaced. The method is
invoked after an attribute has been replaced.
Syntax:
public
sca1)

void

attributeReplaced(ServletContextAttributeEvent

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where,

sca1 is an instance of ServletContextAttributeEvent

The code snippet shows replacement of an attribute.
Figure 5.8 depicts the methods of ServletContextAttributeListener.

Figure 5.8: Methods of ServletContextAttributeListener

5.6.6

ServletContextAttributeEvent

The ServletContextAttributeEvent class extends ServletContextEvent class. This is the event

class for notifications about changes to the attributes of the ServletContext of a Web application.
The methods present in the class are as follows:
getName()
The name of the altered attribute in the ServletContext is returned by the method.
Syntax:
public java.lang.String getName()

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Code Snippet 14 gets the name of the attribute and checks whether the attribute is altered.

Code Snippet 14:

public
void
attributeRemoved(ServletContextAttributeEvent
scae1){
if (scae1.getName().equals(heading)) {
ServletContext context1 = scae1.getServletContext();
String sHeading1=(String) context1.getAttribute(heading);
context.log(Heading Replaced=+sHeading1);
}
}

getValue()
The attribute value that has been added, removed, or replaced is returned by the method.
Syntax:
public java.lang.Object getValue()

Code Snippet 15 gets the value of the attribute and checks whether the value is not equal
to null.

Code Snippet 15:

HttpSession session = request.getSession(true);
ShoppingCart1 previousItems1 =
(ShoppingCart1)session.getValue(previousItems1);
if (previousItems1 != null) {
doSomethingWith(previousItems1);
} else {
previousItems1 = new ShoppingCart1(...);
doSomethingElseWith(previousItems1);
}

5.6.7

HttpSessionAttributeListener

HttpSessionAttributeListener is an interface that extends the java.util.

EventListener class. It is called whenever some changes are made to the attribute list on
the servlet session of a Web application.
HttpSessionAttributeListener is used to notify these changes. The listener is used
to notify when an attribute has been added, removed, or replaced by another attribute.

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The methods belonging to this interface are as follows:

attributeAdded()
This method notifies whenever there is an addition of new attributes to a session. It is
called after the addition of attribute.
Syntax:
public void attributeAdded(HttpSessionBindingEvent se)

where,
se is the object of HttpSessionBindingEvent.
attributeRemoved()
This method notifies whenever there is a removal of attributes from a session. It is called
after the removal of attribute.
Syntax:
public void attributeRemoved(HttpSessionBindingEvent se)

where,
se is the object of HttpSessionBindingEvent.
attributeReplaced()
This method notifies whenever attributes are replaced in a session. It is called after the
attribute is replaced.
Syntax:
public void attributeReplaced(HttpSessionBindingEvent se)

where,
se is the object of HttpSessionBindingEvent.

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Code Snippet 16 implements HttpSessionAttributeListener interface and its

methods.

Code Snippet 16:

public
class
UserAttributeListener
implements
HttpSessionAttributeListener{
// declaring attributeAdded() method
public void attributeAdded(HttpSessionBindingEvent Demoevent)
{
// Logging the event details
HTTPSession session = Demoevent.getSession();
ServletContext sc = session.getServletContext();
sc.log(Demoevent.getName() + , + Demoevent.getValue() );
}
// Declaring attributeRemoved() method
public
void
attributeRemoved(HttpSessionBindingEvent
Demoevent){}
// Declaring attributeReplaced() method
public
void
attributeReplaced(HttpSessionBindingEvent
Demoevent){}
}

5.6.8

HttpSessionBindingListener

The HttpSessionBindingListener notifies the object when it is being bound to or

unbound from a session. This notification can be the result of a forced unbinding of an attribute
from a session by the programmer, invalidation of the session or due to timing out of the session.
The implementation class do not require any configuration within the deployment descriptor of the
Web application.
The methods belonging to this interface are as follows:
valueBound()
The method notifies the object on being bound to a session and is responsible for identification of the session.
Syntax:
public void valueBound(HttpSessionBindingEvent event)

where,
event is the object of HttpSessionBindingEvent.
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valueUnBound()
The method notifies the object on being unbound from a session and is responsible for
identification of the session.
Syntax:
public void valueUnbound(HttpSessionBindingEvent event)

where,
event is the object of HttpSessionBindingEvent.
Code Snippet 17 implements the valueBound and valueUnbound methods of HttpSessionBindingListener interface.

Code Snippet 17:

public class UserInfo implements HttpSessionBindingListener{
private String uName;
public User(String userName){
uName = userName;
}
public void valueBound(HttpSessionBindingEvent ev){
System.out.println(uName+ user bound);
}
public void valueUnbound(HttpSessionBindingEvent ev){
System.out.println(uName+ user unbound);
}
}

5.6.9

HttpSessionBindingEvent

The HttpSessionBindingEvent event is sent on occasions to an object that implements

HttpSessionBindingListener when being bound to or unbound from the session. It is
also sent when HttpSessionAttributeListener is configured during the deployment
descriptor while being bound, unbound, or replaced in a session.
The object is bound to a session by a call to HttpSession.setAttribute and unbounded
from a session by a call to HttpSession.removeAttribute.
The methods belonging to this class are as follows:
getName()
This method returns a string specifying the name with which the attribute is bound to or
unbound from the session.

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Syntax:
public java.lang.String getName()

Code Snippet 18 gets the name string specifying the name with which the attribute is bound
to or unbound from the session.

Code Snippet 18:

private void checkAttribute(HttpSessionBindingEvent event,
String orderAttributeName, String keyItemName,String message) {

&&

String demoCurrentAttributeName = event.getName();

String demoCurrentItemName = (String)event.getValue();
if (demoCurrentAttributeName.equals(orderAttributeName)

.);
}
}

demoCurrentItemName.equals(keyItemName)) {
ServletContext context =
event.getSession().getServletContext();
context.log(Customer + message + keyItemName +

getSession()
This method returns the session object that has changed.
Syntax:
public HttpSession getSession()

Code Snippet 19 returns the session object that has changed.

Code Snippet 19:

public void sessionCreated(HttpSessionBindingEvent event)
{
// Retrieves modified session object
HttpSession session = event.getSession();
session.getServletContext().log(SessionListener01:
sessionCreated( +
session.getId() + ));
}

getValue()
This method returns the value of the attribute that has been added, removed, or replaced.

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Syntax:

public java.lang.Object getValue()

Code Snippet 20 returns the value of the attribute that has been added, removed, or replaced.

Code Snippet 20:

private void checkAttribute(HttpSessionBindingEvent event,
String orderAttributeName, String keyItemName, String
message) {

&&

String demoCurrentAttributeName = event.getName();

String demoCurrentItemName = (String)event.getValue();
if (demoCurrentAttributeName.equals(orderAttributeName)
demoCurrentItemName.equals(keyItemName)) {
ServletContext context =
event.getSession().getServletContext();
context.log(Customer + message + keyItemName + .);

5.6.10

HttpSessionListener

The changes to the list of active sessions in Web application are notified to the implementations of HttpSessionListener. The deployment descriptor for the Web application must have the
configured implementation class to receive the notification events.
Various session events are session creation and destruction. The method belonging to this interface are as follows:
sessionCreated(HttpSessionEvent se)
This method provides notification that a session was created.
Syntax:
public void sessionCreated(HttpSessionEvent se)

where,
se is the object of HttpSessionEvent.

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Code Snippet 21 implements HttpSessionListener interface and its methods.

Code Snippet 21:

public class SessionTracker extends HttpServlet implements
HttpSessionListener{
static private int sessionCount; // count of session
// Implementing sessionCreated()
public void sessionCreated(HttpSessionEvent event){
sessionCount++;
}

sessionDestroyed(HttpSessionEvent se)
This method provides notification that a session is about to be invalidated.
Syntax:
public void sessionDestroyed(HttpSessionEvent se)

where,
se is the object of HttpSessionEvent.
Code Snippet 22 implements the method SessionDestroyed() of the HttpSessionListener interface.

Code Snippet 22:

public void sessionDestroyed(HttpSessionEvent se) {
HttpSession session = se.getSession();
try{
session.invalidate();
}
catch(IllegalStateException e) { }
}
}

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The SessionTracker class must be configured in the deployment descriptor of the Web
application as shown in Code Snippet 23.

Code Snippet 23:

<listener>
<listener-class> SessionTracker </listener-class>
</listener>

5.6.11

HttpSessionActivationListener

Sometimes to manage the size of its working set, idle stateful session bean instance is transferred
temporarily to the secondary storage. The transfer from the working set to secondary storage is
called instance passivation. The transfer back is called activation.
The objects bounded to a session might listen to container events at the same time notifying
them about the probability of session being passivated or activated.
The HttpSessionActivationListener is implemented when a container migrates
the sessions between virtual machines or persists sessions, if required, to provide notification
to all attributes bounded sessions. The implementation class do not require any configuration
within the deployment descriptor of the Web application.
The methods present in the listener are as follows:
sessionDidActivate(HttpSessionEvent se)
The method provides notification that the session has just been activated.
Syntax:
public void sessionCreated(HttpSessionEvent se)

where,
se is the object of HttpSessionEvent.
sessionWillPassivate(HttpSessionEvent se)
The method provide notification that the session is about to be passivated.
Syntax:
public void sessionWillPassivate(HttpSessionEvent se)

where,
se is the object of HttpSessionEvent.

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Code Snippet 24 implements HttpSessionActivationListener interface and

its methods.

Code Snippet 24:

public
class
SessionTracker
implements
HttpSessionActivationListener {
public void sessionWillPassivate(HttpSessionEvent se) {
System.out.println(session is about to be passivated);
}
public void sessionDidActivate(HttpSessionEvent se) {
System.out.println(session has just been activated);
}
}

5.6.12

HttpSessionEvent

The notifications for the changes to the sessions within a Web application are represented by
HttpSessionEvent.
The method belonging to this class is as follows:
getSession
This method returns the session that changed within a Web application.
Syntax:
public HttpSession getSession()

Code Snippet 25 shows the getSession() method.

Code Snippet 25:

// returns modified session object//
public HttpSession getSession()
{
return session;
}

5.6.13

Use of Listeners for Handling Events

EventListeners should be executed quickly, because all event listening and drawing methods are
executed in the same thread.
While designing the program, one should implement their EventListeners in a class that is not
public. For more secure implementation then the implementation can be private.
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Syntax:

public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e)

Code Snippet 26 shows the implementation of the event handling for the beep button.

Code Snippet 26:

public class Beeper implements ActionListener {
...
//here initialization:
button.addActionListener(this);
...
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
...//Make a beep sound...
}
}

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Check Your Progress

1.

2.

3.

Which of the following tasks that can be performed using JDBC in Java application?
(A)

Operate the database transactions.

(B)

Request the JDBC connection from the server manager.

(C)

Get the results from database.

(D)

Leave the JDBC connection open.

(A)

A, B

(C) B, C

(B)

A, C

(D

A, D

Which type of JDBC driver is the fastest?

(A)

Type-1

(B)

Type-2

(C)

Type-3

(D)

Type-4

For using Listener objects, select the correct option.

(A)

Define listener class.

(B)

Define listener class, and specify it in web.xml (deployment descriptor).

(C)

Only specify it in web.xml, no need to define it.

(D)

None of these.

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Check Your Progress

4.

5.

Which of the following is a correct syntax of the getAttribute() method?

(A)

public Object getAttribute(String name1)

(B)

public Object getAttribute(String name1, Object

object1)

(C)

public Object getAttribute(Object object1)

(D)

public Name getAttribute(Object object1)

Match the methods to their corresponding functions.

Function
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

Return the name of the attribute that

changed on the ServletContext
Notifies the beginning of initialization
process of Web application
Returns the servlet container
attribute name
Returns the value of the attribute
that has been added, removed, or
replaced
Notifies the new attribute was
added to the ServletContext

Method
(1)

contextInitialized()

(2)

getAttribute()

(3)

getname()

(4)

attributeAdded()

(5)

getValue()

(A)

A-2, B-3, C-4, D-5, E-1

(C) A-4, B-5, C-1, D-2, E-3

(B)

A-3, B-1, C-2, D-5, E-4

(D) A-5, B-1, C-2, D-3, E-4

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Check Your Progress

6.

7.

8.

Which method among the following options belongs to

HttpSessionAttributeListener?
(A)

public void setAttribute(java.lang.String name,

java.lang.Object value)

(B)

public void setMaxInactiveInterval(int interval)

(C)

public void attributeAdded(HttpSessionBindingEve

nt se)

(D)

public void removeValue(java.lang.String name)

hich method among the following options belongs to

W
HttpSessionBindingEvent?
(A)

public HttpSession getSession()

(B)

public void valueBound(HttpSessionBindingEvent

event)

(C)

public boolean isNew()

(D)

public void removeValue(java.lang.String name)

hich method among the following options belongs to HttpSessionActivationW

Listener interface?
(A)

public java.lang.Object getValue()

(B)

public void sessionDidActivate(HttpSessionEvent

se)

(C)

public boolean isNew()

(D)

public void attributeRemoved(HttpSessionBindingE

vent se)

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Answer

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

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Summary

The most common operation performed by the Servlet is storing and retrieving database
information.
Java provides various mechanisms using which data can be accessed from the database
using JDBC or JPA API.
The JDBC API provides classes and interfaces that allow a Web application to access and
perform operations on the databases.
JPA is an ORM technology that persist the entities in the database.
Java annotations or XML are used to define the mapping of entity to existing database
tables.
In JPA, persistent objects are referred as Entities. Entities are plain old Java objects that
are persisted to relational databases or legacy systems.
A persistence context represents a set of managed entity instances that exist in a particular data store.
The DAO pattern provides the easy maintenance of the applications by separating the
business logics from the database access.
The events in a servlet life cycle is monitored by defining listener objects. These objects
methods get invoked when life cycle events occur.

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Welcome to the Session, Asynchronous Servlet Communication.

This session explains in depth about the concept of asynchronous Servlet and asynchronous
listeners. The session explains the use of server push mechanism in Servlets and also explains
how to develop asynchronous JavaScript client in Web applications. Further, the session explains
how to perform the non-blocking Input/Output (I/0) operations in Servlet. Finally, the session
concludes with the explanation of upgrading the protocol in the request and response sent by
the Servlet.
In this Session, you will learn to:

Explain the need of Asynchronous Servlet

Explain how to create Asynchronous Servlet and Asynchronous Listener

Explain the concept of server push mechanism

Explain how to create an asynchronous JavaScript client using XMLHttpRequest object

Explain the need of non-blocking I/O support in Servlet

Explain how to implement non-blocking I/O in asynchronous Servlet

Explain the need for protocol upgrade

Explain the process of protocol upgrade in a Servlet

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6.1

Implicit Objects

The architecture of the Servlet is based on multithreaded model. This means the Web container
creates Servlet threads to process the client requests. Each client will receive its dedicated
thread which will serve the request and generate a response to be sent back to the client. The
Servlet multithreaded model works fine when the clients request are less for a Servlet. The Web
container normally creates a pool of threads ready to serve the client with the Servlet instances.
Consider a situation where the Web server receives multiple client requests for the Servlet. To
serve multiple requests, the Web container needs large number of threads in the container pool.
A thread associated with the client request may not process the request all the time and may sit
idle. This can led to thread starvation on the server.
Some of the reasons, where the thread can go idle while processing the request are as follows:
Servlet may take a long running task like making a database connection call for query
execution or invoking a remote Web service. In these situations, the thread needs to
wait for the resource availability, so that it can generate the response to be sent to the
client.
Servlet may have to wait for some dependent event to proceed for the response generation. The situation can occurring when waiting to receive information from another client
to proceed with the response generation.
While the thread are engaged in serving clients, the maximum threshold limit to hold threads in
the pool may hit. This can affect the Web server scalability, which means either the server will
run out of memory or will not remain with the threads in the container pool.
Servlet 3.0 API has provided a new feature in its specification to process the request
asynchronously. With Asynchronous processing, one can avoid blocking requests by allowing
the thread to perform other operations, while the input is returned to the client.

6.1.1

Asynchronous Processing in Servlets

The Java Servlet API provides asynchronous processing support for servlets and filters in the Web
applications. In asynchronous processing, a Servlet thread waiting for a resource is released by
the container and returned to the pool. The long running task performed by the thread is carried
out asynchronously in the background.
Asynchronous processing is performed in the background thread. Once the task is completed,
the background thread can generate a response or a request which needs to be dispatched to a
Servlet for processing.
To handle the generated result, a notification is sent to the Servlet container. It will allocate a
different Servlet thread available in the pool to handle the result and interact with the client with
the generated response.

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Following are the steps to be followed for processing the request asynchronously in the Servlet.
These are as follows:
1.

The request sent to the Servlet is intercepted by the filters which perform some preprocessing tasks for the Servlet. For example, authentication of the user can be preprocessed within a Servlet.

2.

The Servlet receive the request parameters to process them.

3.

The Servlet requests for some external connection or data. For example, sends a requests
for obtaining a connection with a database. If there are already some requests waiting for
the connection, then the Servlet joins a waiting queue for a JDBC connection.

4.

While waiting for the JDBC connection, the Servlet returns back to the pool without
generating a response.

5.

The JDBC connection operation is assigned to an asynchronous context object which is

responsible for handling the request in the background thread.

6.

When the JDBC connection is available, the asynchronous context object gets the
connection object and notifies the Servlet container for a Servlet thread to handle the
connection.

6.2

Handling Asynchronous Servlet

To support asynchronous processing, the separation of request from the generated response needs
to be separated. This is achieved by using the class javax.servlet.AsyncContext.
This class is used to process the request asynchronously within the Servlet.
Apart from creating the object of AsyncContext, you need to enable the Servlet class with
asynchronous processing. This is done by enabling the attribute asyncSupported to true in
the @WebServlet annotation.

6.2.1

AsyncContext Class

The AsyncContext class provide methods that can be used to obtain the instance of the
AsyncContext within the Servlet service() method.

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Table 6.1 lists the methods of the AsyncContext class.

Method

void start(Runnable run)

ServletRequest getRequest()
ServletResponse
getResponse()
void complete()
void dispatch(String path)

Description

This method gets a thread from the managed

thread pool to run the specified Runnable
thread.
This method obtains the parameters from the
request for the asynchronous context.
This method is used inside the asynchronous
context to write to the response with the
results of the blocking operation.
This method completes the asynchronous
operation and closes the response object
associated with the asynchronous object.
This method dispatches the request and
response objects to the URL to be forwarded
to another Servlet thread.

Table 6.1: Methods of AsyncContext Class

Following are the steps to be performed to handle asynchronous request in the asynchronous
Servlet:
Obtain the object of the AsyncContext class by invoking the startAsync()
method on the ServletRequest object.
Invoke the asyncContext.start() method by passing a Runnable thread
reference which is responsible to execute a running task in the background.
Call setTimeout() on the asyncContext, after the number of milliseconds the
container has to wait for the specified task to complete. In case if there is no timeout
setting then the containers default will be used. If the task fails to complete within the
specified time, it throws an exception.
Call asyncContext.complete() or asyncContext.dispatch() from the
Runnable thread to compete the task or forward the request and response object to
some other Servlet.

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Code Snippet 1 shows the skeleton for obtaining the asynchronous context within the Servlet
doGet() or doPost() method.

Code Snippet 1:
@WebServlet(urlPatterns={/asyncservlet}, asyncSupported=true)
public class AsyncServlet extends HttpServlet {
public void doGet(HttpServletRequest request,
HttpServletResponse
response) throws ServletException, IOException {
Final AsyncContext asyncContext = request.startAsync ();
asyncContext.setTimeout (. . .);
asyncContext.start (new Runnable () {
@Override
public void run () { // long running task
. . .
}})
}
}

In the code, the Servlet class is annotated with the attribute asyncSupported = true
which means the Servlet can handle the request and response asynchronously.
Further, to processing asynchronous requests, the object of the AsyncContext class is
obtained by calling the method startAsync() on the request object of the Servlet. This means
that the response will be generated only when the blocked operation is either completed or the
request is dispatched to the other Servlet by the asyncContext object.
Then, the statement, asyncContext.start (new Runnable () { ... }) obtains
the new thread from the container pool. The new thread can access the asynchronous context
object and process the request and response.

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Code Snippet 2 demonstrates the code that processes the request asynchronously in the Servlet.

Code Snippet 2:
...
@WebServlet(name = AsyncDispatchServlet, urlPatterns = { /
asyncDispatch }, asyncSupported = true)
public class AsyncDispatchServlet extends HttpServlet {
@Override
public void doGet(final HttpServletRequest request,
HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException,
IOException {
final AsyncContext asyncContext = request.startAsync();
request.setAttribute(mainThread, Thread.currentThread().
getName());
asyncContext.setTimeout(5000);
asyncContext.start(new Runnable() {
@Override
public void run() {
// long-running task
try {
Thread.sleep(3000);
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
...

request.setAttribute(workerThread, Thread.
currentThread().getName());
//Dispatch the request object to a
asyncContext.dispatch(/threadNames.jsp);
}});
}
}

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The servlet in Code Snippet 2 supports asynchronous processing and its long-running task to keep
the sleep mode on for three seconds. Servlets doGet() method proves that the long-running

task is executed in a different thread than the main thread. The doGet() method attaches the
name of the main thread and that of the worker thread to the ServletRequest and dispatches
to a threadNames.jsp page. The threadNames.jsp page displays mainThread and
workerThread thread names in the output.
Code Snippet 3 shows the threadNames.jsp page.

Code Snippet 3:
<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html>
<head>
<title>Asynchronous servlet</title>
</head>
<body>
Main thread: ${mainThread}
<br/>
Worker thread: ${workerThread}
</body>
</html>

Remember, at the end of task, call the dispatch() or complete() method on the
asyncContext object, so that it will not wait until it times out.
Figure 6.1 shows the name of the main thread and the name of the worker thread. As you see
both names are different, which proves that the worker thread is different from the main thread.

Figure 6.1: Output of AsyncDispatchServlet

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Consider a scenario where a servlet sends a progress update every second so that the user can
monitor the progress. It sends HTML response and a simple JavaScript code to update the HTML
page.
Code Snippet 4 develops an asynchronous Servlet that sends progress updates to HTML page
after every second.

Code Snippet 4:
package servlet;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.PrintWriter;
import javax.servlet.AsyncContext;
import javax.servlet.ServletException;
import javax.servlet.annotation.WebServlet;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
public class AsyncCompleteServlet extends HttpServlet {
@Override
public void doGet(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse
response) throws ServletException, IOException {
response.setContentType(text/html);
PrintWriter writer = response.getWriter();
writer.println(<html><head><title> + Async Servlet</
title></head>);
writer.println(<body><div id=progress></div>);
final AsyncContext asyncContext = request.startAsync();
asyncContext.setTimeout(60000);
asyncContext.start(new Runnable() {
@Override
public void run() {


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System.out.println(new thread: + Thread.currentThread());

for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {

writer.println(<script>);
writer.println(document.getElementById( +
progress).innerHTML = + i * 10) + % complete);
writer.println(</script>);
writer.flush();
try {
Thread.sleep(1000);
} catch (InterruptedException e) {. . .}
}
writer.println(<script>);
writer.println(document.getElementById( +
progress).innerHTML = DONE);
writer.println(</script>);
writer.println(</body></html>);
asyncContext.complete();
}});
}
}

In the code, the asyncContext object is obtained by invoking the startAsync()on the
request object. The object creates a thread that creates an HTML page and JavaScript code to
update the progress element displayed on the with the value.
Note that the AsyncCompleteServlet developed in Code Snippet 4 has not been
enabled with the asynchronous behavior. Thus, the Servlet can be annotated either using the @
WebServlet annotation or configured in the deployment descriptor, web.xml.

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Code Snippet 5 displays the deployment descriptor, web.xml for configuring the
AsyncCompleteServlet.

Code Snippet 5:
<web-app>
...
<servlet>
<servlet-name>AsyncComplete</servlet-name>
<servlet-class>servlet.AsyncCompleteServlet</servlet-class>
<async-supported>true</async-supported>
</servlet>
<servlet-mapping>
<servlet-name>AsyncComplete</servlet-name>
<url-pattern>/asyncComplete</url-pattern>
</servlet-mapping>
</web-app>

Figure 6.2 shows the result of HTML page that receives progress updates from the asynchronous
Servlet.

Figure 6.2: Output of AsyncCompleteServlet Servlet

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6.2.2

Asynchronous Servlet Communication

AsyncListener Interface

When the AsyncContext object is processing the request and response asynchronously, it
passes through a series of events that monitor the life cycle of the AsyncContext object.
To handle these events, the AsyncContext object can be registered with the AsyncListener
interface. The AsyncListener interface defines the methods that are used to notify the events
occurring on the AsyncContext object.
You register an AsyncListener on an AsyncContext object by calling the
addListener() method on it.
Table 6.2 lists the methods of the AsyncListener interface.

Method

void onStartAsync
(AsyncEvent event)
void onComplete (AsyncEvent event)

Description

This method gets called when an asynchronous

operation has been initiated.
This method gets called when asynchronous
operation has completed.

void onError (AsyncEvent

event)
void onTimeout
(AsyncEvent event)

This method gets called in the event an

asynchronous operation has failed.
This method gets called when an asynchronous
has timed out, especially, when it failed to finish
within the specified timeout.
Table 6.2: Methods of AsyncListener Interface

All the four methods receive an AsyncEvent object that gets fired when the asynchronous
operation is started, completion of asynchronous processing, error occurrence, and timeout.
Code Snippet 6 demonstrates the code that AsyncListenerServlet class that registers
the listener to receive event notifications.

Code Snippet 6:
package servlet;
import java.io.IOException;
import javax.servlet.AsyncContext;
import javax.servlet.ServletException;
import javax.servlet.annotation.WebServlet;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;

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import listener.MyAsyncListener;

@WebServlet(name = AsyncListenerServlet, urlPatterns = { /

asyncListener }, asyncSupported = true)
public class AsyncListenerServlet extends HttpServlet {
private static final long serialVersionUID = 62738L;
@Override
public void doGet(final HttpServletRequest request,
HttpServletResponse response)throws ServletException,
IOException {
// Obtaining the Asynchronous context object
final AsyncContext asyncContext = request.startAsync();
//Setting the time out duration for asyncContext object
asyncContext.setTimeout(5000);
// Registering the events
asyncContext.addListener(new MyAsyncListener());
//Obtaining a new thread
asyncContext.start(new Runnable() {
@Override
public void run() {
try {
Thread.sleep(3000);
} catch (InterruptedException e) { ...}
String greeting = hi from listener;
System.out.println(wait.);
request.setAttribute(greeting, greeting);
asyncContext.dispatch(/test.jsp);
}});
}
}

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Code Snippet 7 shows the implementation of the AsyncListener interface methods.

Code Snippet 7:

public class MyAsyncListener implements AsyncListener {

@Override
public void onComplete(AsyncEvent asyncEvent)
throws IOException {
System.out.println(onComplete);
}
@Override
public void onError(AsyncEvent asyncEvent)
throws IOException {
System.out.println(onError);
}
@Override
public void onStartAsync(AsyncEvent asyncEvent)
throws IOException {
System.out.println(onStartAsync);
}
@Override
public void onTimeout(AsyncEvent asyncEvent)
throws IOException {
System.out.println(onTimeout);
}
}

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6.3

Server Push Mechanism in Servlet

The communication between the client and Web server is based on the HTTP protocol. The HTTP
protocol implements a strict request-response model, which means that the client sends a HTTP
request and waits until the HTTP response is received.
However, as the Web technologies are being updated with the asynchronous behavior, so the
need for creating more interactive applications have increased. This has led to the development
of modern Web clients that allow the page to interact with the server and update the page
without loading the whole page. The mechanism of sending the data asynchronously from the
Web server to the client, without redrawing the whole page is referred as server push.
There are many techniques to achieve server push mechanism in Web applications. However, one
of the most popular programming approaches used in modern Web applications is Asynchronous
Java and XML (AJAX).
Consider a situation where a Web page is called by a user to search for information about
musical albums. The page includes a text field which allows the user to enter the name of the
album. As soon as the user enters the first character of the search word, the Web application
attempts to complete the name by listing all album names whose first or last name begins with
the characters entered. This feature of auto-complete the search text is showing the AJAX
feature implementation in the Web application.
Using AJAX, the client Web browser uses a JavaScript code that fetches a small amount of data
from the Server and updates or integrates the displayed page with the received response from
the server, without fetching the entire page.

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Figure 6.3 shows the asynchronous communication of Web client and Web server based on AJAX
mechanism in the Web application.

Figure 6.3: Asynchronous Communication in Web Application

As shown in the figure, the Web application uses JavaScript to modify the clients page, whereas
the Web server uses the Java Servlet to process the HTTP request asynchronously.
The AJAX mechanism works with an XMLHttpRequest object that is used to pass the
requests and responses asynchronously between the client and server. All modern Web browsers
support the XMLHttpRequest object.

6.3.1

Developing Asynchronous Client

The XMLHttpRequest object is used in the JavaScript code to interact asynchronously with the
Web server.
Following are the steps for creating the asynchronous JavaScript client:
1.

Create an XMLHttpRequest object.

2.

Send the request to the server using the methods of the XMLHttpRequest object.

3.

Receive and process the response received from the server.

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Code Snippet 8 demonstrates the code to check the support for XMLHttpRequest object in
the HTML page and process the request and response using the XMLHttpRequest object.

Code Snippet 8:
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<SCRIPT TYPE=text/javascript>
function getXMLHttpRequest() {
var xmlHttpReq = false;
// Creating XMLHttpRequest object for non-Microsoft browsers
if (window.XMLHttpRequest) {
xmlHttpReq = new XMLHttpRequest();
} else if (window.ActiveXObject) {
try {
// Creating XMLHttpRequest object in later versions
// of Internet Explorer
xmlHttpReq = new ActiveXObject(Msxml2.XMLHTTP);
} catch (exp1) {
try {
// to create XMLHttpRequest object in older versions
// of Internet Explorer
xmlHttpReq = new ActiveXObject(Microsoft.XMLHTTP);
} catch (exp2) {
xmlHttpReq = false;
}
}
}
return xmlHttpReq;
}

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* AJAX call starts with this function*/

function makeRequest() {
var xmlHttpRequest = getXMLHttpRequest();
xmlHttpRequest.onreadystatechange =
getReadyStateHandler(xmlHttpRequest);
xmlHttpRequest.open(GET, helloWorld.do, true);
xmlHttpRequest.send();
}
/* Returns a function that waits for the state change in
XMLHttpRequest*/
function getReadyStateHandler(xmlHttpRequest) {
// an anonymous function returned
// it listens to the XMLHttpRequest instance
return function() {
if (xmlHttpRequest.readyState == 4) {
if (xmlHttpRequest.status == 200) {
document.getElementById(hello).innerHTML
xmlHttpRequest.responseText;

} else {
alert(HTTP error + xmlHttpRequest.status + :
+ xmlHttpRequest.statusText);
}
}
};
}

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The function getXMLHttpRequest() checks if the browser supports the
XMLHttpRequest object. If the object is supported, then create an XMLHttpRequest
object. For modern browser, the XMLHttpRequest() method is used, whereas for the
older version of the Internet Explorer browser, the XMLHttpRequest object is obtained using
ActiveXObject() method.
The next step is to send the asynchronous request to the Web server. To send the request,
the two methods namely, open() and send() of XMLHttpRequest object are invoked.
These methods ate used to prepare the HTTP Request and send it to the server.
The syntax of the open() is as follows:
Syntax:
open(method,url,async)
where,
method: Specifies the type of request method, that is, GET or POST is used to
send the request.
url: Specifies the location of the component handling the request on the server.
async: Specifies whether the asynchronous communication is supported or not.
The value can be true or false.
Here, the HTTP request GET method is used to send the data to the Servlet mapped with the
URL, helloWorld.do, and the asynchronous variable is set to true. The send() method
sends the data to the request. In case of GET method, the data is sent as the query string, so
nothing is sent with the send() method. However, if the method is POST, then send() method
will have the data.
Then the JavaScript code will wait for the server response. Once the server is ready with the
response, the onreadystatechange event is fired which indicates the change in the
state. In the onreadystatechange event, you can specify what to do when the server
response is ready to be processed. When readyState is 4 which means server has finished
processing request and ready with the response, then check the status is 200, which means
response status as OK.
The callback function is invoked and the response is processed to display the result on the page.

6.4

Non-blocking Input/Output in Servlet

Consider a situation when client is submitting a large HTTP POST request over a slow network
connection. Using traditional I/O, the container thread associated with this request would be
sometimes sitting idle waiting for the rest of the request. In this process, a large part of CPU
memory is wasted. Hence, Servlet API provides non-blocking I/O support for Servlets and filters
during asynchronous processing of requests.

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6.4.1

Asynchronous Servlet Communication

Implementation of Non-blocking I/O Support

The non-blocking I/O is supported by javax.servlet.ServletInputStream,

javax.servlet.ServletOutputStream, javax.servlet.ReadListener,
and javax.servlet.writeListener.
Following steps are used for non-blocking I/O to process requests and write responses inside
service methods:
1.

Enable the asynchronous mode for the Servlet using the @WebServlet annotation. For
example, @WebServlet(urlPatterns={/asyncioservlet},
asyncSupported=true)

2.

Obtain an input stream and/or an output stream from the request and response objects in
the service() method.

3.

Assign a read listener to the input stream and/or a write listener to the output stream.

4.

Process the request and the response inside the listeners callback methods.

Code Snippet 9 demonstrates the use of non-blocking I/O in the asynchronous Servlet.

Code Snippet 9:
package com.basics;
import java.io.IOException;
import javax.servlet.AsyncContext;
import javax.servlet.ServletInputStream;
import javax.servlet.annotation.WebServlet;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
@WebServlet(urlPatterns={/asyncioservlet},
asyncSupported=true)
public class FirstServlet extends HttpServlet{
@Override
public void doPost(HttpServletRequest request,
HttpServletResponse response)throws IOException {

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final AsyncContext acontextResponse = request.startAsync();

final ServletInputStream inputStream = request.
getInputStream();

inputStream.setReadListener(new ReadListener() {

byte buffer[] = new byte[4*1024];

StringBuilder sbuilder = new StringBuilder();

public void onDataAvailable() {

try {

do {

int length = inputStream.read(buffer);

sbuilder.append(new String(buffer, 0, length));

} while(inputStream.isReady());
} catch (IOException ex) { ex.printStackTrace(); }

public void onAllDataRead() {

try {

acontextResponse.getResponse().getWriter()

.write(...the response...);

} catch (IOException ex) { ex.printStackTrace(); }

acontextResponse.complete();

});

}
}

Code Snippet 9 enables the servlet with asynchronous processing. The AsyncContext
object named acontextResponse is created to process the request asynchronously. Then,
the Servlet obtains the input stream associated with the request and assigns a read listener
defined as an inner class. The listener reads parts of the request as they become available and
then writes some response to the client when it finishes reading the request.

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6.5

Asynchronous Servlet Communication

Protocol Upgrade Processing

Different client sent requests to server through different protocols. Some client change protocol
information in protocol information. With Servlet 3.1 API, the HTTP protocol has been upgraded
from HTTP 1.0 to HTTP 1.1. HTTP 1.0 was a stateless protocol, whereas HTTP 1.1 can persist the
connection between the client and the server. The advantage of persistent connection is that the
connection is alive and can be used for multiple requests with the client.

6.5.1

Upgrading to HTTP 1.1 Protocol

In HTTP/1.1, on a current connection, using the Upgrade header field, clients can switch to a
different protocol. If the server accepts the request, of switching to the protocol as indicated by the
client, an HTTP response with status 101 (switching protocols) is generated. After this, the client
and the server communicate using the new protocol.
Code Snippet 10 demonstrates the use of headers to upgrade the protocol information in the
response.

Code Snippet 10:

import javax.servlet.annotation.WebServlet;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
@WebServlet(urlPatterns={/ABCDresource})
public class ABCDUpgradeServlet extends HttpServlet {
@Override
public void doGet(HttpServletRequest request,
HttpServletResponse response) {
if (ABCD.equals(request.getHeader(Upgrade))) {
/* Accept upgrade request */
response.setStatus(101);
response.setHeader(Upgrade, ABCD);
} else {

/* ... write error response ... */

}
}

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The class is used to read the request header and upgrade the protocol data.

Code Snippet 11 shows the implementation of HttpUpgradeHandler.

Code Snippet 11:

package com.authentication;
import javax.servlet.ServletInputStream;
import javax.servlet.ServletOutputStream;
public class ABCDUpgradeHandler implements HttpUpgradeHandler {
public XYZPUpgradeHandler upgrade(XYZPUpgradeHandler protocol){
return protocol;
}
public void destroy() { }
}

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Check Your Progress

1.

2.

3.

4.

Which of the following class does not supports the Servlet Non-blocking I/O?
(A)

javax.servlet.ServletInputStream

(B)

javax.servlet.ServletOutputStream

(C)

javax.servlet.ReadListener

(D)

javax.servlet.writingListener

hich of the following object is used for performing asynchronous communication in

W
JavaScript ?
(A)

XMLHttpRequest

(B)

XMLHttpResponse

(C)

HTMLHttpRequest

(D)

HTMLHttpResponse

Which of the following is not AsyncListener method?

(A)

onStartAsync

(B)

onComplete

(C)

onTimeout

(D)

onErrors

Which of the following attribute value is set to true for creating a asynchronous Servlet?
(A)

asyncSupported

(B)

async

(C)

syncSupported

(D)

sync

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Check Your Progress

5.

Which of the following method returns AsyncContext object?

(A)

startAsync()

(B)

stopAsync()

(C)

Async()

(D)

firstAsync()

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Answer
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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Summary
The architecture of the Servlet is based on multithreaded model. In this model, the Web
container normally creates a pool of threads ready to serve the client with the Servlet
instance.
The Java Servlet API provides asynchronous processing support for servlets and filters
in the Web applications.
In asynchronous processing, a Servlet thread waiting for a resource is released by the
container and returned to the pool.
The class javax.servlet.AsyncContext is used to process the request asynchronously
within the Servlet.
To handle these events, the AsyncContext object can be registered with the AsyncListener interface.
The mechanism of sending the data asynchronously from the Web server to the client,
without redrawing the whole page is referred as server push.
One of the most popular programming approach used in modern Web applications to
push the server data to the client is performed using AJAX mechanism.
The AJAX mechanism works with an XMLHttpRequest object that is used to pass the
requests and responses asynchronously between the client and server.
Servlet API provides non-blocking I/O support for Servlets and filters to process input
and output asynchronously in the request.
With Servlet 3.1 API, the HTTP protocol has been upgraded from HTTP 1.0 to HTTP 1.1.
HTTP 1.0 was a stateless protocol, whereas HTTP 1.1 can persist the connection
between the client and the server.

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Welcome to the Session, JavaServer Pages.

This session will give an insight to the basics of JavaServer Pages (JSP) and its features. The session explains
the life cycle of JSP page managed by the JSP container. Further, the session explains the various scriptlet and
directive tags available in a JSP page.

In this Session, you will learn to:

Explain the need of JSP

List the benefits of JSP

Identify the situations where to use JSP and servlets

Explain JSP architecture

Identify various phases in the life cycle of a JSP page

Explain the various scriptlet elements in JSP

List and explain the use of various directives in JSP

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7.1

Introduction

Consider a situation where a developer has to greet the user on his/her successful registration on
the page. To accomplish this task, if the Servlet technology is used, the GreetingServlet
class is created. The GreetingServlet processes the request and generates a response
to be sent to the client.
Figure 7.1 shows the GreetingServlet class.

Figure 7.1: Servlet Code

As seen in figure 7.1, to generate the output, the GreetingServlet code uses Java code
that will display the string value in the output. Also, the code contains HTML elements embedded
in the same Servlet that take care of the presentation of the string on the Web page.
The HTML elements represent the template data displayed on the Web page. However, embedding
HTML elements along with the Java code result in the development of rigid applications, which
have a tight coupling between presentation and application layer. Also, any modifications in the
Servlet results in page re-compilation, which means embedded HTML elements are also recompiled.
Thus, to segregate the presentation text from the application, Sun laid a new specification
referred to as Java Server Pages (JSP). The JSP specification is an extension of the existing
Servlet API and leverages all the features of Servlets.

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7.1.1

JavaServer Pages

JSP Page

A JSP page is a text document containing static content, JSP tags, and Java code which
simplifies the generation of dynamic contents. The static contents are expressed as HTML,
XML, or XHTML markup tags and are used to generate the user interfaces on the page. The
Java code and JSP elements are used to generate dynamic contents on the Web page.
Thus, the segregation of HTML tags and JSP tags separates the presentation code from the
application code.

7.1.2

Application Layers

Figure 7.2 shows the application layers in the Web application.

Figure 7.2: Web Application Layers

Most software applications consist of following three layers:
Presentation layer contains user interface and code to build the interface.
Application or Business layer contains code to validate data accepted in presentation logic
and other task specific code.
Data access layer contains code to operate on the databases.
In a three-tier architecture, code related to each layer is separated from each other. JSP is used in
presentation layer for presenting dynamic content on the Web page.

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7.1.3

Benefits of JSP

JSP helps to access server data efficiently and with greater speed. Some of the advantages of
using JSP are:
Separation of content generation from presentation

JSP separates content generation from presentation by implementing presentation logic in

a JSP page and content logic on server in a JavaBean component.
Emphasizing reusable components

JSP pages use reusable components, such as JavaBeans which can be used by multiple
programs. JavaBeans enables to perform complex functions in a JSP page. These beans
can be shared and exchanged among the tiers of the Web application.
Simplified page development

JSP allows a Web developer with limited knowledge in scripting language to design a
page. Programmers can also generate dynamic content using standard tags provided by
JSP.
Access and instantiate JavaBean components
JSP supports the use of JavaBean components with JSP language elements. You can easily create and initialize beans and get and set their values.

7.1.4

Use of Servlet and JSP

JSP technology simplifies the process of creating pages by separating the Web presentation
from Web content. In most of the applications, the response sent to the client is a combination
of template data and dynamically generated data. In this situation, it is much easier to work with
JSP pages than to do everything with servlets.
Servlets are well suited for handling binary data dynamically, for example, for uploading files or
for creating dynamic images, since they need not contain any display logic.

7.2

JSP Life Cycle

Every JSP page is translated into a Servlet on a Web server, before execution. The translated
Servlet is responsible for handling the request and generating dynamic responses.

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7.2.1

JavaServer Pages

Architecture of JSP

Figure 7.3 depicts JSP architecture.

Figure 7.3: JSP Architecture

Whenever the Web browser sends a URL to the Web server requesting a JSP page, the Web
engine passes the requested JSP file to the JSP container which parses the JSP file to generate
a Servlet source code. This servlet source code is compiled into a .class file and is instantiated by
the life cycle methods. The HTML output from the compiled Servlet is sent through the Internet and
results are displayed on the users Web browser.

7.2.2

Life Cycle Phases of JSP

During the process of parsing and compiling a JSP page into the Servlet, the JSP page is passed
through two phases which are described as follows:
Translation Phase
Translation is the first phase of JSP life cycle. In this phase, a servlet code to implement
JSP tags is automatically generated, compiled, and loaded into the Servlet container. During translation, the JSP engine writes the entire static contents such as markup tags to the
response stream in the Servlet. Similarly, the JSP elements are converted into the equivalent
Java code in the generated Servlet code.

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Figure 7.4 depicts the translation of JSP page into the Servlet class.

Figure 7.4: Translation Phase

After translation, the Servlet source code is compiled to .class file which is a compiled
Servlet class. This generated .class file in handed to the Servlet container for managing
the Servlet life cycle methods.

The process of translation is performed only for the first time invocation of the JSP page.
For all subsequent requests, the compiled Servlet is loaded into the Servlet container for
execution.
Execution Phase
The execution of JSP page is similar to the Servlets execution. The generated Servlet
class must implement the javax.servlet.jsp.HttpJspPage interface defined
in the JSP API. The HttpJspPage interface defines the life cycle methods.
The life cycle methods are executed by the Servlet container on the loaded instance of the
converted Servlet. These methods are as follows:
jspInit() Is similar to init() method of Servlet and is invoked on the instantiated Servlet to initialize it with the parameters. A JSP page can override this
method by including a definition for it in a declaration element.
_ jspService() Is similar to service() method of Servlet and is invoked
by the Servlet container at each request. This method is defined automatically by
the JSP container and corresponds to the body of the JSP page.
jspDestroy() Is executed by the Servlet container before destroying the JSP
page from the memory.

7.3

Elements of a JSP Page

A JSP page contains HTML tags, which display static content on a Web page. It also contains
JSP tags which are used to generate dynamic content. These tags are categorized into standard
tags and custom tags.
The standard tags are used to process request, include Java objects and directives, and perform
actions on the JSP page. These tags include scripting tags, directive tags, and action tags. All
the tags are written within angular brackets <>.

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Custom tags perform operations, such as processing forms, accessing databases, and other
enterprise services, such as e-mail and directories.

7.3.1

Scripting Tags

The JSP tags are used to embed Java code snippets in the JSP page for generating dynamic
contents on the Web page. These tags are as follows:
Expressions
JSP expressions can be used to display individual variables or the result of some calculation
on a Web page.
A JSP expression contains a Java statement whose value will be evaluated and inserted
into the generated Web page. At run time, JSP expression is evaluated and the result is
converted into a string. This evaluated string will be displayed on the Web page.
Syntax:
<%= Java Expression %>
where,
<%= is the opening delimiter for the scriptlet.
Java Expression indicates a valid Java statement.
%> is the closing delimiter.

For example, the expression, <%= Math.PI%> looks similar to a markup is a Java expression that will insert the value of PI into the output.
Scriptlets
A JSP scriptlet is used to embed Java code within an HTML code. The Java code is inserted
into the _jspService() method of the servlet. The scriptlets are executed when the
request of the client is being processed. The scriptlets are used to add complex data to an
HTML form.
Syntax:
<%= Java code fragment %>

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Figure 7.5 depicts the use of scriptlet in a JSP page.

Declarations

Figure 7.5: Using Scriptlet in a JSP Page

JSP declarations allow the user to define variables and methods that are inserted into the
Servlet, outside the service() method.
You can declare variables within the scriptlet tag also, but that variable will be local to that
scriptlet. However, variable declared using the declaration tag will be visible in the whole
JSP page. Also, methods cannot be declared within the scriptlet tag.
A single declaration tag can be used to define multiple variables of same data type.
Syntax:
<%! Java declaration code %>

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Code Snippet 1 demonstrates the use of declaration tag in the JSP page.

Code Snippet 1:

<html>
...

<body>

<h3>Area of a Rectangle</h3>

<%! int length = 20, breadth = 30, area = 0; %>

<%! private String units = cm; %>
<% area = length * breadth; %>

<p> The area of the Rectangle is:

<%= area %> <%= units %>

</p>

</body>

</html>

Figure 7.6 shows the output of Code Snippet 1.

Comments

Figure 7.6: Output Declaration Tag

JSP comments are used for documenting JSP code which should not be visible to the client
when viewing the source of the Web page. These comments are called server-side comments and are encoded within <%-- and --%> symbol.
Syntax:
<%-- a JSP comment --%>
Example: <%-- This is the JSP comment in a file --%>

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7.4

Directive Tags

JSP directives control the processing of the entire page. These directives identify the packages
to be imported and the interfaces to be implemented. However, these directives do not produce
any output. They inform the JSP engine about the actions to be performed on the JSP page.
The overall structure of the Servlet class is affected by JSP directives.
Syntax:
<%@ directiveName attribute = value%>
where,
directiveName is the name of the directive.
attribute is attribute of directive.
value is the value of attribute specified.
You can declare these directives anywhere on the page. However, mostly they are declared at
the top of the JSP page.
In JSP, there are three directives:
page - The page directive provides instructions that control the structure of the page.
include The include directive includes static contents on the current JSP page.
taglib The taglib directive includes the custom library tags on the JSP page.

7.4.1

page Directive

The page directive provides instructions that control the structure of the page. It can be used to
import classes from the packages, set the content type for the page, enable or disable page as
error page, set the language on the page, and so on.
The page directive defines and manipulates a number of important attributes that affect the
entire JSP page. A page directive is written at the beginning of a JSP page.
A JSP page can contain any number of page directives. All directives in the page are processed
together during translation and result is applied together to the JSP page.
For example, <%@ page import=java.util.*,java.io.* %> is used to import
more than one package in the JSP page. If more than one package is imported, then separate the
package names by commas.
Some of the attributes that can be defined for a page are:
language
The language attribute of the page directive is used to specify the language of the
script. The default value of language in a JSP page is Java.

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errorPage
A path name to this JSP file sends exceptions. If the pathname begins with a /, the path
is relative to the root directory and is resolved by the Web server. If not, the path name is
relative to the current JSP file.
autoFlush
The buffered output is flushed automatically when the buffer is full. If the autoFlush is
set to true, which is default value, the buffer will be flushed. Otherwise, an exception will be
thrown when the buffer overflows.
session
The client must join an HTTP session in order to use the JSP page. If the value is true, the
session object refers to the current or new session. The default value for session is true.
Syntax:
<%@ page attribute %>
where,
page indicates page directive.
attribute specifies attribute-value pair of page directive.
The valid parameters are:

<%@ page language=java

extends=className

import=className{,+}
session=true|false

buffer=none|sizeInKB
autoFlush=true|false

isThreadSafe=true|false
info=text

errorPage=jspUrl

isErrorPage=true|false
et}

contentType=mimeType{;charset=chars

%>

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Code Snippet 2 demonstrates how to set the language on the JSP page by using the
page directive.

Code Snippet 2:
<html>

<%@ page language=Java %>

<head>

<title>Testing Page Directive</title>

</head>
<body>

<h1>Testing Page Directive</h1>

This page is testing Page Directive.

</body>
</html>

7.4.2

include Directive

The include directive is used to insert content of another resource in a JSP page at run time.
The contents are included physically during page translation. The resource or content can be a
file in a text-based format, such as text, HTML, or JSP.
The remote resource should be given with the proper relative file path in the include directive.
Syntax:
<%@ include file = Filename %>
where,
include indicates the directive.
Filename specifies the name of a file to include along with relative path.

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Figure 7.7 depicts the include directive.

Figure 7.7: include Directive

7.4.3

taglib Directive

The taglib directive allows the JSP page to create custom tags, which are defined by the user.
Custom tags have access to all the objects that are available for a JSP page.
A tag library is a group of custom tags that extend the functionality of a JSP page one after the
other. The taglib directive specifies name of the tag library, which contains compiled Java code
for a tag to be used. Using this tag library, the JSP engine determines what action is to be taken
when a particular tag appears in a JSP page.
Syntax:
<%@ taglib uri=tagLibraryURI prefix=tagPrefix %>
where,
tagLibraryURI specifies Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) that identifies the tag
library descriptor.
prefix specifies tag name that is used to define a custom tag.
tagPrefix defines the prefix string in prefix:tagname.

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Figure 7.8 depicts the taglib directive.

Figure 7.8: taglib Directive

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Check Your Progress

1.

2.

3.

Identify which of the following statements related to JSP pages are true.
(A)

JSP implements presentation logic in a JSP page and content logic on server
in a JavaBean.

(B)

JavaBeans cannot be shared and exchanged among Web programmers.

(C)

By using standard tags, even programmers with limited knowledge in

scripting language, can design a JSP page.

(D)

Java Server Pages is used in Application layer.

(A)

A, C

(C) B, C

(B)

B, D

(D) A, D

Which one is the correct option from the following statements for translation unit?
(A)

A JSP page only includes the contents of servlet pages.

(B)

The translation unit processes the JSP page and converts it to HTML page.

(C)

The translation unit consists of the JSP source file as well as all of its static
include files.

(D)

Dynamic include files form a part of the translation unit.

Which are the correct options from the following statements for creating JSP
expressions?
(A)
(B)

JSP expressions are used to display individual variables, or the result of some
calculation in a Web page.
A JSP expression contains a JSP statement whose value will be inserted into
the generated Web page.

(C)

At run time, JSP expression is evaluated and the result is converted into a
string.

(D)

The expression is used to access the servlet elements in JSP.

(E)

The evaluated string in a JSP expression is directed to the JSP page.

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Check Your Progress

4.

5.

(A)

A, C, D

(C) A, C, E

(B)

A, B, C

(D) A, D

Which one is the correct option from the following statements for creating JSP
scriptlets?
(A)

A JSP scriptlet is used to embed Java code within a JSP code.

(B)

The Java code is inserted into the jspService() method of the servlet.

(C)

The scriptlets are executed when the request of the server is being processed.

(D)

The scriptlets are used to add data to a JSP form.

Which is the correct syntax of directive from the following options?

<%@
directivename
attribute="value"
(A)
attribute="value" %>
<!@
directivename
attribute="value"
(B)
attribute="value" !>
(C)
(D)

6.

<%@
directivename
attribute="value" !>
<!@
directivename
attribute="value" %>

attribute="value"
attribute="value"

Which is the correct option from the following statements for include directive?
The include directive is used to insert content of another resource in a JSP
(A)
page at run time.
The remote resource should be given with the file path in the include
(B)
directive.
(C)

The remote resource is a servlet file in a text-based format.

(D)

The include directive is used for including the page description in a Servlet.

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Answer
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

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Summary

JSP technology is used for developing dynamic Web sites and provides server-side
scripting support for creating Web applications.

A JSP page is a mixture of standard HTML tags, Web page content, and dynamic
content that is specified using JSP elements.

The JSP elements are expressions, scriptlets, comments, declarations, directives, and
actions.

Directives are used to specify the structure of the resulting servlet and actions are JSP
tags that transfer control to other server objects or perform operations on other objects.

The page directive is used to set the page attributes, such as the language to be used
and encoding format.

The include directive is used to insert a file referenced in the directive into the JSP page.

The taglib directive links the JSP page to an XML document that describes a set of
custom JSP tags and determines which tag handler class can implement the action of
each tag.

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Welcome to the Session, JSP Implicit Objects.

This session explains the use of implicit objects in a JSP page. The session provides the
explanation on the different types of implicit objects available in JSP.
In this Session, you will learn to:

Explain the concept of implicit objects in JSP

List various types of implicit objects in JSP

Explain how to use the request object

Explain how to use the response object

Explain how to use the out object

Explain how to use the session object

Explain how to use the application object

Explain how to use the pageContext object

Explain how to use the page object

Explain how to use the config object

Explain how to use the exception object

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8.1

Implicit Objects

Implicit objects are basically a set of Java objects that are available in the every JSP page. These
objects are created and loaded by the Web container. This means a Web programmers do not
need to create implicit objects in a JSP page, as they are automatically available on the page.
The implicit objects are also referred to as pre-defined variables and are accessible within the
scripting elements in the JSP page.

8.1.1

Types of Implicit Objects

When the JSP page is translated into a Servlet class, all the implicit objects declarations are
taken within the _jspService() method. Some of the implicit objects provided by JSP are
classified into categories that are as follows:
Input and output objects

The objects control page input and output. These include objects such as request,
response, and out. The request object controls the data coming into the page. The
response object controls the information generated as a result of request object.
The out object controls the output data generated as a response to the request.
Scope communication and control objects

The scope communication objects provide access to all the objects available in the given
scope. Objects in a JSP application are accessible according to the specified scope. The
scope of an object is the section where that object is accessible.
Servlet objects

These objects provide information about the page context. It processes request object
from a client and sends the response object back to the client.
Error object
The object handles error in a JSP page using an implicit object known as Exception.
You can access this object by declaring your JSP page as an error page. To do so,
use the isErrorPage attribute of the page directive. For example, <%@page
isErrorPage=true%>.

8.2

Input and Output Objects

The input object represents the input data passed through an HTTP request to the JSP page.
Similarly, the output object handles the content to be sent to the client in response.

8.2.1

Request Object

The request object contains the information sent from the client browser through HTTP
protocol.
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The information stored in the request object includes the source of the request, the requested URL
headers, cookies, and parameters associated with the request.
When the JSP page is translated into the Servlet class, the request object is passed as a reference
of the javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest interface by the container. The
scope of the request object is page-level which means that the object will be accessible only
in the current page.
Table 8.1 lists some of the methods of the request object available on the JSP page for the
developers.

Method

public java.lang.String
getParameter(java.lang.
String name)

Description
This method returns the value of a request
parameter as a string, or null if the parameter
does not exist.

For example, value = request.

getParameter(paramName);
public java.lang.String[] This method returns an array of string objects
getParameterValues(java. which contains all the values the given request
lang.String name)
parameter has or null if the parameter does not
exist.

public java.
util.Enumeration
getParameterNames()

public void
setAttribute(java.lang.
String name,java.lang.
Object o)
public java.lang.Object
getAttribute(java.lang.
String name)

For example, String values[] =

request.getParameterValues(par
amName);
This method returns an enumeration of string
objects, which contains the names of the
parameters. If the request has no parameters, this
method returns an empty enumeration.
For example, enumeration names =
request.getParameterNames();
This method stores an attribute in the request.
Attributes are reset between requests.
For example, String personName =
new String(Grace);request.
setAttribute(name,
personName);
This method returns the name of the string from
the named attribute.
For example, String personName
= (String) request.
getAttribute(name);

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Method

public java.lang.String
getRemoteHost()

public java.lang.String
getRemoteAddr()

Description
This method returns the name of the client or the
last proxy that sends the request. If the hostname
is not resolved this method returns the dottedstring form of the IP address.
For example, host: <%=request.
getRemoteHost()%>
This method returns the Internet protocol address
of the client or last proxy that sent the request.
For example, addr: <%=request.
getRemoteAddr()%>

Table 8.1: Methods of request Object

Code Snippet 1 demonstrates the methods of request object to receive data from a registration
page.

Code Snippet 1:
<!-- index.jsp -->
...

<form action=register.jsp>
First Name:
<input type=text name=firstname>
<br/> <br/>
Favorite Game:
<input type=checkbox name=game value=Cricket>Cricket<BR>
<input type=checkbox name=game value=Hockey>Hockey<BR>
<input type=checkbox name=game value=Baseball>
Baseball<BR>
<input type=checkbox name=game
value=Badminton>Badminton<BR>
<br/> <br/>
<input type=submit value=Submit name=Submit>
</form>
...

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/* register.jsp */

. . .
<%
// Retrieves data from text field
String firstName = request.getParameter(firstname);
// Retrieves data from check boxes and list box
String favGame[] = request.getParameterValues(game);
// Displays the form data
out.println(Name is: + <font color=blue> + firstName + </
font>);
out.println(<br/><br/>Favorite Game: + \n);
for (int i = 0; i < favGame.length; i++) {
out.println(\t<font color=blue> + favGame[i] + </
font>);
}
%>
<br/> <br/> The parameters sent to the Servlet are: <br/>
<font color=blue>
<%
Enumeration enumParam = request.getParameterNames();
while (enumParam.hasMoreElements()) {
String str = (String) enumParam.nextElement();
out.println(str);
}
%>
</font>
...

In the code, the getParameter() method is used to retrieve a value from the text field which is a
string value. To retrieve multiple selected values from the check box, getParameterValues()
method is used. This method returns multiple value in an array.
The getParameterNames() method is used to retrieve the names of the parameters sent
in the request string.
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8.2.2

response Object

The response implicit object manages the response generated by JSP and uses HTTP
protocol to send the response to client. The response object is a reference of the javax.
servlet.http.HttpServletResponse interface.
Table 8.2 lists some of the methods of response object to be used in the JSP page.

Method

Description

Example

public void
addCookie(Cookie
cookie)

The method adds the

specified cookie to the
response. This method can
be called more than once to
set more than one cookies.

public void sendRedirect(java.

lang.String location)throws
java.io.IOException)

Cookie MyCookie = new

Cookie(RollNumber,
156);
MyCookie.tMaxAge
(60*60*24*7*26);
response.
addCookie(MyCookie);

response.sendRedirect
The method sends a
temporary redirect response (myserver.com/
thePage.htm?ID=737);
to the client using the
specified redirect location
URL. This method can also
accept relative URLs.

public java.
lang.String
encodeURL(java.
lang.String url)

response.
The method is used to
encodeURL(buyerPage.
encode the specified URL
by including session id. This jasp);
form of the url can be used
in html tags that use a url,
such as <a href>.
This enables the server to
keep track of the session.

public java.
lang.String
encode
RedirectUrl
(java.lang.
String url)

The method returns a

rewritten url that can be
used with the sendRedirect
method of response object.

if (name == null){
response.
endRedirect(response.
edirectURL(homePage.
jsp))
}

Table 8.2: Methods of response Object

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JSP Implicit Objects

out Object

The out object represents the output stream. This output stream will be sent to the client as
a response for the request. The out object is an instance of the javax.servlet.jsp.
JspWriter class. It uses all standard write(), print(), and println()
methods defined in javax.servlet.jsp.JspWriter class to display the output. It has
page scope.
Some of the methods of out object are as follows:
public abstract void flush()throws java.io.IOException
This method flushes the buffer. Only the invocation of flush() will flush all the buffers in a
chain of writers and output streams. The method may be invoked indirectly if the buffer size
is more.
Code Snippet 2 shows how to flush the page content.

Code Snippet 2:
out.flush();
<jsp:forward page=login.jsp/>

public abstract void clear()throws java.io.IOException

This method clears the contents of the buffer. If the buffer has been already been flushed
then the clear operation will throw an IOException.
Code Snippet 3 shows how to clear the buffer.

Code Snippet 3:
// If buffer is not empty, buffer is cleared
if (out.getBufferSize() != 0)
out.clear();

public abstract void close()throws java.io.IOException

For the JspWriter, this method need not be invoked explicitly as the code generated by the
JSP container will automatically include close().
Code Snippet 4 shows the use of close() method.

Code Snippet 4:
out.print(Welcome!!!);
out.close();

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 ublic abstract void println(java.lang.String x)throws

p
java.io.IOException
This method prints a string and then terminates the line. It behaves as the combination of
print(String) and then println().

For example, out.println(The output is: + ex);


public abstract void print(java.lang.String s)throws java.
io.IOException
This method prints a string. If the argument is null, then the string null is printed.
Code Snippet 5 demonstrates the use of print() method.

Code Snippet 5:
out.print(Welcome!!!);
out.print(To Aptech Training);

8.3

Scope Communication Objects

Apart from the implicit objects, a JSP page can also access Java objects that are created
explicitly. These objects are either created within the scriptlets or through actions. Example of
an action can be creation of a JavaBean object on the Web page.
Each created object is associated with a scope attribute which defines where the object is
accessible and its lifetime.

8.3.1

session Object

The session object provides all the objects available in the JSP pages within the session. A
session expires when the user does not send any request for a long time or when the user closes
the Web browser. This object is an instance of javax.servlet.http.HttpSession
interface. It has session scope.
Some of the methods are as follows:
public boolean isNew()
In Web applications such as shopping cart, when a visitor opens a page, the server needs
to check whether a session already exists or not. The isNew() method is used for checking
whether the session is newly created in this page or not. This will return false if a session
already exists and true otherwise.

public void setAttribute(java.lang.String name,java.lang.
Object value)
In shopping cart, when a visitor opens a page with the username, the
setAttribute() method holds the objects in the existing session.

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Code Snippet 6 demonstrates how to associate a new session object with the request.

Code Snippet 6:

...
<%
if (session.isNew())
{
UserLogin userLoginObj = new UserLogin(name, password);
session.setAttribute(loginuser, userLoginObj);
}
%>
...

In the code, the userLoginObj is an object of the UserLogin class which stores session data, such as username and password. The setAttribute() method maps the
userLoginObj to the loginuser which as a name to access the object.
public java.lang.Object getAttribute(java.lang.String name)
The method returns the object bound with the specified name in the current session, otherwise returns null.
Code Snippet 7 shows how to access the named HttpSession object.

Code Snippet 7:
...
<%
String name = (String) session.getAttribute(loginuser);
%>
<table border=1>
<tr>
<td> User name: </td>
<td> <% out.print(name); %> </td>
</tr>
</table>
...

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public java.util.Enumeration getAttributeNames()

The method returns an enumeration of string objects. The string contains the names of all
the objects bound to this session.
public void invalidate()
The method invalidates a session and then release the objects bound to it.
Code Snippet 8 shows how to invalidate a session.

Code Snippet 8:
<%
// Retrieve the users session
HttpSession session = request.getSession();
// Invalidate the session
session.invalidate();
%>

public void removeAttribute(java.lang.String name)

The method removes the object bounded with the specified name from this session. For
example, session.removeAttribute(loginuser);

8.3.2

application Object

The application object is used to share the data between all application pages. So all users can
share the information of a given application using the application object. The application object
can be accessed by any JSP present in the application. The application object is an instance of
the javax.servlet.ServletContext interface. It has application scope.
Some of the methods of application object are:

ublic void setAttribute(java.lang.String name, java.lang.

p
Object object)
The method binds an object to a given attribute name in this servlet context.

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Code Snippet 9 shows how to set an attribute to be accessed in any JSP page in the application.

Code Snippet 9:
...
<%
String Initialized = yes;
application.setAttribute(init, Initialized);
%>

public java.lang.Object getAttribute(java.lang.String name)

The method returns the servlet container attribute with the given name or null if there is no
attribute.
public java.util.Enumeration getAttributeNames()
The method returns an enumeration containing the attribute names available within this
servlet context.
Code Snippet 10 demonstrates how to retrieve all application objects set in the application.

Code Snippet 10:

<%
String username=john;
String password=apt001;
application.setAttribute(username, username);
application.setAttribute(password, password);
// Retrieves all attributes
Enumeration enum=application.getAttributeNames();
// Print the attributes
while(enum.hasMoreElements()){
String attrName=(String)enum.nextElement();
out.println(attrName+<BR>);
}
%>

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public void removeAttribute(java.lang.String name)

The method removes the attribute with the given name from the servlet context. For
example, application.removeAttribute(password);
public java.lang.String getServerInfo()
The method returns the name and version of the servlet container on which the servlet is
running. For example, out.println(Server Information:+ application.getServerInfo());
public void log(java.lang.String msg)
The method writes the specified message to a servlet log file, usually an event log. For
example, application.log (Hello log Message);

8.3.3

pageContext Object

The pageContext object allows user to access all the implicit objects defined in the
page scope. The pageContext object is an instance of the javax.servlet.jsp.
PageContext class. It uses methods defined in the PageContext class to access implicit
objects in a Web page.
The javax.servlet.jsp.PageContext class provides following fields that are used
by pageContext object to find the scope or specify the scope of the objects.
PAGE _ SCOPE

This specifies the scope for attributes stored in the pageContext object. This is the
default.
REQUEST _ SCOPE
This specifies the scope for attributes stored in the request object. It remains available
until current request is complete.
SESSION _ SCOPE

This specifies the scope for attributes stored in the session object. It remains available
until HttpSession object is invalidated.
APPLICATION _ SCOPE

This specifies the scope for attributes stored in the application object. It remains
available until it is reclaimed.

The pageContext object provides methods to access all attributes defined by implicit object
in a page. The pageContext object also provide methods to transfer the control from one
Web page to another.
The methods are:

public abstract void setAttribute(java.lang.String name,
java.lang.Object value, int scope)
The method registers the name and value specified with appropriate scope. If the value
passed in is null, this method functions in the same way as removeAttribute(name,
scope).
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getAttribute()
This method returns the object associated with the name in the page scope, otherwise it
returns null. It throws java.lang.NullPointerException, if the name is null.
Syntax:
public abstract java.lang.Object getAttribute(java.lang.String
name)

where,
name is attribute name to be retrieved.
Code Snippet 11 shows the pageContext object used to set and retrieve the object.

Code Snippet 11:

<%
String personName = Cleveland;
pageContext.setAttribute(name, personName, APPLICATION_
SCOPE);
%>
...
<%
String personName = (String) pageContext.getAttribute(name,
APPLICATION_SCOPE);
out.print(Person name: + personName);
%>

p
ublic abstract java.util.Enumeration
getAttributeNamesInScope(int scope)
This method enumerates all the attributes in a given scope. It throws java.lang.IllegalArgumentException if the scope is invalid.

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Code Snippet 12 demonstrates how to retrieve all the objects with request scope.

Code Snippet 12:

// Prints all attribute names with request scope
<%
for (java.util.Enumeration e = pageContext.
getAttributeNamesInScope(
javax.servlet.jsp.PageContext.REQUEST_SCOPE) ;
e.hasMoreElements(); ) { %>
<%= e.nextElement() %><br>
<% } %>

p
ublic abstract void removeAttribute(java.lang.String
name)
This method removes the object reference associated with the given name from all the
scopes. It throws java.lang.NullPointerException, if the name is null.
Code Snippet 13 demonstrates how to remove the objects from the JSP page.

Code Snippet 13:

<%
out.println(User Name: + request.getAttribute(Name) +
<br/>);
out.println(Password: + request.getAttribute(Password)
+ <br/>);
pageContext.removeAttribute(Password);
%>

8.4

Servlet Objects

Servlet object is a representation of the JSP page.

8.4.1

page Object

The page object is an instance of the java.lang.Object. The object is not frequently used
by JSP programmers. A page object is an instance of the servlet processing the current request
in a JSP page. It has page scope.

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Code Snippet 14 demonstrates how to access the methods of the Servlet through page object.

Code Snippet 14:

<%
out.println(this.getServletInfo());
out.println(((Servlet)page).getServletInfo());
%>

As the variable page is of the type Object, to access the Servlet methods, you have to type cast
it with the Servlet.

8.4.2

config Object

The config object stores the information of the servlet, which is created during the compilation
of a JSP page. The config object is an instance of the javax.servlet.ServletConfig
interface.
The interface provides methods to retrieve servlet initialization parameters. The config object
represents the configuration of the servlet data where a JSP page is complied. The configuration
data is stored in the form of initialization parameters. It has page scope.
Some of the methods are as follows:

public java.lang.String getInitParameter(java.lang.String
name)
This method returns a string which contains the value of the named initialization parameter,
otherwise it returns null.
public java.util.Enumeration getInitParameterNames()
This method returns the names of the servlets initialization parameters as an enumeration
of string objects. Otherwise it returns an empty enumeration object, if the servlet has no
initialization parameters.

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Code Snippet 15 demonstrates the method that retrieves all the init parameters using
getInitParameterNames() and then prints each parameter name using
getInitParameter().

Code Snippet 15:

public void getParameters(ServletConfig config) throws
ServletException {
// Retrieves all init parameters
Enumeration params = config.getInitParameterNames();
// Prints the init parameter names and values
while (params.hasMoreElements()) {
String name = (String) params.nextElement();
System.out.println(Parameter Name: + name + Value: +
config.getInitParameter(name));
}
}

public ServletContext getServletContext()

This method returns a reference to the servlet context.
Code Snippet 16 shows how to set a JavaBean object in the ServletContext.

Code Snippet 16:

ServletContext context = config.getServletContext();
context.setAttribute(dbBean, dbBean);

public java.lang.String getServletName()

This method returns the name of this servlet instance. It can get the name that may be
provided through the server administration or assigned in the Web application deployment descriptor. For example, String servletName = config.getServletName();

8.5

error Object

While executing and processing client requests, runtime errors can occur either inside or outside
the JSP page. These errors can be processed using the exception object present in the JSP
page.
When an error occurs, the execution of a JSP page is terminated. The exception object is
used to handle errors in a JSP page. The exception object is used to trace the exception
thrown during the execution.
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The exception object is available to the JSP page that is assigned as an error page. This object
is the instance of java.lang.Throwable class. It has page scope.
Some of the methods are:
public String getMessage()
This method returns the descriptive error message associated with the exception when it
was thrown.
public void printStackTrace(PrintWriters)
This method prints the execution stack in effect when the exception was thrown to the
designated output stream.
public String toString()
This method returns a string combining the class name of the exception with its error message.
The isErrorPage attribute is set to true, which indicates that the page is an error page.
The JSP expression (<%= %>) is used to create an instance of the exception object.
The out object is passed as an argument to the printStackTrace()method which
will display the stack trace information.
Code Snippet 17 demonstrates how to handle exceptions in the JSP.

Code Snippet 17:

<%@ page isErrorPage=true %>
<html>
<head>
<title>Implicit Object</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Implicit Object: Exception</h1>
The following error has been detected :<br>
<b><%= exception %></b><br>
<% exception.printStackTrace(out); %>
</body>
</html>

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Check Your Progress

1.

Which of the following statements for request object are true?

(A)

(B)

2.

Which are the correct options for response object from the following statements?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

3.

The response implicit object manages the response generated by JSP and
sends response to the client.
The sendRedirect(url) method sends a response to the server using
the specified redirect location URL.
The addCookie(cookie) method adds the specified cookie to the
response.
The addCookie(cookie) method is unable to set more than one
cookies.
The encodeURL() method is used to encode the specified URL.

Which one is the correct option for out object from the following statements?
(A)

(B)

4.

The request object uses HTTP

The getParameter() method
protocol to process the request from (C) returns the value of a request
server.
parameter as a string.
The
HTTP protocol implements a
getParameterValues()
subclass of the javax.jsp.
(D) method returns a string which
HttpServletWriter
contains all of the methods given
interface.
in request parameter.

The clear() method clear the

(C) contents of the buffer and print the
string in the same line.
The print(text) method
The flush() method flushes all
behaves as the combination
the buffers in a chain of Writers and (D)
of print(String) and
OutputStreams.
println().
The out object is an instance of
the javax.JspWriter class.

Which one from the following options is correct about session object?
(A)

The session object provides all

the objects available in the servlet
pages.

(B)

A session expires when the user

closes the Web browser.

The session continues after the

(C) user stops sending requests to the
Web server.
The session object is an instance
(D) of javax.servlet.http.
HttpObject interface.

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Check Your Progress

5.

6.

Which one from the following options is correct about application object?
(A)

The application object is used to

share the data only between specified
pages.

(C)

(B)

The getAttribute() method

returns the servlet attribute and null if
there is more than one attribute.

(D)

Which are the correct options for pageContext object from the following statements?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

7.

The setAttribute()
method binds an object to a
given attribute name in this
servlet context.
The getServerInfo()
method returns the name of the
servlet attribute on which the
servlet is running.

The pageContext object allows user to access all the implicit objects
defined in the page scope.
The setAttribute() method registers the name and value outside the
scope.
The removeAttribute() method removes the object reference
associated with the given name from all scopes.
The APPLICATION_SCOPE field specifies the scope for attributes stored in
the pageContext object.
The PAGE_SCOPE field specifies the scope for attributes stored in the
pageContext object.

Which are the correct options about page object from the following statements?
(A)

The page object is an instance of the java.lang.Object.

(B)

The page object is an instance of the javax.servlet.jsp class.

(C)
(D)
(E)

A page object is an instance of the servlet processing the current request in a

JSP page.
The page objects use methods defined in this class to access implicit objects
in a Web page.
The page object has page scope.

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Answer

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

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Summary

JSP implicit objects are a set of Java objects that are created and maintained
automatically by the Web container.
The request object represents the request from the client for a Web page. The response
implicit object handles the response generated by JSP and sends response to the client.
The out object represents the output stream.
The Web server creates a session object for multiple requests sent by a single user. The
application object represents the application to which the JSP page belongs.
The pageContext object allows user to access all the implicit objects defined in the page
scope.
The page object provides access to all the objects, which are defined in a Web page.
The config object stores the information of the servlet.
When an error occur the execution of a JSP page is terminated. The exception implicit
object is used to trace exceptions that occur in a JSP page.

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Standard Actions and JavaBeans

Welcome to the Session, Standard Actions and JavaBeans.

This session explains the standard actions used to include dynamic content on the JSP page. The
session also explains the use of JavaBean components in JSP. It explains the different actions
such as jsp:useBean, jsp:setProperty, and jsp:getProperty to instantiate and access properties
from the JavaBean component.
In this Session, you will learn to:

E xplain the concept of standard actions in JSP

Explain how to use the <jsp:include> element
Explain how to use the <jsp:forward> element
Explain how to use the <jsp:param> element
Explain how to use the <jsp:plugin> element
Explain how to use the <jsp:fallback> element
Explain how to use the <jsp:text> element
Explain the concept of JavaBeans
Explain how to declare and access JavaBeans components in JSP
Explain accessing JavaBean properties from scripting elements
Explain how to access non-string data type properties from scripting elements
Explain how to access indexed properties from scripting elements

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9.1

Introduction

Standard actions are XML like tags. They take the form of an XML tag with a name prefixed jsp.
The standard actions are used for:
Forwarding requests and performing includes in pages.
Embedding the appropriate HTML on pages.
Interacting between pages and JavaBeans.
Providing additional functionality to tag libraries.

9.1.1

Use of Standard Actions

JSP standard actions are performed when a browser requests for a JSP page.
The properties of standard actions in JSP are:
It use <jsp> prefix.
The attributes are case sensitive.
Values in the attributes must be enclosed in double quotes.
Standard actions can be either an empty or a container tag.
Syntax:
<jsp:action_name attribute=value attribute=value/>

or
<jsp:action_name attribute=value attribute=value>
...
</jsp:action_name>

where,
action _ name is action to be used.
attribute is replaced by the attributes of the specified action.
Various standard actions that are available in JSP, namely, <jsp:include>,
<jsp:forward>,
<jsp:param>,
<jsp:params>,
<jsp:plugin>,
<jsp:fallback>, and <jsp:text>.

9.1.2

<jsp:include>

The <jsp:include> element gives you choice to include either a static or dynamic file in
the current requested JSP page is executed. The results are different for each type of inclusion.
If the file is static, then the content is included in the calling JSP file. In case of dynamic, it acts
on a request and sends back a result that is included in the JSP page.
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You cannot determine whether a file is static or dynamic from a pathname. When you have no idea
whether the file is static or dynamic, it is better to use <jsp:include> element, because it

handles both types of files.
Syntax:
<jsp:include page=weburl flush=true />

where,
page specifies the relative Web address of the page to be included in the current
page.
flush attribute is used to flush out the data stored in the buffer. The value of flush
attribute is false by default.
Code Snippet 1 demonstrates the use of <jsp:include> action using index.jsp and
printdate.jsp files to display current date and time on the JSP page.

Code Snippet 1:
<!-- index.jsp -->
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content=text/html;
charset=UTF-8>
<title> Dynamic Content Inclusion </title>
</head>
<body>
<h4><font color=BLUE> Displaying Current Date and Time </font></
h4>
<b>Today is: </b> <jsp:include page=printdate.jsp/>
<p><i> The Date and Time are displayed as a result of evaluation of
another JSP page. </i></p>
</body>
</html>

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<!-- printdate.jsp-->

<%@page contentType=text/html pageEncoding=UTF-8

import=java.util.*%>
<html>
...
<body>
<%
Date today = new Date();
out.print(today.toString());
%>
</body>
</html>

Figure 9.1 shows the output of Code Snippet 1.

Figure 9.1: Outptut jsp:include Action

9.1.3

<jsp:forward>

The <jsp:forward> element is used to redirect the request object containing the client
request from one JSP to another target page. The target page can be an HTML file, another JSP
file, or a Servlet.
In the source JSP file, the code after the <jsp:forward> element is not processed. To pass
parameter names and values to the target file, you can use a <jsp:param> clause with
<jsp:forward> element.
Syntax:
<jsp:forward page=url/>

where,
page specifies the relative Web address of the target page.

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Code Snippet 2 demonstrates the use of <jsp:forward> action using index.jsp and
printdate.jsp files to display current date and time on the next JSP page.

Code Snippet 2:
<!-- index.jsp-->
<%@page contentType=text/html pageEncoding=UTF-8%>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
...
<body>
<h4><font color=BLUE> Displaying Current Date and Time </font></
h4>
<!-- Forwards request to the other Web resource -->
<jsp:forward page=printdate.jsp/>
<p><i> The request is forwarded to the next page to display Date and
Time. </i></p>
</body>
</html>
<!-- printdate.jsp -->
<%@page contentType=text/html pageEncoding=UTF-8
import=java.util.*%>
<html>
...
<body>
<%! Date today = new Date();%>
<b> Today is: </b> <% out.print(today.toString());%>
</body>
</html>

Figure 9.2 shows the output of Code Snippet 2.

Figure 9.2: Output jsp:forward Action

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9.1.4

<jsp:param>

The <jsp:param> element allows you to pass one or more name and value pairs as
parameters to an included or forwarded resource such as a JSP page, Servlet, or other resource
that can process the parameter.
If you want to send more than one parameters to the included or forwarded resource, you can
use more than one <jsp:param> clause.
Syntax:

<jsp:param name=parameterName value={parameterValue | <%=

expression %>} />

where,
name attribute specifies the parameter name and that takes a case-sensitive literal
string.
value attribute specifies the parameter value and takes either a case-sensitive
literal string or an expression that is evaluated at request time.
Code Snippet 3 demonstrates forwarding request to the page along with the parameter values.

Code Snippet 3:
<!-- Product.jsp -->
<html>
.. .

<body>

<jsp:include page=order.jsp flush=true>

<jsp:param name=currency_type value=Dollar/>

<jsp:param name=amount value=$110/>

</jsp:include>

</body>
</html>

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<!-- Order.jsp -->

<body>

<% String currency = request.getParameter(currency_type);

String amount = request.getParameter(amount);

%>

<b><u> Param Values </u></b> <br/><br/>

<% out.println(Currency: + currency); %> <br/><br/>

<% out.println(Amount: + amount); %>

</body>

Figure 9.3 shows the output of Code Snippet 3.

Figure 9.3: Output jsp:param Action

9.1.5

<jsp:plugin>

In the client Web browser, the <jsp:plugin> element plays or displays an object, using a
Java plugin that is available in the browser or downloaded from a specified URL. The plug-in object
can be an applet or a JavaBean component that can be displayed on a JSP page.
The <jsp:plugin> element is replaced by either an <object> or <embed> element,
according to the browser version when the JSP file is translated and compiled in Java.
The <jsp:plugin> element provides attributes that are used for formatting Java object.
These attributes are similar to HTML tag attributes. To pass values to the Java objects, the
<jsp:param> or <jsp:params> actions can be used.

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Syntax:

<jsp:plugin type=bean|applet code=classFileName codebase=cl

assFileDirectoryName { align=alignment | archive=archiveList
| height=height | hspace=hspace | jreversion=jreversion
| name=componentName | vspace=vspace | width=width |
nspluginurl=url | iepluginurl=url |
<jsp:params>
{ <jsp:param name=paramName value= paramValue /> }+
</jsp:params> }
{ <jsp:fallback> arbitrary-text </jsp:fallback> } >
</jsp:plugin>

where,
Attributes specified between {} are providing configuration data for presenting the
component on the Web page.
<jsp:params> element provides parameters to the Java object.
<jsp:fallback> element specifies the content to be used if the plug-in is not
existing.
Code Snippet 4 demonstrates the <jsp:plugin> element to display an applet on the JSP
page.

Code Snippet 4:
<jsp:plugin type=applet code=game.class codebase=/html>
<jsp:params>
<jsp:param name=image value=image/shape.mol />
</jsp:params>
<jsp:fallback>
<p> Unable to start the plugin. </p>
</jsp:fallback>
</jsp:plugin>

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9.1.6

Standard Actions and JavaBeans

<jsp:fallback>

A text message that conveys the user that a plug-in could not start is known as fallback. If the
plug-in starts, but the applet or bean does not, the plug-in usually displays a popup window
explaining the error to the user.
The <jsp:fallback> action specifies an alternative message to the browser, if the browser
fails to start the plug-in.
Syntax:
<jsp:fallback> text message </jsp:fallback>

9.1.7

<jsp:text>

A <jsp:text> element encloses contents that are displayed within the body of a JSP page or a
JSP document. It does not have any sub-element and can appear anywhere in the JSP page where
content has to be displayed in the output.
The <jsp:text> element can contain expressions which are evaluated and their result is
displayed in the output.
Code Snippet 5 demonstrates the use of expression language with <jsp:text> element.

Code Snippet 5:
<html>

<body>

<jsp:text>

This is the product page.

</jsp:text>

...

<jsp:text>

Rectangle Perimeter is: ${2* 10 + 2* 20}

</jsp:text>

</body>

</html>

9.2

JavaBeans Actions

JavaBeans are reusable components that can be developed in Java. These components define the
interactivity of Java objects. JavaBeans allow creation of Java object that can be embedded in
multiple applications, servlets, and JSP.
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JavaBeans have certain requirements, as they:
Must be a public class.
Must have a public constructor with no arguments.
Must have no public instance variables.
Must have getter and setter methods to read and write the bean properties.
Must implement java.io.Serializable interface.

9.2.1

Components of JavaBeans

JavaBeans are Java classes that include:

Properties

Properties represent bean attributes that can be used to modify the appearance or behavior of the JavaBean.
Methods

Methods allow implementing a bean and can be called from other components or from a
scripting environment, such as JSP.
Events
It allows communication between JavaBeans.

Code Snippet 6 demonstrates the JavaBean component.

Code Snippet 6:
import java.io.Serializable;
public class Person implements Serializable
{
Private String firstName;
// Constructor
public Person() { }
// Sets name
public void setFirstName(String name)
{

firstName=name; }

// Retrieves name
public string getFirstName()
{

return firstName; }

} // End of Person class

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As seen in the code, the getter and setter methods are public methods defined in a JavaBean
class, Person. These methods are also referred as accessor methods and allow retrieving and

setting variable values of JavaBean properties.
Get method
This method allows retrieving a variable value.
Syntax:
public returnType getPropertyName()

where,

returnType is the data type returned by the get() method.

Set method
This method allows setting or changing the value of a property.
Syntax:
public void setPropertyname(datatype parameter)

where,
parameter is the property that will be set.

9.2.2

JavaBeans Components in JSP

JavaBeans components are Java classes which can be reused and composed together as
applications. JSP technology directly supports using JavaBeans components with JSP language
elements. You can create and initialize JavaBeans and get and set the values for the properties.
JavaBeans component controls access to the private properties of a class by providing public
methods.

9.3

Declaring JavaBeans in JSP

The <jsp:useBean> element is used to locate or instantiate a JavaBean component. The

<jsp:useBean> first tries to locate an instance of the bean, otherwise it instantiates the bean
from a class.
To locate or instantiate the bean, the <jsp:useBean> follows the steps, they are as follows:
1.

Attempts to locate a bean within the scope.

2.

Defines an object reference variable with the name.

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3.

Stores a reference to it in the variable, if it retrieves the bean.

4.

Instantiates it from the specified class, if it cannot retrieve the bean.

Syntax:
<jsp:useBean id=BeanName class=BeanClass scope = page|session|
application|request/>

where,
id uniquely creates a name for referring the bean.
class specifies the fully qualified classname that defines bean.
scope specifies the scope within which the bean is available. The default scope is
page if not specified.

Consider that the Person JavaBean class is created in the Web application under com.bean
package. Now, to access the properties of the Person class within the JSP page, you need to
instantiate it. The jsp:useBean action is used to include the bean in the current JSP page.
Code Snippet 7 demonstrates the instantiation of Person JavaBean in the JSP page.

Code Snippet 7:
<html>
...
<body>
<jsp:useBean id=personID class=com.bean.Person
scope=request/>
</body>
</html>

The code checks if any bean class instance with reference personID exists in the request
scope, if true then accesses the bean reference. Otherwise, creates a new instance and sets it
with request scope.
The java equivalent code for Code Snippet 7 is as follows:
Person personID = (Person) request.getAttribute(personID);
if (personID == null)
{
personID = new Person();
request.setAttribute(personID, personID);
}

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9.3.1

Standard Actions and JavaBeans

Setting Value in JavaBeans

The <jsp:setProperty> element sets the value of the properties in a bean using the beans
setter methods. You must declare the JavaBean with <jsp:useBean> before you set a property
value with <jsp:setProperty>.
You can use <jsp:setProperty> to set property values in several ways:
By passing all the values accepted from the user.
By passing a specific value to set a specific property of the JavaBean.
Syntax:
<jsp:setProperty name = BeanAlias property = PropertyName value =
Value param = Parameter />

where,
name specifies the id of the bean used in jsp:useBean action.
property specifies the property name of the bean.
value specifies the explicit value to set for the property.
param specifies the value sent in the request parameter to be assigned to a property.

Code Snippet 8 demonstrates how to set the value for the firstName property of Person class
in JSP.

Code Snippet 8:
<html>
...
<body>
<jsp:useBean id=personID class=com.bean.Person
scope=request/>
<!- Sets the value for the firstname property
<jsp:setProperty name=personID property=firstName
value=John/>
</body>
</html>

In the code, the jsp:useBean action is used to include the Person class in the current JSP
page. Then, the jsp:setProperty action is used to set the value, John to the firstName
property for the bean instance, personID.

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You can also set the value for the firstName by retrieving it from the request parameter
sent through HTML form field. Thus, the action tag will be, <jsp:setProperty
name=personID property=firstName/>.
Here, the value of the request parameter firstName is retrieved and set in the bean property
firstName.
However, if the supplied request parameter name is not same as bean property name, then you
can use the param attribute. For example, if the HTML form field name to accept users first
name is set as name, then jsp:setProperty action can be written as,
<jsp:setProperty name=personID property=firstName
param=name/>.

9.3.2

Retrieving Value from JavaBeans

The <jsp:getProperty> element retrieves a bean property value using the getter methods
and displays the output in a JSP page. Before using <jsp:getProperty> element, you
must create or locate a bean with <jsp:useBean>.
Syntax:
<jsp:getProperty name=BeanAlias property=PropertyName />

where,
name specifies the id of the bean specified in the jsp:useBean action.
property specifies the property name from which the value is to be retrieved.

Code Snippet 9 demonstrates how to retrieve value of the firstName property of Person
class in JSP.

Code Snippet 9:
<html>
...
<body>
<jsp:useBean id=personID class= com.bean.Person
scope=request/>
Name is: <jsp:getProperty name=personID property=firstName/>
</body>
</html>

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In the code, the useBean is used to access the Person class instance in the current
JSP page. Then, to retrieve the value of the name property from the JavaBean instance, the

jsp:getProperty action is used.
The equivalent Java code for the jsp:getProperty is, out.print(personID.
getFirstName());

9.4

Accessing JavaBeans within Scriptlets

You can access JavaBeans from scripting element in different ways. The jsp:getProperty
and expression convert the value into a string and insert it into an implicit out object.
If you want to retrieve the value of a property without converting it and insert it into the out object,
you must have to use a scriptlet. Although, scriptlets are very useful for dynamic processing.
However, using custom tags to access object properties and perform flow control is considered to
be a better approach.
Code Snippet 10 demonstrates how to create the JavaBean instance and access its properties in
JSP.

Code Snippet 10:

<html>
...
<body>
// Instantiating Book bean of package pkg using scriptlet
<% pkg.Book book1 = new pkg.Book(); %>
// Retrieves the title property using bean getter method
<%= book1.getTitle() %>
// Sets title property to a new value
<% book1.setTitle(Guide to Servlets and JSP); %>
...
</body>
</html>

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9.4.1

Accessing Non-string Data Type Properties

Bean properties are represented by setter and getter methods. The jsp:setProperty action
is used to set the properties of a bean by the values of the request parameter. It is inconvenient
if the beans properties are other than string types, because the request parameters are sent as
string only.
The JSP container converts the string values into non-string values by the attribute values that
evaluate the correct data type to set the property value.
Some of the conversions from string to appropriate data type is done by using Java wrapper
classes. For example,
String ageStr = request.getParameter(age);
int ageInt = Integer.valueOf(ageStr);
or
String amtStr = request.getParameter(Amount);
double amtDouble = Double.valueOf(amtStr);

9.4.2

Accessing Indexed Properties

An indexed property is an array of properties or objects that supports a range of values. This
property enables the accessor to specify an element of a property to read or write.
If there is an indexed property Tomy of type string, it may be possible from a scripting
environment to access an individual indexed value using the index. For example, b.Tomy[3]
and also to access the same property as an array using b.Tomy.
The indexed getter and setter methods throws a runtime exception java.lang.
ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException if an index is used that is outside the current
array bounds. The value assigned to an indexed property must be an array.
Code Snippet 11 shows how to declare the getter and setter method for the indexed property
studentRegister.

Code Snippet 11:

// Retrieves indexed properties
public studentRegister[] getStudentRegister()
// Sets indexed properties
public int setStudentRegister(StudentRegister int[])

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Check Your Progress

1.

2.

Which of the following statements are true regarding JSP standard actions?
(A)

Standard actions take the form of an XML tag with a name suffixed jsp.

(B)

JSP uses standard actions for calling the JavaBean methods.

(C)

The attributes in standard action cannot distinguish between uppercase and

lowercase.

(D)

JSP standard actions are performed when a browser requests for a JSP page.

(E)

In standard action, the values in the attributes must be enclosed in double

quotes.

(A)

A, C, E

(C) A, B, C

(B)

B, D, E

(D) A, C, D

Which of the following statement is correct for <jsp:include> element?

(A)

(B)
3.

The <jsp:include> element is

In case of dynamic file, it acts on
designed to include only a static file (C) a request and sends back a result
in a JSP file.
that is included in the JSP page.
It is easy to determine whether
In case of static file, the content is
(D) a file is static or dynamic from a
excluded from the calling JSP file.
pathname.

Match the following JSP actions with their corresponding descriptions.

Action
(A)

<jsp:plugin>

(B)

<jsp:fallback>

Description
Specifies an alternative message to the
(1) browser if the browser fails to start the
plug-in.
Encloses content that has to be
(2)
displayed in the output.

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Check Your Progress

( C) <jsp:text>

Allows you to pass one or more name

and value pairs as parameters.
Replaced by either an <object> or
(4)
<embed> element.
(3)

(D)

<jsp:param>

(A)

A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3

(C) A-1, B-4, C-2, D-3

(B)

A-4, B-1, C-3, D-2

(D) A-1, B-3, C-4, D-2

4.

Which of the following statements are correct for jsp:useBean action?

(A)

The <jsp:useBean> element is used to locate or instantiate a JavaBeans

component.

(B)

To locate the bean, it defines an object variable.

(C)
(D)
(E)

5.

The <jsp:useBean> first tries to locate an instance of the bean,

otherwise it instantiates the bean from a class.
To locate or instantiate the bean, it search arbitrarily throughout the class.
To locate or instantiate the bean, the <jsp:useBean> attempts to locate
a bean within the scope.

(A)

A, C, E

(C) B, D, E

(B)

A, B, C

(D) B, C, E

hich of the following options is the correct declaration for the jsp:getProperty
W
action?
(A)

<jsp:getProperty id =BeanAlias
property=PropertyName />

(B)

<jsp:getProperty name=BeanAlias
property=PropertyName param=FormPropertyName/>

(C)

<jsp:getProperty name=BeanAlias
property=PropertyName />

(D)

<jsp:getProperty id=BeanAlias
name=PropertyName />

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Answer
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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Summary

JSP standard actions are XML like tags that are processed when a browser requests for
a JSP page.

tandard actions in the JSP standard library use the <jsp> prefix. Various standard
S
actions are available that include, <jsp:include>, <jsp:forward>, <jsp:param>,
<jsp:params>, <jsp:plugin>, <jsp:fallback>, and <jsp:text>.

J avaBeans are reusable components that can be developed in Java. These are platform
independent and define the interactivity of Java objects in the applications.

J avaBeans component controls access to the private properties of a class by providing

public methods.

T he jsp:useBean action is used to create a reference and include an existing JavaBean

component in JSP.

T he jsp:getProperty and jsp:setProperty actions act as getter and setter methods to

access and retrieve values from the JavaBean components.

n indexed property is an array of properties or objects that supports a range of values.

A
This property enables the accessor to specify an element of a property to read or write.

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Model-View-Controller Architecture

Welcome to the Session, Model-View-Controller Architecture.

This session briefly explains the use of JSP models followed in Web application development. It
explains the Model 1 architecture with its advantages and disadvantages. Further, the session
explains the JSP Model 2 architecture, which is also referred to as Model-View-Controller (MVC)
followed by modern Web applications. It explains the components of MVC involved in the Web
application development. Finally, the session concludes with the development of Web application
based on MVC architecture.
In this Session, you will learn to:

Describe the use of JSP models in Web applications

Explain JSP Model 1

Explain JSP Model 2

Explain the Model-View-Controller architecture

Explain the relationship between the components of MVC

Explain Controller and its purpose in MVC

Explain View and its purpose in MVC

Explain Model and its purpose in MVC

Develop a Web application based on MVC architecture

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10.1

Introduction

In most of the Web applications, the user interaction is through forms which are used as
an interface for storing and retrieving data from a data store. With time, the approaches to
develop such Web applications have changed. For example, in order to improve the application
performance and to reduce the Line of Code (LOC), the programmers tend to integrate code for
designing and data access in the Web application. This helps to achieve simplicity and flexibility.
However, there are significant problems in implementing it. One such problem might be the more
frequent change in user interface as compared to the persistence logics leads to the recompilation
of whole application.
As a solution, Sun Microsystems provided the JSP specification which addresses the problem of
tightly-coupled presentation and business logic in Servlets. Based on the popularity and benefits
of JSP in Web development, the commonly used approaches using JSP were identified. These
approaches are also referred to as JSP models.

10.2

JSP Models

The JSP specification presents two approaches for developing Web applications using JSP
pages. There are two types of programming models for developing Web application:
JSP Model 1

The Model 1 architecture is very simple, the HTML or JSP page sends request along with
the data to Web container. The Web container invokes the mapped Servlet which handles
all responsibilities for the request. The responsibilities include processing the request,
validating data, handling the business logic, and generating a response back to browser.
JSP Model 2
Model 2 or commonly known as Model-View-Controller (MVC), solves many problem
of Model 1, by providing a clear separation of application responsibilities. In the MVC
architecture, a central servlet, known as the Controller, receives all requests for the
application from JSP. The Controller then processes the request, works with the Model
to prepare any data needed by the View and forwards the data back to the JSP. In this
architecture, the business and presentation logic are separated from each other, which
help to reuse the logic.

10.2.1

JSP Model 1 Architecture

The purpose of Model 1 architecture is to enable Web designers to develop Web applications
such that it separates business logic from presentation logic.
Business logic deals with the method of modeling real world business objects such as
accounts, loans, travel, and such others in the application. It also deals with the storage
mechanism for these objects, object interactions, access, and update rights for them.
Presentation logic deals with methods of displaying these objects. For example,
decisions related to displaying user accounts in a list form.

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Figure 10.1 depicts the Model 1 architecture.

Figure 10.1: Model 1 Architecture

In this model, there is no extra Servlet involved in the process. The client request is sent directly
to a JSP page, which may communicate with JavaBeans or other services, but ultimately the JSP
page selects the next page for the client to view.
JSP Model 1 architecture has a page centric architecture. In this architecture, the application
is composed of a series of interrelated JSP pages and these JSP pages handle all aspects of
application including presentation, control, and the business logic.
In page-centric architecture, the business process logic and control decisions are hard-coded
inside JSP pages in the form of JavaBeans, scriptlets, and expressions.
Figure 10.2 shows an example of JSP Model 1 architecture for an online shopping Web application
with all JSP pages.

Figure 10.2: JSP Module 1 Online Shopping Web Application

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Advantages of JSP Model 1

The advantage of JSP Model 1 is that it makes development easier as there are no Servlets
involved in the application.
Disadvantages of JSP Model 1
As business logic and presentation logic are tied together, it is difficult for building and
maintaining a complex enterprise application.
Each of the JSP pages is individually responsible for control logic, application logic, and
also to present results to the user. This makes the JSP Model 1 more dependent and
less extensible.

10.2.2

JSP Model 2 Architecture

Model 2 architecture is an approach used for developing a Web application. It separates the
Business Logic from the Presentation Logic. Besides this, Model 2 has an additional component
- a Controller.
Figure 10.3 shows the Model 2 architecture.

Figure 10.3: Model 2 Architecture

Here, a Servlet acts as a Controller. Thus, Model 2 has a Servlet-centric architecture. The
responsibility of the Controller Servlet is to process the incoming request and instantiate a Model
- a Java object or a bean to compute the business logic. It is also responsible for deciding to
which JSP page the request should be forwarded.
JSP page is responsible for handling the View component, it retrieves the objects created by the
Servlet, and extracts dynamic content for insertion within a template for display.
Advantages of Model 2
Web applications based on this model are easier to maintain and extendable, as
business and presentation logic are separated from each other.
Testing is easy in model 2.

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10.3

Model-View-Controller Architecture

Model-View-Controller (MVC)

MVC is a software architectural pattern. This pattern divides the application logic from User
Interface. The division permits independent development, testing, and maintenance of each
component.
Figure 10.4 shows a brief overview of the components under the MVC architecture.

Figure 10.4: Components in MVC Architecture

This model divides the Web based application into three layers:
Controller: At the core of the MVC architecture are the Controller components. The
Controller is typically a servlet that receives requests from the browser (or any other
source) and manages the flow of data between the Model layer and the View layer. The
Controller processes the user requests. It process the user request and based on the
action, the Controller calls methods in the Model to fulfil the requested action and after
the action has been taken on the data in model, The Controller is responsible for redirecting the appropriate view to the user.

iew: The View component is used to generate the response to the browser, what the
V
user sees. Often the view components are simple JSPs or HTML pages.

Model: The Model component contains the business logics and functions that manipulate
the business data. It is a layer between Controller and the database. The Controller can
access the functionalities encapsulated in the Model.

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Note

10.3.1

The MVC pattern has been around since 1979. Trygve Reenskaug, an engineer
who was working on a language called Smalltalk at XEROX, first described it.
He named this concept as Thing Model View Editor. The MVC model can be
found in UI toolkits such as Nokias Qt, Apples Cocoa, Java Swing, and MFC
library.

Relationships between Components

The different relationships between MVC components are as follows:

View and Controller Relationship

In this relationship, the Controller is responsible for creating and selecting views.
Model and View Relationship

In this relationship, the view depends on the model. If a change is made to the model then
there might be a requirement to make parallel changes in the view.
Model and Controller Relationship
In this relationship, the Controller is dependent on the model. If a change is made to
the model interface then there might be a requirement to make parallel changes to the
Controller.

10.3.2

MVC in Web Applications

While developing a Web application using MVC architecture the different components and their
roles are as follows:
Model encapsulates data and business logic using JavaBean components or Plain Old
Java Object (POJO), a database API, or an XML file.
View shows the current state of the Model using an HTML or a JSP page.
Controller updates the state of the Model and generates one or more views using
Servlet.

10.3.3

Implementation of MVC Pattern

Consider a scenario where in a Web application you have to develop login service which will
validate login details and accordingly display the appropriate JSP page. To design such service,
we will use the MVC pattern.

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Code Snippet 1 develops the JSP pages required to handle the presentation and result pages.

Code Snippet 1:

<!-- login.jsp-->
<html>
<head>

<title>MVC Example</title>
</head>
<body>

<form action=LoginController method=post>

Enter username : <input type=text name=username> <BR>

Enter password : <input type=password name=password>
<BR>

<input type=submit />

</form>
</body>
</html>

<!-- success.jsp -->

success.jsp
<html>
<head>
<title>Success</title>
</head>
<body>

Welcome, you have successfully login.
</body>
</html>
<!-- error.jsp -->
<html>
<head>
<title>Error</title>
</head>
<body>

Login failed, please try again.
</body>
</html>

The code shows the designing of three JSP pages namely, login.jsp, success.jsp, and
error.jsp. The login page displays the form to the user for filling the user name and password.
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The success page will be displays when the validation of the details is successful.

Otherwise, the error page is displayed to the user.

Next, we will design a Controller that takes request from the user, this is the Servlet class. The
servlet class calls the Model which is JavaBean.
Code Snippet 2 demonstrates the design of the Controller named LoginController.
java.

Code Snippet 2:

package com.mvc.Controller;
import java.io.*;
import javax.servlet.*;
import javax.servlet.http.*;
import com.mvc.model.LoginModel;
public class LoginController extends HttpServlet {
RequestDispatcher rd = null
protected void doPost(HttpServletRequest request,
HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException,
IOException {
// Receive the values from the request parameters

String username = request.getParameter(username);

String password = request.getParameter(password);


// Instantiate the LoginModel JavaBean
LoginModel login = new LoginModel();

// Verify the login credentials from model

String result = login.authenticate(username, password);
// Dispatch the control based on the value of the result variable
if (result.equals(success)) {
rd = request.getRequestDispatcher(/success.jsp);
} else {
rd = request.getRequestDispatcher(/error.jsp);
}
// Forward the response to appropriate JSP
rd.forward(request, response);
}

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In the code, the user details sent from the login.jsp page are received through request.
getParameter() method. Then the values are sent to the JavaBean named LoginModel

which will validate the values and return the appropriate string. Finally, based on the obtained
string, the request to appropriate JSP page is sent.
Code Snippet 3 demonstrates the design of LoginModel class.

Code Snippet 3:

package com.mvc.model;
public class LoginModel {
public String authenticate(String username, String password) {
// Validate the login credentials with the values

if ((username.equalsIgnoreCase(username))
&& (password.equals(password))) {
return success;
} else {
return failure;
}
}
}

Code Snippet 4 shows the deployment descriptor, web.xml used to configure the servlet in the
Login application.

Code Snippet 4:
<!-- web.xml -->

<?xml version=1.0 encoding=UTF-8?>

...

<servlet>

<servlet-name>LoginController</servlet-name>

<servlet-class>com.mvc.Controller.LoginController</servletclass>
</servlet>

<servlet-m apping>

<servlet-name>LoginController</servlet-name>
<url-pattern>/LoginController</url-pattern>

</servlet-mapping>

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<welcome-file-list>

<welcome-file>login.jsp</welcome-file>

</welcome-file-list>

</web-app>

The web.xml is placed in WEB-INF folder and describes the deployment of an application
to run servlet and JSP pages. The login.jsp page is the default page to open on sending
request to the Web application.
Figure 10.5 shows the request to the URL localhost:8080/TestServlet.
This displays the login.jsp with the username and password fields.

Figure 10.5: login.jsp

As shown in figure 10.5, the username and password values are sent in request to the
Controller, that is, LoginController servlet which invokes the JavaBean method for
validating user entered details. As the entered details are correct, the Controller dispatches the
request to success.jsp page to display the response in the browser.
Figure 10.6 shows the success.jsp.

Figure 10.6: success.jsp

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Check Your Progress

1.

2.

3.

Which of the following is not component of MVC architecture?

(A)

Controller

(C) View

(B)

Model

(D) Mapping XML file

Which of the following statements are correct and true for Controller component?
(A)

The Controller is typically a JSP that receives requests from the browser

(B)

There can be many number of controllers in MVC architecture

(C)

There is only one controller in MVC architecture based on JSP Model 2

(D)

Controller class access the database through View component

Match the columns.

Component

Description
An xml file used for configuring servlet
and JSP

(A)

Controller

(1)

(B)

web.xml

(2) Handles presentation

(C)

View

(3) Handles business logic

(D)

Model

(4) Handles request and response

(A)

A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2

(C) A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3

(B)

A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3

(D) A-4, B-3, C-2, D-2

4.

Which of the following MVC component displays the data in browser pages?
(A)

Controller

(C)

Model

(B)

View

(D)

Configuration file

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Check Your Progress

5.

6.

Which of the following MVC component handle the request and responses?
(A)

Controller

(C)

Model

(B)

View

(D)

Configuration file

Which of the following MVC component handles the business logic?

(A)

Controller

(C)

Model

(B)

View

(D)

Configuration file

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Answer
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

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Summary

T he JSP specification presents two approaches for developing Web applications namely,
JSP Model I and JSP Model II.

JSP Model II is also known as MVC.

VC is a software design pattern, which can be used to design medium and large sized
M
applications.

MVC has three components as follows:

Model
View
Controller

I n MVC Web application, Servlet acts as controller, which receives the request from
client.

T he view handles presentation of the content on the Web page and could be an HTML
file or a JSP file.

T he Model component contains the business logics and functions that manipulate the
business data.

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JSP Expression Language

Welcome to the Session, JSP Expression Language.

The session explains the Expression Language (EL) supported in Java. It explains different implicit
objects that can be expressed in EL language. The session also explains how to work with the
functions, operators, and tag libraries using EL language in the JSP page.
In this Session, you will learn to:

Explain how to use script expressions in JSP

Describe the implicit objects used in EL

Describe the various operators used in EL

Explain how to create static method and tag library descriptor using EL

Explain how to modify deployment descriptor using EL

Explain how to access EL functions within JSP

Explain the concept of boxing and unboxing

Explain how to coerce a value to string or number type

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11.1

Expression Language

Expression Language (EL) is a primary feature of the JSP technology. The JSP Standard Tag
Library (JSTL) expert group and JSP 2.0 expert group at the Java Community Process developed
the JSP expression language.
EL is simple and robust. It can handle both expressions and literals, which are constants and
are assigned some memory location. The advantage of EL is that it provides cleaner syntax and
is specifically designed for JSP. EL makes it possible to easily access application data stored in
JavaBeans components.
EL is a great help to the page authors in accessing and manipulating the application data without
mastering the complexities of the programming language, such as Java and JavaScript. JSP
expression language can be used to display the generated dynamic content in a table on a Web
page. In addition, EL can also be used in HTML tags.
Syntax:
$ {EL expression}

where,
$ indicates the beginning of an expression in EL.
{ is the opening delimiter.
EL expression specifies the expression.
} is the closing delimiter.
Code Snippet 1 demonstrates the use of the expression language on JSP.

Code Snippet 1:
<!-- result.jsp -->
<%@page contentType=text/html pageEncoding=UTF-8%>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content=text/html;
charset=UTF-8>
<title>Result</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Qualifying Exam Criteria:</h1>

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<br />

<br />
<p>Student should atleast score:</p>
<pre>
Subject Marks
Maths
Java
C++

${40+30}
${40+35}
${40+35}

Database ${40+35}
</pre>
<hr />
<p>Youre accessing the Website on: ${header[user-agent]} p>
</body>
</html>

Figure 11.1 shows output where EL expression prints qualifying marks and user agent.

Figure 11.1: Expression Language

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11.2

EL Implicit Objects

JSP implicit objects are a standard set of classes. JSP container provides the methods and
variables in the classes to the user. EL expressions access implicit objects by name. The user
creates an instance of an implicit object to use available methods and variables.
Implicit objects defined in JSP EL are as follows:
pageContext
The pageContext object can be used without creating an instance of the object. The
pageContext object provides access to page attributes. For example, ${pageContext.request} will return the request object of pageContext. This request object can be used to access different page attributes.
servletContext
The servletContext object specifies the JSP page, servlet, and Web components
contained in the same application.
session
The session object represents the session created for the client sending a request.
request
The request object represents the request accepted by the JSP page from client. Information of the request is accessed using request object.

11.2.1

Request Headers and Parameters

Several implicit objects are available for the easy access to the following objects:
param
The param returns a value that maps a request parameter name to a single string value.
Code Snippet 2 demonstrates the use of EL to read parameters.

Code Snippet 2:
<!-- If the request parameter name is null or an empty string, this
snippet returns true. -->
${empty param.Name}

paramvalues
The paramValues returns an array of values, which is mapped to the request
parameters from client.

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Code Snippet 3 demonstrates the use of EL to read parameter values from an array.

Code Snippet 3:
<!- Takes the address line as the input -->
<br>Address Line 1: ${paramValues.address[0]}
<br>Address Line 2: ${paramValues.address[1]}

header
The header returns a request header name and maps the value to single string value.
Code Snippet 4 demonstrates the use of header.

Code Snippet 4:
<!-returns the host as a header name -->
${header[host]}

headerValues
The headerValues returns an array of values that is mapped to the request header.
Example: ${headerValues.name}
cookie
The cookie returns the cookie name mapped to a single cookie object.
Example: ${cookie.name.value}
initParam
The initParam returns a context initialization parameter name, which is mapped to a
single value

11.2.2

Scoped Variables

The JSP API provides the facility of storing data and retrieving them from four different scopes
within the JSP container. The EL enhances this facility by further supporting the retrieval of the
stored objects as scoped variables. The term scoped variable means that the variable is confined
to the mentioned context only.
For example, for a specific request, the object will be retrieved only during the processing of the
page in question. If the object is stored as session scope, then it will be retrieved by any page
during the single interactive session with the Web application.
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The four scopes for implicit objects in JSP are as follows:
pageScope
The pageScope returns page-scoped variable names, which are mapped to their values. The pageScope is accessible from the JSP page that creates the object.
Example: To access the page-scoped attribute, ${pageScope.book}
requestScope
The requestScope provides access to the attributes of request object. The requestScope object returns requestscoped variable names, which are mapped
to their values. The requestScope is accessible from Web components handling a
request that belongs to the session.
Example: To retrieve the value of the request attribute, ${requestScope.student.name}
sessionScope
The sessionScope returns session-scoped variable names, which are mapped to
their values. The sessionScope is accessible from Web components handling a request
that belongs to the session.
Example: To retrieve the value of the book object stored in the session,
${sessionScope.book.numberOfPages}
applicationScope
The applicationScope returns application-scoped variable and maps the variable
name to their values.
Example: T o check the value of application object, ${applicationScope.booklist == null}

11.2.3

Page Context

The pageContext implicit object defines the context for the JSP page. It provides access to
page attributes.
The pageContext object provides Web page information using the following objects:
servletContext
The servletContext object specifies the servlet of the JSP page and the Web components contained in the same application. It provides methods that a servlet uses to
communicate with its servlet container.
session
The session object represents the session created for the client to send requests. It is
helpful in maintaining the client state where series of requests are inter-related.

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request
The request object represents the request accepted by the JSP page from a client and
information of the request.
response
The response object represents the response sent to the client by a JSP page. The response contains the data passed between a client and servlet.

11.3

EL Operators

EL helps in easy access of application data stored in JavaBeans components.

Table 11.1 shows all operators used by the JSP EL.

Category

Operators

Variable
. and []
Arithmetic
+, - (binary), *, / and div, % and mod, - (unary)
A ? B : C
Conditional
Relational
==, eq, !=, ne, <, lt, >, gt, <=, le, >=, ge
Logical
and, &&, or, ||, not, !
empty
Empty/Null checking
Table 11.1: Operators Used by the JSP EL

11.3.1

EL Arithmetic Operators

Operators are used to perform different arithmetic, relational, and logical operations. Dot operator
(.) or [] is used to access value of a variable.
An arithmetic statement written in JSP EL may contain more than one operator. The EL supports
the following arithmetic operators:
+ (Addition)
(Subtraction)
* (Multiplication)
/ and div (Division)
% and mod (Modulo division)
The EL arithmetic operators accept strings that can be converted into numbers as parameters.
Thus, the expression ${2+2} will evaluate to output 4.

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Code Snippet 5 demonstrates the use of EL with arithmetic operators.

Code Snippet 5:
<%-- The following code illustrates how you can use the math operators
of the EL --%>
<html>
${2+2}
${3-1}
${2 * 2}
${10/2}
${10 div 2}
${10 % 9}
${10 mod 9}
</html>

The output of this code is as follows:

4 2 4 5.0 5.0 1 1

11.3.2

EL Relational Operators

By using various relational operators, comparisons can be made against other values, such as
boolean, string, integer, or floating point literals. Various relational operators used in Expression
Language are as follows:
== Equal to
!= Inequality
< Lesser than
> Greater than
<= Lesser than or equal to
>= Greater than or equal to
Code Snippet 6 demonstrates the EL with relational operators.

Code Snippet 6:
<! comparing numbers -->
4 > 3 ${4 > 3}<br/>
4 > 3 ${4 > 3}<br/>

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4 > 3 ${4 > 3} <br/>

4 >= 3 ${4 >= 3}<br/>

4 <= 3 ${4 < 3}<br/>
4 == 4 ${4 == 4}<br/>

11.3.3

EL Logical Operators

The logical operators supported by Expression language are as follows:

and, && (Logical AND)
or, || (Logical OR )
! or not (Boolean complement)
Code Snippet 7 demonstrates the use of EL with logical operators.

Code Snippet 7:
<!-Test the condition-->
<c:if test=${(guess >= 10) && (guess <= 20)}>
<b>Youre in the range!</b><br/>
</c:if>
<c:if test=${(guess < 10) || (guess > 20)}>
<b>Try again!</b><br/>
</c:if>

11.3.4

EL Empty Operators

Whether the value is null or empty can be determined using the empty operator, which is a
prefix operation.
The empty operator returns true if the string is empty. The string is said to be empty if it
contains no character. If the string is not empty, then empty operator returns false.

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Code Snippet 8 demonstrates the use of empty operators.

Code Snippet 8:
<% This code returns true if the string is empty %>
<b>
empty ${empty }<br/>
empty sometext ${empty sometext}<br/>
</b>

11.3.5

EL Dot Operators

The Dot (.) operator is used to access attribute values of JavaBean and map values within the
EL. When you use the dot operator, the code to the left of the operator must specify a JavaBean
or a map, and the code to the right of the operator must specify a JavaBean or a map key and
the property name follows the conventions of Java identifiers.
Syntax:
${mapObject.keyName}

The EL allows to replace dot notation with array notation (square brackets).
Example: ${param.header} can be replaced with ${param[header]}
The array notation operator works similar to the dot operator. However, it has its own advantages
as follows:
Array notation operator can be used to access elements of an array or a list by
specifying an index. That is the value inside the brackets can itself be a variable in array
notation while with dot notation the property name must be a literal value.

The array notation lets you use values as property names.

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Code Snippet 9 demonstrates the use of dot operator.

Code Snippet 9:

<!-- home.jsp -->

<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content=text/html;
charset=UTF-8>
<title>Home</title>
</head>
<body>
<p>Enter Username and Submit:</p><br /><br />
<form action=welcomeuser.jsp method=post>
<input name=txtval type=text size=20 maxlength=60
placeholder=Enter Username... required/>
<input name=sbtName type=submit value=submit />
</form>
<%
/* setAttribute(name,object) binds an object to a given attribute
name */
application.setAttribute(PHP, Contact Form in PHP);
application.setAttribute(HTML5, HTML5 new tags);
application.setAttribute(Review, Complete Review of all the
documents);
%>
</body>
</html>

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<!-- welcomeuser.jsp-->
<%@page contentType=text/html pageEncoding=UTF-8%>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content=text/html;
charset=UTF-8>
<title>Employee Work Details</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Work Details!</h1> <br /><br />
<b>Employee: ${param.txtval}</b> <br />
<p>Please refer to the given topics and complete it till Monday:</p>
<ul>
<li>${applicationScope.PHP}</li> <br />
<li>${applicationScope.HTML5}</li> <br />
<li>${applicationScope.Review}</li> <br />
</ul>
</body>
</html>

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Figure 11.2 shows the username entered as RockSmith during submitting the form.

Figure 11.2: Username Details

Figure 11.3 shows the output after submitting the form successfully.

Figure 11.3: Output of Code Snippet 9

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11.4

Functions Using EL

JSP allows the users to define a function that can be invoked in an expression. Functions are
defined using the same technique as custom tags.

11.4.1

Creating static Method

The static Java methods can be called within the EL expression. To access the function using
EL, the function must be implemented as a static function in a Java class. You can define
many functions in a single class. After defining the functions, you need to map the function name
with EL using a Tag Library Descriptor (TLD) file.
Syntax:
ns:funcName(arg1, arg2, . . .)

where,
n
 s refers to name space and function name. Name space is generally a class or a
tag library or a function name to access a static method in some class.
Figure 11.4 demonstrates the static function.

Figure 11.4: Static Function

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11.4.2

JSP Expression Language

Creating Tag Library Descriptor

A TLD file uses XML syntax to map the name of functions defined in a class with EL. In the
<function> tag in a tag library descriptor file, you need to mention the name of the function
using element <name>. Also, you need to mention the class in which the function is defined
using <function-class> element and the signature of the function in the TLD file using
<function-signature> element. You then save this TLD file in the /WEB-INF/tlds
folder, where tlds is a user-created folder.
Figure 11.5 depicts EL function configuration in the TLD.

Figure 11.5: EL Function Configuration in TLD

11.4.3

Modifying Deployment Descriptor

The default mode for JSP version 1.2 technology or before is to ignore EL expressions. The default
mode for JSP pages delivered with JSP version 2.0 technology is to evaluate EL expressions.
Setting the value of the <el-ignored> element in the deployment descriptor can
explicitly change the default mode. The <el-ignored> element is a sub element of
<jsp-property-group>. It has no sub elements. Its valid values are true and false.
In deployment descriptor, web.xml file, declare as follows:
Syntax:
<el-ignored>false</el-ignored>

where,
true indicates that EL expressions will be ignored.
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false indicates that EL expressions will be enabled for interpretation by servlet
container.
Code Snippet 10 shows the deployment descriptor, web.xml which has to be modified for
setting the support for the EL in JSP.

Code Snippet 10:

<web-app xmlns=http://java.sun.com/xml/ns/j2ee

...

<jsp-config>

<jsp-property-group>

<url-pattern>*.jsp</url-pattern>
<el-ignored>false</el-ignored>

</jsp-property-group>

</jsp-config>

</web-app>

In the code,
<jsp-config>: Includes JSP configuration, such as interpretation of tag library and
property information.
<jsp-property-group>: Defines a set of properties that applies to a set of files
representing the JSP pages.
<url-pattern>: Specifies that JSP properties defined in <jsp-propertygroup> to specific JSP pages, *.jsp indicates that these apply to all JSP pages.
<el-ignored>: Enables interpretation of JSP EL in JSP pages.
<scripting-enabled>: Allows JSP scripting.

11.4.4

Accessing EL Functions within JSP

To access the function created in a TLD file using a JSP file, you need to import the TLD file using
the taglib directive. In the directive statement, you need to mention a prefix for the tags and
the location of the TLD file.
After importing the TLD file, you can access the function using an EL expression.
For the taglib directive, syntax declares as follows:
Syntax:
<%@ taglib prefix = prefix uri=path%>

where,
prefix is the prefix to be used for the tags defined in the TLD file.

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path is the location of the TLD file.

For accessing the function:

Syntax:
<%=${prefix:functionName(arguments)}%>

Code Snippet 11 shows how to access EL function in JSP.

Code Snippet 11:

<%@ taglib prefix=fn uri=/WEB-INF/tlds/functions%>
...

Average of the values is : <%=${fn:average(values)}%>

...

11.5

Coercion

Automatic conversion of a data from one data type to another data type within an expression
is called Coercion. Coercion occurs when the datum is stored as one data type but its context
requires a different data type.

11.5.1

Coercion Concept in EL

Coercion means that the parameters are converted to the appropriate objects or primitives
automatically. The JSTL defines appropriate conversions and default values. For example, a string
parameter from a request will be coerced to the appropriate object or primitive.
If a parameter that represents the month is passed in the request as a string, the value of the month
variable will be correct because the string will be coerced to the correct type when used.
Figure 11.6 depicts types of coercion.

Figure 11.6: Types of Coercion

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11.5.2

Boxing and Unboxing

Boxing converts values of primitive type to corresponding values of reference type.

Unboxing converts values of reference type to corresponding values of primitive type.
There are precise rules for boxing and unboxing. They are as follows:
The precise rules for boxing
a.

If i is a boolean value, then boxing conversion converts i into a reference r of

class and type Boolean, such that r.value() == i.

If i is a byte value, then boxing conversion converts i into a reference r of

class and type Byte, such that r.value() == i.
The precise rules for unboxing

b.

a.

If r is a Boolean reference, then unboxing conversion converts r into a value v

of type boolean, such that r.value() == v.

b.

If r is a Byte reference, then unboxing conversion converts r into a value v of

type byte, such that r.value() == v.

c.

If r is a Character reference, then unboxing conversion converts r into a

value v of type char, such that r.value() == v.

11.5.3

Coercion to String

The rule to coerce a value to String type is as follows:

A is String, return A.
A is null, return .
A.toString() throws exception, return error. Otherwise return
A.toString().

11.5.4

Coercion to Number

The rule to coerce a value to number type is as follows:

If A is null or , return 0
A is character and is converted to short, you apply the following rules:
If A is Boolean, return error
If A is number type, return A
A is number, coerce occurs quietly to type N using the following algorithms:
If N is BigInteger
If A is BigDecimal, return A.toBigInteger()
Otherwise, return BigInteger.valueOf(A.longValue())
if N is BigDecimal
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If A is a BigInteger, return new BigDecimal(A)

Otherwise, return new BigDecimal(A.doubleValue())
If N is Byte, return new Byte(A.byteValue())
If N is Short, return new Short(A.shortValue())
If N is Integer, return new Integer(A.in tegerValue())
If N is Long, return new Long(A.longValue())
If N is Float, return new Float(A.floatValue())
If N is Double, return new Double(A.doubleValue())
Otherwise return error

If a variable myInteger is to be declared and its value in an expression is used as a number, a

variable is declared with the value using <c:set> as shown in Code Snippet 12.

Code Snippet 12:

<c:set var=myInteger value=${param.month}/>

<p>

The value of myInteger is: <c:out value=${myInteger}/>.

</p>

The given statement can be demonstrated by performing a multiplication operation to show that
the type is correct: <c:out value=${myInteger * 2}/>

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Check Your Progress

1.

2.

Which of the following statements relating to JSP script expression is incorrect?

(A)

JSP is used to display the dynamic

content on a Web page.

The JSP expression is inserted

(C) into the page after being evaluated
and converted to string.

(B)

The dynamic content generated

using JSP language can be
formatted.

is not used at the end

(D) Semicolon
of the JSP script expression.

Which option is the correct one for <jsp:include> from the following statements?
(A)

EL is simple and robust.

(B)

EL can handle both expressions and literals.

(C)

The application data stored can be accessed but cannot be manipulated by EL.

(D)

(H)

The advantage of EL is that it provides cleaner syntax and is specifically

designed for JSP.
JSP expression language cannot be used to display the generated dynamic
content in a table on a Web page.
EL makes it possible to easily access application data stored in JavaBeans
components.
JSP expression language can be used to display the generated dynamic
content in a table on a Web page.
The page authors should be master in programming language, such as Java
and JavaScript to utilize the benefits of EL.

(A)

A, C, D, E, F

(C) A, B, C, D, E

(B)

A, B, D, F, H

(D) A, C, D, E

(E)
(F)
(G)

3.

Which implicit object defined in JSP EL can be used without creating an instance of the
object?
(A)

servletContext

(C) session

(B)

pageContext

(D) request

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Check Your Progress

4.

5.

Which scope is accessible from the JSP page that creates the object?
(A)

requestScope

(C)

sessionScope

(B)

pageScope

(D)

applicationScope

Which among the following statements related to pageContext is incorrect?

(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)

6.

7.

The servletContext object specifies the servlet of the JSP page and
Web components contained in the same application.
The session object represents the session created for the client sending a
request.
The request object represents the request accepted by the JSP page from
a client and information of the request.
The response object represents the response sent by the client using a
JSP page.

What will be the output of the code snippet ${2+2}?

(A)

{"2"+"2"}

(C)

2+2

(B)

22

(D)

Which among the following operators is not a relational operator?

(A)

Logical and (&&)

(C)

Inequality (!=)

(B)

Logical or (||)

(D)

Boolean complement (! or not)

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Answer

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

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JSP Expression Language

Summary

EL is simple and robust. It can handle both expressions and literals, which are constants
and are assigned some memory location.
EL is a great help to the page authors in accessing and manipulating the application data
without mastering the complexities of the programming language such as Java and
JavaScript.
JSP implicit objects are a standard set of classes. The user creates an instance of an
implicit object to use available methods and variables.
Operators are used to perform different arithmetic, relational, and logical operations. Dot
operator (.) or [] is used to access value of a variable. Various operators used in Expression Language are arithmetic operators, relational operators, logical operators, empty
operators, and dot operators.
In Expression language the static java methods can be called within the EL expression.
To access the function using EL, the function must be implemented as a static function
in a java class.
The TLD file uses XML syntax to map the name of functions defined in a class with EL.
Setting the value of the <el-ignored> element in the deployment descriptor can explicitly change the default mode.
The accessing of the function created in a TLD file using a JSP file is possible by importing the TLD file using the taglib directive.
Coercion means that the parameters are converted to the appropriate objects or primitives automatically. Coercion is an implicit type conversion.

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JavaServer Pages Standard Tag Library

Welcome to the Session, JavaServer Pages Standard Tag Library.

This session introduces you to JavaServer Pages Standard Tag Library (JSTL) that provides a
script-free environment. The session explain the core and SQL library tags available in JSTL and
their usage in the JSP page.
In this Session, you will learn to:

Explain the concept and need for JSTL

List the advantages of using JSTL

Describe the different tag libraries available in JSTL

Explain how to configure JSTL library in NetBeans

Explain general purpose tags

Explain decision-making in the tags

Explain iteration tags in the core tag library

Explain the different tags available in the SQL tag library

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12.1

Introduction

Consider a situation in a shopping cart Web application, where a JSP page generates a dynamic
list displaying user-selected products on the Web page. To display such a dynamic list in a cart
with selected or removed products, only HTML tags will not be useful. In such a case, the Web
designer has to involve himself in coding the scripts, such as iterating through the list elements
or displaying data based on a condition. This may not be feasible in all the situations.
To help Web designers, Sun Microsystems developed a pre-defined tag library which contains
tags related to the core common functionalities performed in Java applications. The pre-defined
tag library is known as JavaServer Pages Standard Tag Library (JSTL) that helps you to reuse
standard tags that work in the similar manner in every Java Web application. JSTL allows
programming using tags rather than scriptlet code.

12.1.1

Designing JSP Pages with JSTL

Organizations handling large Web applications need separate job roles to handle different parts of
the development. Some of the roles found in Web applications are described as follows:
Web Designers They are involved in creating a view part of the application. The views
are basically HTML pages.
Web Component Developers They are responsible for developing the controller of the
application. The controller is basically a Servlet written in Java language.
Business Component Developers They are responsible for creating the model for the
application. The model is basically a component, such as a Java class or an Enterprise
JavaBean (EJB) that are basically used to process the business logic of an application.
The use of tag libraries, such as JSTL helps people involved in the application development to
focus on their area of expertise, such as Web designers, who are involved in designing Web
pages. The JSTL tag library help Web designers to integrate the Java technology code into JSP,
without the need to write complex scriptlet code.

12.1.2

Advantages of JSTL

JSTL is a very beneficial technology for the development of JSP applications. Some of the
benefits of using JSTL are as follows:
JSTL provides most of the functionality necessary for the development of JSP application, so you dont have to develop your own tag.
JSTL has a number of tags for common tasks, such as interacting with databases,
iterating through lists, formatting data, handling XML data, and more. You can use these
tags and create a program with business logic that saves lots of development time that
you could waste in the developing the common tags.

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JSTL is based on XML, which is very similar to HTML. Hence, HTML programmers easily
start programming using JSTL.

Since JSTL is always expressed in XML-compliant tags, it will be easier for HTML generation tools to parse the JSTL code that is contained within the document.
JSTL includes tags that support both formatting and multilingual support, which provides
a consistent approach to formatting of numbers and strings, and internationalization (I18N)
support features in JSP scriptlet code.
JSTL provides mechanism that enables the programmer to develop own custom tags as
well.

12.1.3

JSTL Tag Libraries

JSTL provide various tag libraries that can be used for many functionalities.
Figure 12.1 shows the JSTL tag libraries.

Figure 12.1: JSTL Tag Libraries

Core Tag Library

The library contains the tags for looping, expression evaluation, and basic input/output.
It can be declared by <%@ taglib prefix=c uri=http://java.sun.
com/jstl/core %>.
Formatting/Internationalization (I18N) Tag Library

T he library contains the tags which are used to parse the data such as dates and time,
based on the current location. It can be declared by <%@ taglib prefix=fmt
uri=http://java.sun.com/jstl/fmt %>.
SQLTag Library
T he library contains tags which are used to access SQL databases. It provides an interface
for executing SQL queries on database through JSP. It can be declared by <%@ taglib
prefix=sql uri=http://java.sun.com/jstl/sql %>.
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XML Tag Library

T he library contains tags for accessing XML elements. In JSTL, XML processing is an important
feature, as it is used in many Web applications for managing data. It can be declared by <%@
taglib prefix=x uri=http://java.sun.com/jstl/xml %>.

12.1.4

JSTL Library in NetBeans

To use the JSTL tags on the JSP page, you need to include the JSTL library in the Web application.
Perform the following steps:
1.

Right-click Libraries and select Add Library.

2.

Select JSTL 1.1 under Available Libraries and click Add Library. The JSTL 1.1
standard.jar and JSTL 1.1- jstl.jar are added in the project.

Figure 12.2 shows the JSTL library added in MyWebApp application project created in NetBeans
IDE.

Figure 12.2: JSTL Library

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12.2

JavaServer Pages Standard Tag Library

Core Tag Library

Core tag library provide support for conditional logic, iteration, forward or redirect response, URL,
catch exception, and so on. It is the most frequently used JSTL tag library containing core group
of tags. The core tag library tags are prefixed with c.

12.2.1

General Purpose Tags

General purpose tags are used to set, remove, and display variable values that are created within
a JSP page. The core tag library contains tags for getting, setting and displaying attribute values.
The general-purpose tags are:
<c:set>
This tag assigns a value to a variable in scope.
Syntax:
<c:set var = varName value = expression scope = page/request/
session/ application/>

where,
value specifies the expression.
var specifies the name of the exported scope to hold the value specified in the tag.
scope specifies the scope of variable such as page, request, session, and
application. The default scope is page.
Example: <c:set var = sessionvariable value = ${80+8}
scope = session />
<c:remove>
This tag is used to remove a scoped variable. This is an empty tag.
Syntax:
<c:remove var = varName scope = page/request/session/
application/>

where,
var specifies the name of the variable to be removed.
scope specifies the scope of the variable.
Example: <c:remove var=simple scope=page/>
<c:out>
This tag is used to evaluate an expression and store the result in the current JspWriter
object.

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Syntax:

<c:out value = value escapeXml = boolean default =

defaultValue/>

where,
value specifies the expression.
default specifies the default value if the value of the result is null.
escapeXml determines that special characters in the result, such as <, >, &, ,
and should be converted to their character entity codes. The default value of
escapeXml is true.
Example: <c:out value = ${sessionvariable}></c:out>
<c:catch>
This tag provides an exception handling functionality such as try-catch, inside JSP pages
without using scriptlets.
Syntax:
<c:catch [var=varName]>
nested actions
...
</c:catch>

where,
var specifies the name of the variable to be caught.
Code Snippet 1 demonstrates how to catch the exception using <c:catch> tag.

Code Snippet 1:
<body>
<c:catch var=e>
100 divided by 0 is <c:out value=${100/0} />
<br />
</c:catch>

The catch tag provides an error handling mechanism for the division operation. The
exception raised by dividing the number from 0 is stored in the variable var.

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Code Snippet 2 demonstrates the core tags used in login application.

Code Snippet 2:
<!-- welcome.html -->
<body>

<form action=login.jsp>
User Name:

<input type=text name=username/>

<br/> <br/>
Password:

<input type=password name=password/>

<br/> <br/>

<input type=submit value=Submit name=Submit>

</form>

</body>

<!-- login.jsp -->

...

<body>

<c:set var=name value=${param.username}/>

<c:set var=password value=${param.password}/>

Entered Name: <c:out value=${name}/> <br/> <br/>
Entered Password: <c:out value=${password}/>

</body>

The login.jsp page assigns the variables name and password with the value from the
request parameters username and password respectively. The out tag outputs the value of
name and password respectively.

12.2.2

Decision-making Tags

JSTL provides decision-making tags to support conditions in a JSP page. Decision-making tags are
necessary as the contents or the output of the JSP page is often conditional based on the value of
the dynamic application data.
The two types of decision-making tags are:
<c:if>
The tag is used for conditional execution of the code. This tag is a container tag that allows
the execution of the body if the test attribute evaluates to true.

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Syntax:

<c:if test = testCondition var = varName scope = page/

request/session/application>

Body Content

</c:if>

where,
test specifies the test condition.
var specifies the name of the variable of the test condition.
scope specifies the scope of the variable, var.
In <c:if> tag, attribute var and scope are optional.
Code Snippet 3 demonstrates the use of if tag to evaluate.

Code Snippet 3:
<!-- Test the username -->
<c:if test=${name==admin}>
<h4> Valid User </h4>
</c:if>

The code uses if tag to check the value of the name variable. If the condition evaluates
to true, that is, the value assigned to the name variable is admin, then the body gets
executed.
<c:choose>
The tag is similar to the switch statement in Java. The <c:choose> tag performs
conditional block execution.
The <c:choose> tag processes body of the <c:when> tag. Multiple <c:when>
tags can be embedded in a <c:choose> tag. If none of the conditions evaluates to true,
then the body of <c:otherwise> tag is processed.

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Syntax:

<c:choose>
<c:when test = testcondition>

Body Content
</c:when>
...
<c:otherwise>

Body Content
</c:otherwise>

</c:choose>

where,
<c:when> is the body of <c:choose>. It is a container tag and has test condition.
It will execute the body content if the test condition evaluates to true.
<c:otherwise> is executed when none of the test conditions of <c:when>
evaluates to true.
Code Snippet 4 demonstrates the choose tag.

Code Snippet 4:
// Performs the checking of the condition
<c:choose>

<c:when test=${name == admin}>

<h4> Valid User </h4>

</c:when>

<c:otherwise>

<h4> Invalid User </h4>

</c:otherwise>

</c:choose>

The choose tag performs evaluation of the condition to test if name entered is admin.
If the condition evaluates to true, then the nested when tag gets executed, else the nested
otherwise tag gets executed.

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12.2.3

Iteration Tags

The iteration tag is required for performing looping function. The object can be retrieved from a
collection in the JavaBeans components and assigned to a scripting variable by using iteration
tags.
The two iteration tags are:
<c:forEach>
This tag is used to repeat the body content over a collection of objects. The iteration will
continue for a number of times specified by the user in the code.
Syntax:
<c:forEach var = varName item = collection varStatus =
varStatusName begin = begin end = end step = step>

Body Content

</c:forEach>

where,
var specifies the name of the exported scoped variable.
item specifies the collection of items to iterate over.
varStatus specifies the name of the variable for the status of iteration.
begin specifies the index from which the iteration is to begin.
end specifies the index at which the iteration is to end.
step specifies that iteration will process every item of the collection.
Code Snippet 5 demonstrates the forEach tag.

Code Snippet 5:
// Displays objects from collection companies

<c:forEach var= company items = ${companies>

${company} <br>

</c:forEach>

// Displays values from 10 to 100

<c:forEach var=i begin=10 end=100>

${i}

</c:forEach>

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JavaServer Pages Standard Tag Library

<c:forTokens>
This tag is used to iterate over a collection of tokens separated by user-specified delimiters.
It is a container tag.
Syntax:
<c:forTokens items = stringofToken delims = delimiters var =
varName varStatus = varStatusName begin = begin end = end
step = step>

Body Content

</c:forTokens

where,
items specifies the string of value to iterate.
delims specifies the character that separates the tokens in the string.
var specifies the name of the scope variable for the item of iteration.
varStatus specifies the name of the scope variable for the status of iteration.
Code Snippet 6 demonstrates the use of <c:forTokens> tag.

Code Snippet 6:
// Displays each token at a time separated by , delimiter

<c:forTokens var=token items=Tom,Dick,Harry delims=,>

<c:out value=${token}/>

</c:forTokens>

12.3

SQL Tag Library

To interact with other databases such as Oracle, MySQL, or Microsoft SQL Server, JSTL SQL tag
library is used. These tags are prefixed by sql.

12.3.1

<sql:setDataSource>

JSTL SQL tags are used to access databases and are designed for low-volume Web-based
applications. SQL tag library provides tags that allow direct database access within a JSP page.
The JSTL SQL tag provides the following functionalities:
Passing database queries
The functionality provides users with the SQL tag library database. This database allows
executing queries, such as SELECT statement.

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This can be executed using the <sql:query> tag.

Accessing query results

The functionality allows the users to access results for queries.

Database modifications
The functionality helps in modifying database using the <sql:update> tag.
Syntax:
<sql:setDataSource dataSource = datasource | url = jdbcurl
driver =
driverclassdriver user = username password = userpwd var =
varname scope = page/request/session/application/>

where,
dataSource can either be the path to Java Naming and Directory Interface
(JNDI) resource or a JDBC parameter string.
url is the URL associated with the database.
driver is a JDBC parameter and takes the driver class name.
user takes the user of the database.
password takes the user password.
var is the name of exported scoped variable for the data source specified.
scope specifies the scope of the variable.
Code Snippet 7 demonstrates the use of <sql:setDataSource> sql tag to make the
connection to SQL Server database.

Code Snippet 7:
// Sets the data source for the database
<sql:setDataSource

driver=com.microsoft.jdbc.sqlserver.SQLServerDriver

url=jdbc:microsoft:sqlserver://10.1.3.27:1433;

DataBaseName=pubs; user=sa password=playware var=conn/>

In the code, <sql:setDataSource> is used to set a data source for the database.
This is an empty tag and allows the user to set data source information for the database.
In <sql:setDataSource> tag, then url attribute provides the JDBC url string for
the SQL Server database.

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12.3.2

JavaServer Pages Standard Tag Library

<sql:query>

The <sql:query> tag searches the database and returns a result set containing rows of data.
The tag can either be an empty tag or a container tag. The SELECT statement is used to select
data from the table.
Syntax:
<sql:query sql = sqlQuery var = varName scope = {page|request|s
ession|application} dataSource = dataSource maxRows = maxRows
startRow = startRow/>

where,
sql specifies the SQL query statement.
var specifies the name of the exported scope variable for the query result.
scope specifies the scope of the variable.
dataSource specifies the data source associated with the database to query.
maxRows specifies the maximum number of rows to be included in the result.
startRow specifies the row starting at the specified index.
Syntax:
<sql:query var = varName dataSource = dataSource scope = {pa
ge|request|session|application} maxRows = maxRows startRow =
startRow>

SQL Statement

<sql:param/>
</sql:query>

where,
param takes the parameter for the query.
Code Snippet 8 demonstrates the use of <sql:query> tag.

Code Snippet 8:
// Gets the records about the product from data source conn
<sql:query var=products dataSource=${conn}>

select * from Products

</sql:query>

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12.3.3

<sql:update>

The <sql:update> tag executes the INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements. It
returns 0, if no rows are affected by the DML statements.
Syntax:
<sql:update sql = sqlUpdate dataSource = dataSource var =
varName scope = {page|request|session|application}/>

where,
sql specifies the update, insert, or delete statement.
dataSource specifies the data source associated with the database to update.
var specifies the name of the exported scope variable for the result of the database
update.
scope specifies the scope of variable, such as page, request, session, or
application.
Syntax:
<sql:update dataSource = dataSource var = varName scope = {page|r
equest|session|application}>

SQL Statement

<sql:param value = value/>

</sql:update>

where,
update is the UPDATE statement in SQL.
param takes the parameter for the query.
Code Snippet 9 demonstrates the use of <sql:update> tag.

Code Snippet 9:
// Adds the product details in the Product table

<sql:update var=newrow dataSource=${conn}

INSERT INTO Products(ProductName, ProductType, Price, Brand,

Description)

VALUES(Jeans, Clothes, 1000, Lee, Good Quality Jeans)

</sql:update>

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Figure 12.3 shows the output of update.

Figure 12.3: Output of Update

12.3.4

<sql:transaction>

The <sql:transaction> is used to establish a transaction context for <sql:query>

and <sql:update> tags. The connection object is obtained from <sql:transaction>
as this tag is responsible for managing access to the database.
Syntax:
<sql:transaction dataSource = dataSource isolation =
isolationLevel>
<sql:update> or <sql:query > statements
</sql:transaction>

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where,

dataSource sets the SQL data source which can be a string or a data source
object.
isolation sets the transaction isolation level. Isolation level can be read _
committed,
read _ uncommitted,
repeatable _ read,
or
serializable.
Code Snippet 10 demonstrates the use of <sql:transaction> tag.

Code Snippet 10:

/** The code snippet performs transaction by first accessing a data
source to create a table and then inserting a row. It then performs a SQL
queries on the table
**/
<sql:transaction dataSource=${mydatasource}>

<sql:update var=newTable>

create table emp (

id int primary key,

name varchar(80)

)
</sql:update>
<sql:update var=updateCount>

INSERT INTO emp VALUES (1,Jenny)

</sql:update>

<sql:update var=updateCount>

INSERT INTO emp VALUES (2,Christina)

</sql:update>
...

<sql:query var=empQuery>

SELECT * FROM emp

</sql:query>
</sql:transaction>

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12.3.5

JavaServer Pages Standard Tag Library

<sql:param>

<sql:param> is used to set values for parameters markers (?) in SQL statements. It acts as
a sub tag for <sql:query> and <sql:update>.
Syntax:
<sql:param value = value/>

where,
value sets the value for the parameter.
Figure 12.4 depicts the use of <sql:param> tag.

Figure 12.4: <sql:param> Tag

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JavaServer Pages Standard Tag Library

Check Your Progress

1.

Match the different tag library against their corresponding description.

Description

Library

(A)

It contains the tags for looping,

expression evaluation and basic input
and output.

(1)

(B)

It contains the tags, which are used

to parse the data, such as dates and
time, based on current location.

(2) XML Tag Library

(C)
(D)

It contains tags, which are used to

access databases.
It contains tags, which are used to
access XML elements.

Formatting/Internationalization
(I18N) Tag Library

(3) Core Tag Library

(4) SQL Tag Library

(A)

A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1

(C)

A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4

(B)

A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2

(D)

A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3

2.

Match the tags against the corresponding syntax.

Syntax

(A)

(B)

<x var = "varName"

value = "expression"
scope = "page/
request/session/
Application"/>
<x var = "varName"
scope = "page/
request/session/
application"/>

Tag

(1) <c:remove>

(2) <c:catch>

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Check Your Progress

(C)

3.

<x [var="varName"]>
.... nested actions

(4) <c:out>

(A)

A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1

(C)

A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4

(B)

A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2

(D)

A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3

Identify the incorrect statement relating to <sql:setDataSource> tag.

(B)

<sql:setDataSource>
is an empty tag and allows
the user to set data source
information for the database.
dataSource tag is a path
to JNDI resource not a JDBC
parameter string.

In <sql:setDataSource> tag,
(C) if the dataSource attribute is used,
then url attribute cannot be used.
In <sql:setDataSource>
(D) tag, scope specifies the scope of the
variable.

Identify the incorrect statement relating to query tag.

(A)
(B)

5.

(3) <c:set>

(D)

(A)

4.

<x value = "value"

escapeXml =
"boolean" default =
"defaultValue"/>

The <sql:query> tag searches

the database and returns the result
set containing columns of data.
The <sql:query> tag can be
an empty tag.

(C)

The <sql:query> tag can be a

container tag.

(D)

The scope attribute specifies the

scope of a variable.

Identify the incorrect statement relating to update tag.

(A)

<sql:update> executes the

INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE (C)
statements.

(B)

Zero is returned if no rows are

affected by INSERT, UPDATE, or (D)
DELETE.

In <sql:update> syntax, the

var attribute specifies the name
of the exported scope variable for
the result of the database update.
In <sql:update> syntax,
scope specifies the scope of the
page only.

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Check Your Progress

6.

Identify the incorrect statement relating to transaction tag.

(A)

<sql:transaction> tag
is used to establish a transaction
context for <sql:query> and
<sql:update> tags.

(B)

The connection object is obtained

from <sql:transaction>, as
(D)
this tag is responsible for managing
access to the database.

(C)

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In <sql:transaction>
syntax, dataSource sets the SQL
dataSource, which can only be
a dataSource object.
In <sql:transaction>
tag, isolation level can be
read_committed,
read_uncommitted,
repeatable_read, or
serializable.

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Answer
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

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Summary

JSTL provides a set of reusable standard tags.

The standard tag library defined by the JSTL works in a similar manner everywhere and
this makes the iteration over the collection using scriptlets unnecessary.
JSTL allows programming using tags rather than scriptlet code.
The core tag library has general-purpose tags that are used to manipulate scoped
variables created within a JSP page.
Decision-making tags are used to do conditional processing of code in a JSP page.
Iteration tags are used to iterate over a collection of objects multiple times.
SQL Tag Library is useful in performing database queries. It allows easy access to query
results.
The database statements, such as insert, update, and delete can be performed by SQL
tags.

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JSP Custom Tags

Welcome to the Session, JSP Custom Tags.

This session explains the concept of JSP custom tags. The session explains the different type of
custom tags namely, classic custom tags and simple custom tag libraries.
In this Session, you will learn to:

Explain JSP custom tags in JSP

Describe the common terminology used in JSP custom tags

Explain the working of custom tag libraries

Explain the different types of custom tags available in JSP

Explain how to create classic custom tags

Explain use of Tag Extension API

Explain Simple Tags API

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JSP Custom Tags

13.1

JSP Custom Tags

Custom tag allows Java developers to embed Java code in JSP pages. By using the custom
tag, the developer reduces the overhead of writing the same business logic again for a particular
action to be repeated in programs.
Using custom tags in a JSP page involves three steps as follows:

Creating a tag library descriptor

A Tag Library Descriptor (TLD) file contains the information on each tag available in the
library. It is an XML document. TLDs are used to validate the tags.

Creating a tag handler class

A tag handler is a Java class that defines a tag described in the TLD file. What a tag will
implement depends on what methods can be called and what is required to be implemented.

Creating a JSP page that will access the custom tags

A JSP page will use the tags defined in a tag library by using a taglib directive in the page
before any custom tag is used.

13.1.1

Custom Tags Terminology

Some of the terms associated with custom tags are as follows:

Tag library descriptor

This is an Extensible Markup Language (XML) file, which describes custom tags in a JSP
program. This contains the definitions of a custom tag and is saved with an extension
.tld. This is imported to the JSP program by using the <%@taglib> directive. The JSP
container creates an instance of the imported library descriptor file and traces the handler
class of the custom tag.

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Code Snippet 1 shows a sample tag library descriptor that describes a tag called Name.

Code Snippet 1:

<taglib
version=2.0
xmlns=http://java.sun.com/xml/
j2ee
xmlns:xsi=http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance
xsi:schemaLocation=http://java.sun.com/xml/ns/j2ee/webjsptaglibrary_2_0.xsd>
<!-- The tag library and the tag is described inside this tag-->
<taglib>
<!-- The version of the tag library -->
<tlib-version>2.0</tlib-version>
<!-- The JSP specification version for the tag library -->
<jsp-version>2.0</jsp-version>
<!-- This is the name assigned to the tag library -->
<short-name>tags</short-name>
<!-- This specifies the path of the TLD file-->
<uri>tag lib version id</uri>
<!-- Provides a short description of the tag library-->
<description>The tag library </description>
<!-- Provides a detailed description of the tag-->
<tag>
<!-- This is the name of the tag used in the JSP page-->
<name>name</name>
<!-- This is the name of the tag handler class for the concerned
tag-->
<tag-class>tags.NameTag</tag-class>
<!-- This specifies the type of body content. It can be empty, JSP
or tag-dependent -->
<body-content>empty</body-content>
<!-- This describes the attribute passed with the tag-->
<attribute>
<!-- This specifies the name of the attribute passed with the tag->
<name>name</name>
</attribute>
</tag>
</taglib>

Tag handler
The tag handler is a simple Java class file that contains the code for the functionality of the
custom tag in the JSP program. These are of two types, classic and simple.

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Figure 13.1 depicts the custom tags terminology.

Figure 13.1: Custom Tags Terminology

13.1.2

Tag Libraries

Tag library is a collection of custom tags. This library allows the developer to write reusable
code fragments, which assign functionality to tags. The reference to each tag is stored in the tag
library. When a tag is used in a JSP page, the library containing the tag has to be imported into
the JSP page using the <@%taglib> directive.
Syntax:

<%@taglib prefix="u"

uri="/WEB-INF/tlds/sampleLib.tld" %>

where,
uri is the path that uniquely identifies the TLD file of the tag.
prefix is the prefix attribute that distinguishes various tags in the JSP page.

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Figure 13.2 depicts the working of custom tag libraries.

13.2

Figure 13.2: Working of Custom Tag Libraries

Custom Tag Library

The JSP engine is a component of Web container, which converts JSP codes to servlet codes.
Jasper2 engine is the name of the JSP engine of Apache since Tomcat version 5.0.
The functions of Jasper2 are as follows:
Analyze the JSP file and compile them to servlet code.
Allow a Java object instantiated for the JSP tag to be pooled and reused any time from
memory.

13.2.1

Locating TLD File

TLD file can reside in either any directory of a Web application such as:
../WEB-INF/sampleLib.tld
../WEB-INF/tld/sampleLib.tld
 lternatively, they can be package in a jar file and place that jar in ../WEB-INF/lib/ directory
A
along with related jars and any related resources.

13.2.2

Associating URIs with TLD File Locations

There is always a specific URI for each .tld file, which refers to its tag in a JSP page. This is
basically done by assigning path to the .tld file to uri attribute. The uri attribute is mapped to the
.tld file in two ways namely, implicit and explicit mapping.

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In implicit mapping the container reads all the .tld files present in the jar, then the JSP container
automatically creates a mapping between the URI specifying the JAR location and the TLD file
present inside the JAR file.
Syntax:
<%@ taglib prefix= u uri=/WEB-INF/TagJARfile.jar %>

13.2.3

Explicit Mapping

The explicit mapping is another method to map the URI to a TLD file. This is done by defining
reference to the tag library descriptor by the <taglib> element in the deployment descriptor,
web.xml, of the Web application.
Each <taglib>element contains two sub-elements as follows:
<taglib-uri> This is the URI identifying a Tag Library.
<taglib-location>Describes the path to the tag library descriptor file for the
custom tag.
Code Snippet 2 uses the tag <taglib-location>element to indicate relative path of
AttributeTag.tld.

Code Snippet 2:
<taglib>

<taglib-uri>AttributeTag</taglib-uri>
<taglib-location>/WEB-INF/tlds/AttributeTag.tld</tagliblocation>
</taglib>

13.2.4

Resolving URIs to TLD File Locations

In explicit mapping, the association of the URIs to the TLD files is called the resolution of URIs.
This association is necessary to locate the tag library descriptor file, which defines the tag. If
the value of the uri attribute matches any of the <taglib-uri> entries, the engine uses the
value of the corresponding <taglib-location> to locate the actual TLD file.

13.2.5

Tag Library Prefix

In a JSP page, several custom tags with same name can be used, which are defined in different
tag library descriptors. To distinguish these tags from one another, they are named uniquely by
using prefix attributes in the <%@taglib> directive.
Also, the prefix of a tag is used as a reference by the container to invoke its respective TLD file
and tag handler class.
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Syntax:
<%@taglib prefix=ui uri=/WEB-INF/tlds/sampleLib_ui.tld %>
<%@taglib prefix=logic
uri=/WEB-INF/tlds/sampleLib_logic.
tld %>
<%@taglib prefix=data
uri=/WEB-INF/tlds/sampleLib_data.tld
%>

13.3

Using Custom Tags in JSP Pages

Following are the types of custom tags:

Empty tag
Tag with attribute
Custom tags with JSP code
Nested custom tags

13.3.1

Tags with Attributes

The custom tags with the attributes are called as parameterized tags. Attributes are passed to the
tags as arguments are passed to a method. This is done to customize the behavior of a custom tag
as shown in Code Snippet 3.

Code Snippet 3:
<html><body>
<%@ taglib prefix=tagPrefix uri=sampleLib.tld %>
<h1>< tagPrefix:TagsWithAttributesuserName=userName1 /></h1>
</body></html>

13.3.2

Custom Tags with JSP Code

Custom tags can contain JSP code as content inside them. The JSP code is simply evaluated or
manipulated before being evaluated. The manipulation can be of converting the body content to a
string and then formatting it as per requirements as shown in Code Snippet 4.

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Code Snippet 4:

<html><body>
<%@ taglib prefix=tagPrefix uri=sampleLib.tld %>
<tagPrefix:if condition=true>
UserName is: <%= request.getParameter(userName) %>
</tagPrefix:if>
</body></html>

13.3.3

Nested Custom Tags

Nested custom tags are tags declared inside the tags. This is analogous to the <table>tag in
an html page, which has <tr> and <td> tags inside it. One custom tag can made a container
for another custom tag. The container is called the parent of the tags inside it.
Code Snippet 5 shows the nested custom tags.

Code Snippet 5:
<html><body>
<%@ taglib prefix=tagPrefix uri=sampleLib.tld %>
<tagPrefix:switch
conditionValue=<%=
getParameter(userName)%>>

request.

<tagPrefix:case caseValue= userName1>

First User
</tagPrefix:case>
<tagPrefix:case caseValue= userName2 >
Second User
</tagPrefix:case>
</tagPrefix:switch>
</body></html>

13.4

Classic Custom Tags

The classic custom tags were introduced in JSP 1.1 as an extension to the existing standard
tags. These tags help in creating customized tags for JSP pages. Now, we will learn how to
develop custom libraries according to the Classic model of tag library development.
A classic custom tag uses a tag handler class, which implements Tag, IterationTag
and BodyTag interfaces or extends the classes TagSupport or BodyTagSupport. The
classic custom tag is then described in the Tag Library Descriptor (TLD) file.

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13.4.1

JSP Custom Tags

<taglib> Element

The <taglib> element is the top-level or root element of the tag library descriptor. This tag
contains some sub tags inside it. These are as follows:
<tlib-version>
This element describes the version of the tag library implementation.
<jsp-version>
This element defines the JSP version.
<short-name>
This element uniquely identifies the tag library from the JSP page.
<uri>
The element is used as a unique resource identifier for the location of a tag library.
<tag>
This element provides all the information required about a particular classic custom tag
used in a JSP page.
Code Snippet 6 illustrates the use of the <taglib> elements along with its sub elements.

Code Snippet 6:

<taglib version=2.0 xmlns=http://java.sun.com/xml/ns/j2ee

xmlns:xsi=http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance
xsi:schemaLocation=http://java.sun.com/xml/ns/j2ee
webjsptaglibrary_2_0.xsd>
<tlib-version>1.0</tlib-version>
<jsp-version>1.2</jsp-version>
<short-name>attributetag</short-name>
<uri>/WEB-INF/tlds/AttributeTag</uri>
</taglib>

13.4.2

<tag> Element

The <tag> element contains the following subelements to describe the tag characteristics:
<name>
This element assigns a unique name to the classic custom tag inside a JSP page.

<tag-class>
This tag contains the name of the tag handler class that describes the functionality of a
particular classic custom tag.
<body-content>
This tag contains the content type for the body of the tag. This tag can be passed values
such as empty, JSP, and Body-Content.
<attribute>
This describes the attribute passed in the tag handler class to the JSP page containing the
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classic custom tag.

Code Snippet 7 illustrates the use of the <tag> elements along with its sub elements.

Code Snippet 7:

<tag>
<name>AttributeTag</name>
<tag-class>AttributeTag</tag-class>
<body-content>empty</body-content>
</tag>

13.4.3

<attribute>Element

The characteristics of the attribute of a custom tag with attribute need to be described inside the
TLD file. The <attribute> element inside the <tag> element describes the attribute passed
in the tag handler class to the JSP page through the classic custom tag. It contains five sub tags as
follows:
name
The name of the attribute.
type
The data type of the attribute.
required
This element specifies whether the attribute is required or not. If it is required then true
is passed and if not required then false is passed.
rtexprvalue
This element specifies whether the attribute is evaluated dynamically or not. If it is
evaluated at the time of request or during run time or dynamically then true is passed. If
static value is evaluated, then false is passed.
description
A brief description of the attribute.

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Code Snippet 8 demonstrates the attribute element.

Code Snippet 8:

<tag>
<name>MyTag</name>
<tag-class>pkg.MyTag</tag-class>
<body-content>JSP</body-content>
<attribute>
<name>attr1</name>
<required>true</required>
</attribute>
<attribute>
<name>attr2</name>
<required>false</required>
<rtexprvalue>true</rtexprvalue>
</attribute>
</tag>

13.4.4

<body-content> Element

The <body-content> element is defined within the <tag> element. It indicates whether the
classic custom tag contains any content inside it or not. The body content can have one of three
values as follows:
empty
Code Snippet 9 shows the tag that does not contain any body inside it to process, then it is
called an empty tag.

Code Snippet 9:
<tag>
<name>AttributeTag</name>
<tag-class>AttributeTag</tag-class>
<body-content>empty</body-content>
<attribute>
</attribute>
</tag>

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JSP
Code Snippet 10 shows the JSP body content includes any other custom tag, core tag,
scripting elements, or html text inside it.

Code Snippet 10:

<tag>
<name>UpperCase</name>
<tag-class>ucase.UpperCase</tag-class>
<body-content>JSP</body-content>
</tag>

tagdependent
This specifies that the tag has a body, but its content is not to be interpreted by the JSP
engine, for example, we can pass SQL query as shown in Code Snippet 11.

Code Snippet 11:

<tag>
<name>Query</name>
<tag-class>table.Query</tag-class>
<body-content>tagdependent</body-content>
</tag>

13.5

Tag Extension API

The tag extension API in the JSP adds the tag functionalities to the language. It is part of the
javax.servlet.jsp.tagext package. This contains a number of interfaces and classes, which have
their exclusive methods.

13.5.1

Interfaces

There are basically three important interfaces defined in the tag extension API. These are as
follows:
Tag
This interface allows communication between a tag handler and the servlet of a JSP
page. This interface is particularly useful when a classic custom tag is without any body
or even if it has body then it is not for manipulation.

IterationTag
This interface is used by tag handlers that require executing the tag, without manipulating its content. This interface extends to the Tag interface.

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BodyTag
BodyTag extends IterationTag and adds two methods for supporting the buffering of body
contents: doInitBody() and setBodyContent().

13.5.2

Classes

The tagext package includes two important classes TagSupport and BodyTagSupport
for implementing tag functionalities in a JSP page.
TagSupport
The TagSupport class acts as the base class for most tag handlers which supports,
empty tag, tag with attributes, and a tag with body iterations. This class implements the
Tag and IterationTag interfaces. Thus, it implements all the methods in these interfaces. It
contains methods such as, doStartTag(), doEndTag(), and doAfterBody().
BodyTagSupport
The BodyTagSupport class can support tags that need to access and manipulate the
body content of a tag. This class implements the BodyTag interface and extends the
TagSupport class. It contains the following methods: setBodyContent() and
doInitBody().

13.5.3

Exceptions

In addition to the interfaces and classes, the Tag handler classes use the exception classes which
are defined in the javax.servlet.jsp package.
JspException
The JspException is thrown by a tag handler to indicate some unrecoverable error
while processing a JSP page.

JspTagException
The JspTagException is a sub class of the JspException, which is thrown when an
error is encountered inside the tag handler class while processing any tag.

13.6

Implementing Tag Interface

The Tag interface defines the life cycle and the methods to be invoked at start and end tag.

13.6.1

Methods of Tag Interface

The methods of the Tag interface are as follows:

doStartTag()
The tag handler invokes this method when a request is made to a tag or when the starting
tag of the element is encountered.

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It returns either of the two field constants, returns the SKIP_BODY constant, if there is no
body to evaluate or returns the EVAL_BODY_INCLUDE constant.
Syntax:
public int doStartTag() throws JspException

setPageContext()
This sets the current page context. This is called by the page implementation prior to
doStartTag().
Syntax:
public void setPageContext(PageContext pc)

The parameter pc is the argument of type pageContext passed to the setPageContext()

method.
doEndTag()
The tag handler invokes this method when the JSP page encounters the end tag. It
generally follows the execution of the doStartTag() if the tag is empty. This method
returns the SKIP_PAGE constant if there is no need to evaluate the rest of the page or
returns EVAL_PAGE constant if the rest of the page needs to be evaluated.
Syntax:
public int doEndTag() throws JspException

release()

The container calls this method on the handler class when the tag handler object is no
longer required.
Syntax:
public void release()

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Code Snippet 12 demonstrates the methods of the Tag interface.

Code Snippet 12:

//The evaluation of start tag starts.
public int doStartTag() throws JspException {
try {
pageContext.getOut().print(Creating
Custom Tag by
Implementing Tag Interface);
} catch (IOException ex) {
ex.printStackTrace();
}
// The SKIP_BODY is returned
return SKIP_BODY;

}
}
//The evaluation of end tag starts.
public int doEndTag() throws JspException {
// the SKIP_PAGE is returned
return SKIP_PAGE;
}
//All the resources held by the tag handler is released.
public void release() {
}
}
//The current value of the pageContext is set
public void setPageContext(PageContext pc) {
this.pageContext = pc;
}
//All the resources held by the tag handler is released.
public void release() {
}

13.6.2

Empty Tags

Empty tags are the simple tags without body content. To create an empty classic custom tag by
implementing the Tag interface, we need to follow the three basic steps of creating a custom tag.
1.

Create a Tag handler file

The tag handler file that defines an empty classic custom tag implements the Tag interface as this tag does not contain any body so only the start and the end tag of the custom
tag needs to be processed.

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Code Snippet 13 demonstrates the code that create a tag handler class for the empty tag.

Code Snippet 13:

public class ImplementTag implements Tag {
private PageContext pageContext;
private Tag parent;
//The current value of the pageContext is set
public void setPageContext(PageContext pc) {
this.pageContext = pc;
}
//The instance of the parent tag is set here.
public void setParent(Tag tag) {
this.parent = tag;
}
//The instance of the parent tag is retrieved here.
public Tag getParent() {
return parent;
}
//The evaluation of start tag starts.
public int doStartTag() throws JspException {
try {
pageContext.getOut().print(Creating
Custom
implementing Tag interface);
} catch (IOException ex) {
ex.printStackTrace();
}

Tag

// The SKIP_BODY is returned

return SKIP_BODY;
}
//The evaluation of end tag starts.
public int doEndTag() throws JspException {
// the SKIP_PAGE is returned
return SKIP_PAGE;
}
//All the resources held by the tag handler is released.
public void release() {
}
}

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2.

JSP Custom Tags

Create a Tag library descriptor

We will create entry in tag library descriptor file for the empty. The TLD file will provide a
detailed description of the Tag library and the custom tag as shown in Code Snippet 14.

Code Snippet 14:

<tag>
<name>Implement</name>
<tag-class>mytag.ImplementTag</tag-class>
<body-content>empty</body-content>
</tag>

3.

Create a JSP page for embedding the tag

In the final step, the tag needs to be embedded in a JSP file as shown in Code Snippet 15.

Code Snippet 15:

<%--The tag is imported by the following directive.--%>
<%@taglib
uri=/WEB-INF/tlds/TagInterface.tld
prefix=taginterface%><HTML>
<HEAD></HEAD>
<BODY>
<%--The custom tag is called here.--%>
<taginterface:ImplementTag></taginterface:Implement>
</BODY>
</HTML>

13.6.3

Empty Tag to Accept Attribute

Tags that have attributes are also called parameterized tags, these are basically empty tags.
The steps to create a classic custom tag to accept attribute are as follows:
1.

Create a tag handler file

The tag handler class for the classic custom tag that accepts attribute need to implement
the Tag interface. Attributes are passed from the tag handler class to the tag inside the JSP
page. Only the start and the end tag of the custom tag needs to be processed.

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Code Snippet 16 demonstrates the code for defining the attributes for the empty tag.

Code Snippet 16:

//The Tag interface is implemented to the TagAttribute class.
public class TagAttribute implements Tag {
private String name;
//The attribute, name is set by the setter method, setName()
public void setName(String name) {
this.name = name;
}
// The pageContext instance is set by the setPageContext()
method
public void setPageContext(PageContext pc) {
this.pageContext = pc;
}
//The instance of the parent tag is retrieved here.
public Tag getParent() {
return parent;
}
//The evaluation of start tag starts.
public int doStartTag() throws JspException {
try {
pageContext.getOut().print(
This is my first tag with attribute!+name);
} catch (IOException ioe) {
throw new JspException(Error:
IOException while writing to client
+ ioe.getMessage());
}
return SKIP_BODY;
}
//The evaluation of end tag starts.
public int doEndTag() throws JspException {
return SKIP_PAGE;
}
//All the resources held by the tag handler is released.
public void release() {
}
}

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2.

JSP Custom Tags

Create a Tag library descriptor

We will create entry in tag library descriptor file for the empty. The TLD file will provide a
detailed description of the Tag library and the custom tag along with the attributes passed
to it within the xml elements.
Code Snippet 17 shows the tag library descriptor.

Code Snippet 17:

<tag>
<name>welcomparam</name>
<tagclass>tags.TagAttribute</tagclass>
<bodycontent>empty</bodycontent>
<attribute>
<name>name</name>
<required>false</required>
<rtexprvalue>false</rtexprvalue>
</attribute>
</tag>

3.

Create a JSP page for embedding the tag

In the final step, the tag needs to be embedded in a JSP file as shown in Code Snippet 18.

Code Snippet 18:

<%--The tag is imported by the following directive.--%>
<%@ taglib uri=/WEB-INF/jsp/TagAttribute.tld prefix=first
%>
<HTML>
<HEAD>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<%-- The tag is declared --%>
<first:welcomparam name=APTECH/>
</BODY>
</HTML>

13.6.4

Non-empty Tags

Tags that include body inside them are non-empty tags. The two types of decision-making tags
are:
We need to follow the three basic steps of creating a custom tag that has a body.
1.

Create a tag handler file

The tag handler class for the classic custom tag that has body content implements the Tag
interface. The doStartTag() method returns EVAL_BODY_INCLUDE.
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The body is evaluated by the JSP container as any other java codes in the JSP page.
Code Snippet 19 demonstrates the code that creates the handler for the non-empty tag.

Code Snippet 19:

public class MyBodyTag implements Tag {
private String name=null;
private PageContext pc;
private Tag pt;
public void setName(String value){
name = value;
}
public String getName(){
return(name);
}
public void setPageContext(PageContext pageContext) {
this.pc=pageContext;
}
public void setParent(Tag tag) {
this.pt=tag;
}
public Tag getParent() {
return pt;

2.

Create a Tag library descriptor

The TLD file in this case will have the <body-content> as JSP as shown in Code
Snippet 20.

Code Snippet 20:

<tag>
<name> MyBodyTag </name>
<tag-class>mytag.MyBodyTag </tag-class>
<body-content>JSP</body-content>
</tag>

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3.

JSP Custom Tags

Create a JSP page for embedding the tag

In the final step, the tag needs to be embedded in a JSP file as shown in Code Snippet 21.

Code Snippet 21:

<%--The tag is imported by the following directive.--%>
<%@taglib
uri=/WEB-INF/tlds/UsingTag.tld
prefix=usingtag%>
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Tag with Body</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<%-- The tag is declared --%>
<usingtag:Interface>
<br>Current time: <%= new java.util.Date() %>
</usingtag:MyBodyTag>
</BODY>
</HTML>

13.7

Implementing IterationTag Interface

The IterationTag is implemented to the tag handler class to create tags, which repeatedly
evaluates the body inside it and allows including the body content multiple times. This interface is
an extension of the Tag interface.

13.7.1

Methods of IterationTag Interface

This interface has the method doAfterBody(). This method allows the user to conditionally
re-evaluate the body of the tag. This method returns the constant SKIP_BODY or EVAL_BODY_
AGAIN, if the doStartTag() method returns EVAL_BODY_INCDLUDE then this method
returns EVAL_BODY_AGAIN and the doStartTag() is evaluated once again. However,
when the doAfterBody() returns SKIP_PAGE, the doEndTag() method is invoked.
Syntax:
public int doAfterBody()throws JspException

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13.7.2

Iterative Tag Sample

Code Snippet 22 shows the IterationTag in a JSP page.

Code Snippet 22:

<%@ taglib prefix=iteration uri=/WEB-INF/sampleIterationTagLib.
tld %>
<html><body>
<iteration:loop count=5 >
Hello IterationTag!</br>
</iteration:loop>
</body></html>

For the mentioned IterationTag, we have to create corresponding java class and <tag> element
in the TLD file.

13.8

BodyTag Interface

The BodyTag interface extends IterationTag and adds a new functionality that lets the
tag handler evaluate its body content in a temporary buffer.

13.8.1

Methods of BodyTag Interface

The methods inside the BodyTag interface are as follows:

setBodyContent()
This method sets the bodyContent object for the tag handler. The bodyContent
object of the BodyContent class encapsulates the body content of the custom tag for
processing. This method is automatically invoked by the JSP page before the doInitBody() method.
Syntax:
public void setBodyContent(BodyContent b){ }

doInitBody()
This method is invoked immediately after the setBodyContent() method returns the
bodyContent object and before the first body evaluation.
Syntax:
public int doAfterBody()throws JspException

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13.8.2

JSP Custom Tags

Sample BodyTag

Code Snippet 23 shows the BodyTag in a JSP page.

Code Snippet 23:

<<%@ taglib prefix=bodyTagPrefix uri=/WEB-INF/sampleBodyTagLib.
tld %>
<html>
<body>
<bodyTagPrefix:convertTempconvert=C >
Temperature is:<%=temp%></br>
</ bodyTagPrefix:loop>
</body>
</html>

For the mentioned BodyTag, we have to create corresponding java class and <tag> element
in the TLD file.

13.9

Extending TagSupport and BodyTagSupport

The tag handler class needs to implement all the method declarations of the Tag or IterationTag
interface when implementing these interfaces. In some case, we do not required to implement
all these methods. The TagSupport class, which implements the Tag or IterationTag
interface and provide a default implementation of all the methods. The programmer can extend
TagSupport class and override the required method.

13.9.1

TagSupport Class

The TagSupport class implements the IterationTag interface, and provides default implementations
for each of the methods of the Tag and IterationTag interfaces.
Some methods of TagSupport class are as follows:
doStartTag()
This method is inherited from Tag interface and by default return value is SKIP_BODY.
doEndTag()
This method is inherited from IterationTag interface and by default return value is
SKIP_BODY.

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Figure 13.3 depicts the hierarchy of TagSupport class.

Figure 13.3: Hierarchy of TagSupport Class

13.9.2

BodyTagSupport Class

This class by default implements the BodyTag interfaces and also extends to the
TagSupport class. So, the handler class only needs to override the methods of the BodyTagSupport class. All the methods of the TagSupport class and BodyTag interface
are implemented by default in the handler class.
Figure 13.4 depicts the hierarchy of BodyTagSupport class.

Figure 13.4: Hierarchy of BodyTagSupport Class

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The BodyTagSupport class contains the following overridden methods:

getBodyContent()
This method retrieves the bodyContent object of the class BodyContent. This
object contains the body of the tag which is accessed by the container for manipulation.
Syntax:
public BodyContent getBodyContent()

setBodyContent()
The BodyContent object is set by the setBodyContent() method.
Syntax:
public void setBodyContent(BodyContent b)

13.10

SimpleTag

Creating custom tag libraries with needs the programmer to create a Java tag handler, reference
the class in a Tag Library Descriptor (TLD), and include the TLD in JSP.
The relationship between SimpleTag and other JSP tag interfaces is depicted in figure 13.5.

Figure 13.5: JSP Tag Interfaces Hierarchy

The SimpleTag interface provides doTag() method, which is supported by the classic tag
handlers. The doTag() is called whenever there is a requirement of tag invocation. All the
manipulations and evaluations are carried out by this method.

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Following methods are present in SimpleTag interface:
doTag()
The method is called by the container to begin SimpleTag operation and used for
handling tag processing. It retains body iteration after being processed.
Syntax:
public void doTag() throws JspException,IOException

setParent()

The method sets the parent of a specified tag.

Syntax:
public void setParent(JspTag parent)

where,

parent is the new tag that needs to be set as a parent tag.

getParent()
The method returns the parent of the specified tag.
Syntax:
public JspTag getParent()

setJspContext()

The method sets the context to the tag handler for invocation by the container.
Syntax:
public void setJspContext(JspContext pc)

setJspBody()

The method is provided by the body of the specified tag, makes the body content available
for tag processing.
Syntax:
public void setJspBody(JspFragment jspBody)

13.10.1 SimpleTagSupport
The SimpleTagSupport class acts as a base class for simple tag handlers. The class
implements the SimpleTag interface. Some of the useful methods are as follows:
getJspContext()
This method returns the context passed into the container by setJspContext()
method.

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Syntax:

protected JspContext getJspContext()

getJspBody()
This method returns the JspFragment object for body processing in the tag.
Syntax:
protected JspFragment getJspBody()

13.10.2 Implementation of SimpleTag Interface

Code Snippet 24 shows the interface that is implemented by extending the SimpleTagSupport
class and overriding the doTag() method.

Code Snippet 24:

import javax.servlet.jsp.tagext.*;
import javax.servlet.jsp.*;
public class Greeter extends SimpleTagSupport {
public void doTag() throws JspException {
PageContext pageContext = (PageContext) getJspContext();
JspWriter out = pageContext.getOut();
}
}

Code Snippet 25 shows the corresponding tag in TLD file.

Code Snippet 25:

<tag>
<name>greeter</name>
<tag-class>Greeter</tag-class>
<body-content>empty</body-content>
<description>
Print this on the browser.
</description>
</tag>

Code Snippet 26 shows the corresponding JSP file.

Code Snippet 26:

<%@ taglib prefix=ui uri=/WEB-INF/sampleTag.tld %>
<html><body>
<ui: greeter />
</body></html>

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Check Your Progress

1.

2.

3.

Which of the statement will be executed when the starting end of an empty tag is
encountered?
(A)

public int doStartTag() throws JspTagException {}

(B)

public int doEndTag() throws JspTagException {}

(C)

public int doStartTag() throws JspException {}

(D)

public void doEndTag() throws JspException {}

Which of these syntax are correct?

(A)

public void setJspBody(JspFragment jspBody)

(B)

public int doEndTag() throws JspException

(C)

public int doStartTag() throws JspException

(D)

public int doStartTag() throws JspTagException

(E)

public int doEndTag() throws JspTagException

(A)

A, B, C

(C) A, B, D

(B)

A, C, D

(D) C, D, E

Which of these statements are correct for the tags?

(A)
(B)
(C)

Nested custom tags are tags inside tags with the outermost tag acting as
parent to other tags inside it.
In case of the nested tag, the tags inside the parent tag obtains reference to
the parent class by using the findAncestorWithClass() method.
The parent tag definition comes first and the inner tags follow it.

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Check Your Progress

4.

(D)

The getParent() method returns the parent tag for the tag, which is
enclosed by the parent tag.

(A)

B, C, D

(C) A, B, D

(B)

A, C, D

(D) A, B, C

Which of the following options is NOT correct?

(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)

5.

6.

The getBodyContent() method retrieves the bodyContent object of

the bodyContents class.
The BodyTagSupport class contains the getBodyContent()
method.
The BodyTagSupport class contains the setBodyContent()
method.
The BodyTagSupport class implements the Tag and IterationTag
interfaces.

Which of the following is not a valid sub-element of the <attribute> element in a TLD?
(A)

<name>

(B)

<class>

(C)

<required>

(D)

<rtexprvalue>

hich of the options are correct about the differences between tag files and tag library
W
descriptors?
(A)

Tag files eliminate scriptlets.

(B)

TLD needs to be defined earlier.

(C)

Syntax of tag files is closer to HTML.

(D)

Tag files are written easily.

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Check Your Progress

7.

(A)

A, B, C

(C) A, C, D

(B)

B, C, D

(D) A, B, D

Which of the following tag file directives control Tag processing?

(A)

tag

(B)

varReader

(C) include
(D) attribute

8.

(A)

A, B, C

(C) B, C, D

(B)

A, C, D

(D) A, B, D

Which of the options are correct about attributes of <jsp:invoke> standard action?
(A)

fragment

(B)

var

(C)

varReader

(D)

begin

(A)

A, B, C

(C) B, C, D

(B)

A, C, D

(D) A, B, D

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Answer

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

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Summary

Custom tags are action elements on JSP pages that are mapped to tag handler classes
in a tag library.
Tag libraries allow us to use independent Java classes to manage the presentation logic
of the JSP pages, thereby reducing the use of scriptlets and leveraging existing code to
accelerate development time.
The tag without any body is called an empty tag and the tag accepting attributes is
called a tag with attributes or a parameterized tag.
A tag with JSP code or tag dependent strings is called a tag with body. If a tag contains
several other tags inside it then it is called a nested tag.
The Tag Library Descriptor (TLD) file contains the information that the JSP engine needs
to know about the tag library in order to successfully interpret the custom tags on JSP
pages.
The SimpleTag interface provides the doTag() method, which is supported by the Classic
Tag Handlers.

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Welcome to the Session, Internationalization.

This session introduces the concept of internationalization and localization in a Web applications.
The session explains the Unicode and Locale in internationalization. Further, the session explains
how the Web pages should be customized for the clients, based on their local language and
cultural formatting conventions. The session also describes the JSTL I18N tag library used for
formatting values in JSP.
In this Session, you will learn to:

E xplain the concept of internationalization

Explain the concept of localization
Explain the role of Unicode character set in internationalization
Explain the resource bundling mechanism and resource bundle for various locales
Explain how to format dates in servlets for internationalization
Explain how to format currency in servlets for internationalization
Explain how to format numbers in servlets for internationalization
Explain how to format percentages in servlets for internationalization
Explain how to format messages in servlets for internationalization
Explain various tags available in the JSTL internationalization tag library
Explain how to format dates and currencies using JSTL I18N tags
Explain how to format percentages and messages using JSTL I18N tags

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14.1

Introduction

Internationalization can be defined as the method of designing an application that can be adapted
to a region or a language without much change in the technology.
It helps in creating internationalized Web applications that standardize formatted numeric and
date-time output. An internationalized application supports multiple natural languages.

14.1.1

Localization

Localization is a process of making a product or service language, culture and local look-and-feel
specific. Localizing a product does not only mean a language translation but also formatting of
time, currencies, messages, and dates.
A Locale is a simple object, which identifies a specific language and a geographic region. To
create international Java applications, the use of java.util.Locale class is a must.
Locales are used in entire Java class libraries data for formatting and customization.

14.1.2

Unicode

As there are numerous geographical areas with various languages and conventions, a uniform
standard is required for encoding these diversities. Unicode standard serves this purpose.
Unicode is a coding system that has codes for all the major language of the world. The coding
system also includes punctuation marks, symbols, and classical as well as historical texts of
many written languages.
Unicode in java is a 16-bit character encoding. By default java uses UCS-2. This is a fixed-width
two byte encoding that simply encodes each code point from U+0000 to U+FFFF as itself. It has
the advantage of being simple and fast but has the disadvantage of being byte-order dependent
and of being incompatible with 7-bit ASCII. It allows java to handle international characters for
most of the languages of the world.

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Figure 14.1 depicts the Unicode table.

Figure 14.1: Unicode Table

14.1.3

Locale

An internationalized application can be adapted to any locale. The applications can be localized
using resource bundles, which contain locale-specific objects. This helps in coding programs,
which are independent of the users locale. Locales represent specific geographical, political, or
cultural region.
The locale is denoted by the standard format xx_YY, where, xx stands for two-letter language code
in lower case, and YY stands for two-letter country code in upper case.
Some of the examples of locales are: zh_CN for Shanghai, China, ko_KR for Seoul, Korea, and
en_US for English, US.

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Figure 14.2 depicts the use of various locales.

Figure 14.2: Locales

14.2

Internationalizing Servlets

Content in Web application can be displayed in any particular language and this can be done
easily from property files, which is also called the message resources.
Internationalization of an application can be achieved with the help of resource bundles. They
are especially important for developing applications for different languages. Resource bundles
contain locale-specific data.
Resource bundle is a set of related classes that inherit from the ResourceBundle. The
subclass of ResourceBundle has the same base name with an additional component that
identifies locales. For example, if resource bundle is named DemoResources and along with
it, locale-specific classes can be related as in DemoResources_en_US.
The resource bundling helps to build server-side code that gives output based on the location
and language of the user. It makes the job easier by avoiding the writing of multiple version of a
class for different locales.
There are several methods in ResourceBundle class as follows:
getBundle()
In order to get resource bundle for getting the locale-specific data, the getBundle()
method is used. This method gets a resource bundle using the specified base name, the
default locale and the class loader of the caller.
Syntax:
public static final ResourceBundle getBundle(String baseName)

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where,
baseName is the name of the resource bundle.
Syntax:
public static final ResourceBundle getBundle(String baseName,
Locale locale)

where,
baseName is the base name of the resource bundle, a fully qualified class name.
locale is the locale for which a resource bundle is desired.
Code Snippet 1 demonstrates the method to gets a resource bundle using the specified base
name and locale.

Code Snippet 1:
/* This snippet creates Resource Bundle by invoking getBundle()
method, specifying the base name */
ResourceBundle labels = ResourceBundle.
getBundle(DemoLabelsBundle);

getKeys()
This method returns an enumeration of the keys. The keys present in the property file are
returned using this method.
Syntax:
public abstract Enumeration getKeys()

Code Snippet 2 shows the use of the getKeys() method.

Code Snippet 2:
// Displays the value for the keys

static void iterateKeys(Locale currentLocale) {

ResourceBundle labels = ResourceBundle.getBundle(LabelsBundl

e,currentLocale);
Enumeration bundleKeys = labels.getKeys();
while (bundleKeys.hasMoreElements()) {

String key = (String)bundleKeys.nextElement();

String value = labels.getString(key);

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System.out.println(key = + key + , + value = + value);

getLocale()
This method returns the locale of this resource bundle. This method can be used after
the calling of getBundle()to check whether the returned resource bundle really
corresponds to the requested locale or not. It returns the locale for the current resource
bundle.
Syntax:
public Locale getLocale()

Code Snippet 3 shows the use of the getLocale() method.

Code Snippet 3:
// Gets the users Locale

Locale locale = request.getLocale();

ResourceBundle bundle = ResourceBundle.getBundle(i18n.

WelcomeDemoBundle, locale);
String welcome = bundle.getString(DemoWelcome);

getObject()
This method gets an object for the given key from the resource bundle. It tries to get the
object from the resource bundle and if it fails, the parent resource bundle is called using
parents getObject() method. It throws a MissingResourceException if it
fails.
Syntax:
public final Object getObject(String key)

where,
key is the key for the desired object.
Example: int[] myDemoIntegers
getObject (intList);

(int[])

myDemoResources.

getString()
This method returns a string for the given key from the resource bundle or one of its
parents.
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Syntax:
public final String getString(String key)

where,
key is the key for the desired string.
Code Snippet 4 shows the use of getString() method.

Code Snippet 4:
/** Retrieves the translated value from the ResourceBundle by
invoking the getString method as follows **/
String value = labels.getString(key);

14.3

Formatting in Servlets

The formatting of the numbers, currency, date, and percentage helps the programmer to format
these values based on the locale or the region of the user.

14.3.1

Formatting Dates

There are several formats in which dates can be displayed. They are as follows:
Predefined Formats
The DateFormat style is predefined and locale-specific and is easy to use. The styles are as
follows:
SHORT - it is completely numeric, such as 11.14.50 or 3:30pm.
MEDIUM - it is longer, such as Jan 10, 1954.
LONG - it is longer, such as January 10, 1954 or 3:50:32pm.
FULL - it is completely specified, such as Tuesday, April 14, 1954 AD or
3:50:42pm PST.
There are two steps in formatting of date using the DateFormat class. The first step is to create
a formatter with the getDateInstance() method. The second step consists of invoking the
format() method, which returns formatted date in the form of string.

Customizing Formats

Most of the time, the predefined formats are enough but sometime customized format is required.
To do that SimpleDateFormat class is used. A SimpleDateFormat object is created
with specified pattern strings.

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The format for the date is determined by the contents of the pattern string. The code in the
snippet formats the date as per the pattern string. The formatted date is contained in string,
which returned by the format() method.
There are several classes for formatting dates. They are as follows:
DateFormat
This is an abstract class, which formats and parses the dates and time in a language
independent manner.
Code Snippet 5 demonstrates how to format the date.

Code Snippet 5:
// Snippet formats the date

String date = DateFormat.getDateTimeInstance(DateFormat.

FULL,
DateFormat.SHORT, locale).format(new Date());

DateFormat.Field
This is a nested class that is
AttributedCharacterIterator.

used

as

attribute

keys

in

the

The AttributedCharacterIterator allows iteration through both

text and related attribute information. It is returned from DateFormat.
formatToCharacterIterator
and is also used as field identifiers in
FieldPosition.
DateFormatSymbol

It is a public class, which encapsulates localizable date-time formatting data, such as

names of months, days of week, and the time zone data. Both DateFormat class and
SimpleDateFormat class use DateFormatSymbols to encapsulate localizable
date-time formatting data information.
DateFormatter

The DateFormatter class formats the date as per the format of the current locale.
SimpleDateFormat
The SimpleDateFormat is a class that formats and parses dates in a locale-sensitive
manner.
Code Snippet 6 demonstrates the use of the SimpleDateFormat class.

Code Snippet 6:
// Formats the date as per the specified style

SimpleDateFormat fmt = new SimpleDateFormat(yyyy-MM-dd,

Locale.US);

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Figure 14.3 depicts the various date formats.

Figure 14.3: Date Formats

14.3.2

Formatting Currency

The formatting of the currency is necessary so that the users can be benefited by the availability
of the locale specific formatting. Conversion of one currency to another requires some conversion
in value. The formatting of currency value is much more involved compared to formatting date and
time. Similarly, formatting of numbers as per the locale or particular region is also very necessary.
Some of the classes used for formatting currency are as follows:
Currency
This class represents currency. The currencies are identified by ISO 4217 currency codes.
NumberFormat
This is an abstract base class for all number formats. NumberFormat provides methods
to determine the number formats of the locales and their name. It helps to format and parse
numbers for any locales.
The class Currency represents currencies. These currencies are identified by their ISO 4217
currency codes.
Some of the methods of currency class are as follows:
getCurrencyCode()
This method gets the currency code of the currency as per the ISO 4217 codes.
Syntax:
public String getCurrencyCode()

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Code Snippet 7 shows the use of the getCurrencyCode() method.

Code Snippet 7:
/** This snippet returns the currency code of the currency as per
the ISO 4217 codes **/
public String getCurrencyCode(){
}

return currency.getCurrencyCode();

getSymbol()
This method gets the currency symbol for the default locale.
Syntax:
public String getSymbol()

Code Snippet 8 shows the use of getSymbol() method.

Code Snippet 8:
// This snippet gets the currency symbol for default locale
public String getCurrencySymbol(){

return currency.getSymbol();

getInstance(Locale locale)
This method returns the Currency instance for the country of the specified locale.
Syntax:
public static Currency getInstance(Locale locale)

where,
locale is the locale representing the country for which a Currency instance is
required.

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Code Snippet 9 shows the use of getInstance() method.

Code Snippet 9:

// This snippet gets the currency instance

import java.text.NumberFormat;
import java.util.Currency;

public class CurrencyClass {

public static void main ( String args []){

// Returns locale-specific currency instance

14.3.3

Currency localeCurrency = Currency.getInstance(locale);

Formatting Numbers

Some of the methods of NumberFormat class are as follows:

format(double number)
This method is the specialization of the format.
Syntax:
public final String format(double number)

Code Snippet 10 demonstrates the use of format() method.

Code Snippet 10:

// This snippet formats the number in percentage
NumberFormat nft = NumberFormat.getPercentInstance(locale);
String formatted = nft.format(0.51);

getCurrency()
This method provides the number format while formatting currency values. The value derived
initially is locale dependent. If no valid currency is determined and no currency has been set
using setCurrency the returned value may be null.
Syntax:
public Currency getCurrency()

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Code Snippet 11 demonstrates the use of getCurrency() method.

Code Snippet 11:

// This snippet display the currency as per the locale
import java.text.NumberFormat;
import java.util.Currency;
public class CurrencyClass{
public static void main ( String args []){
NumberFormat formatter = NumberFormat.getInstance ( ) ;
System.out.println ( formatter.getCurrency ( ) ) ;
}
}

getInstance()
This method returns the default number format for the current default locale.
Syntax:
public static final NumberFormat getInstance()

Code Snippet 12 demonstrates the use of getInstance() method.

Code Snippet 12:

// This snippet display the currency as per the locale
import java.text.NumberFormat;
import java. util.Currency;

public class CurrencyClass{

public static void main ( String args[]){

NumberFormat formatter = NumberFormat.getInstance();

System.out.println ( formatter.getCurrency());

parse()
This method parses text from the beginning of the specified string to produce a number.
Syntax:
public Number parse(String str) throws ParseException

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where,
str is a string whose beginning should be parsed.
For example,
NumberFormat nf = NumberFormat.getInstance ();
Number myDemoNumber = nf.parse(myDemoString);
setCurrency()
This method sets the currency used by the number format when formatting currency values. This does not update the minimum or maximum number of fraction digits used by the
number format.
Syntax:
public void setCurrency(Currency currency)

where,
currency is the new currency to be used by this number format.
For example,
// sets the currency to new amountCurrency
NumberFormat formatter = NumberFormat.getInstance();
formatter.setCurrency(amountCurrency);

14.3.4

Formatting Percentages

Data such as dates, currencies, and numbers are locale dependent. They must conform to the end
user language and region. Therefore, formatting is necessary.
The format for displaying percentages can be changed using getPercentInstance()
method of NumberFormat class. For example, with this format a fraction as 0.82 can be
displayed as 82%.
There are two methods for formatting percentage as follows:
getPercentInstance()
This method returns a percentage format for the current default locale.
Syntax:
public static final NumberFormat getPercentInstance()

getPercentInstance(Locale inLocale)

This method returns a percentage format for the specified locale.

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Syntax:

public static NumberFormat getPercentInstance(Locale inLocale)

where,
inLocale is the specified locale according to which percentage is to be formatted.
Figure 14.4 depicts the code for formatting of percentages.

Figure 14.4: Formatting Percentages

14.3.5

Formatting Messages

Message formatting is required so that the end user is benefited. The formatting provides
message in language neutral way. Formatting also helps provide messages in users language.
In order to format a message the MessageFormat object is used. The array of objects using
the format specifiers embedded in the pattern is formatted by MessageFormat.format()
method. It returns the result as a StringBuffer.
The classes for formatting the message are as follows:
MessageFormat
This class provides a means to generate related messages in a language-neutral way.
MessageFormat takes a set of objects, formats them, then inserts the formatted
strings into the pattern at the appropriate places. It can also be used to construct messages displayed for end users.
MessageFormat.Field
This class defines constants that are used as attribute keys in the AttributedCharacterIterator object returned from MessageFormat.formatToCharacterIterator().

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Figure 14.5 depicts message formatting.

Figure 14.5: Formatting a Message

14.4

Internationalizing JSP Pages

You may need to apply various internationalization formats while creating Web applications using
JSP. For this, JSP Standard Tag Library (JSTL) provides a set of internationalization or I18N tags
that are used for applying various internationalization formats.
The internationalization or I18n tag library helps reduce and manage the complexities of
internationalized applications.
There are several tags available in I18n tag library that are as follows:
formatDate
This tag formats a date value as a date using a locale. A style or pattern for the presentation
of the date can be specified.
formatNumber
This tag formats a number as a currency using a locale. The default text is used if the
currency value is null. If no locale is specified, the parent <i18n:locale> tag is used.
message
This tag retrieves a message from a resource bundle and optionally uses the java.util.
MessageFormat class to format the message. The arguments to MessageFormat
can be supplied in the form of an object array or as sub tags within the message tag body.

14.4.1

Formatting Dates in JSP

The tag <fmt:formatDate> is used for formatting dates and/or time in JSP for
internationalization. The value attribute or the body content of the <fmt:formatDate> tag
formats the date value. The formatted date is written to the JSPs writer. The value can also be
stored in a string named var and an optional scope attribute.

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<fmt:formatDate>
Syntax:
<fmt:formatDate value=date [type={time|date|both}]
[dateStyle={default|short|medium|long|full}]
[timeStyle={default|short|medium|long|full}]
[pattern=customPattern]
[timeZone=timeZone]
[var=varName]

[scope={page|request|session|application}]/>

where,
value is the date and/or the time to be formatted.
type specifies whether time, date or both are to be formatted.
dateStyle is the predefined formatting style for dates.
timeStyle is the predefined formatting style for times.
pattern is custom formatting style for dates and times.
timeZone is the time zone in which to represent the formatted time.
Example: <fmt:formatDate value=${FinishDate} type=date
dateStyle=full/>

14.4.2

Formatting Currencies in JSP

The currencies can be formatted in JSP for internationalization using JSTL I18N tags. The
<fmt:setLocale> stores the specified locale in the javax.servlet.jsp.jstl.fmt.locale configuration
variable. The formatting is done as per the set locale. The tag <fmt:formatNumber> can be
used to format the currencies.
The number is specified to be formatted either with an EL expression in value attribute or as the
tags body content. The desired formatting is specified by the type attribute.
<fmt:setLocale>
Syntax:
<fmt:setLocale value=locale [variant=variant]
[scope={page|request|session|application}]/>

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where,
value is a string value, which is interpreted as the printable representation of a
locale. Language and country codes must be separated by hyphen (-) or underscore
(_).
variant is vendor or browser-specific variant.

scope is the scope of the locale configuration variable.

<fmt:formatNumber>
Syntax:
<fmt:formatNumber value=numericValue
[type={number|currency|percent}]
[pattern=customPattern]

[currencyCode=currencyCode]

[currencySymbol=currencySymbol]
[groupingUsed={true|false}]

[maxIntegerDigits=maxIntegerDigits]
[minIntegerDigits=minIntegerDigits]

[maxFractionDigits=maxFractionDigits]
[minFractionDigits=minFractionDigits]
[var=varName]

[scope={page|request|session|application}]/>

where,
value is the numeric value to be formatted.
type specifies whether the value is to be formatted as number, currency, or percentage.
pattern is custom formatting pattern.
currencyCode is ISO 4217 currency code. Applied only when formatting currencies; ignored otherwise.
currencySymbol is the currency symbol. Applied only when formatting
currencies; ignored otherwise.
groupingUsed specifies whether the formatted output will contain any grouping
separators.
maxIntegerDigits maximum number of digits in the integer portion.
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minIntegerDigits minimum number of digits in the integer portion.

maxFractionDigits maximum number of digits in the fractional portion.

minFractionDigits minimum number of digits in the fractional portion.
var is name of the exported scoped variable.
scope scope of var.
Code Snippet 13 demonstrates the formatting of currency in JSP.

Code Snippet 13:

//formatting for currency

<fmt:setLocale value=en_GB/>

Formatting salary with Locale <B>en_GB</B> becomes :

<fmt:formatNumber type=currency value=${salary} /><BR>

14.4.3

Formatting Percentages in JSP

The <fmt:formatNumber> tag formats a number in integer, decimal, currency, and

percentage. By specifying the type attribute in <fmt:formatNumber> percentage of a
number can be obtained. This happens when the value is multiplied with hundred.
Example: <fmt:formatNumber value=0.82 type=percent/>

14.4.4

Formatting Messages in JSP

The <fmt:message> tag retrieves a message from a resource bundle and optionally uses the
java.util.MessageFormat class to format the message. The key attribute specifies
the message key. If the <fmt:message> tag occurs within a <fmt:bundle> tag, the key
is appended to the bundles prefix, if there is one.
If the <fmt:message> tag occurs outside of a <fmt:setbundle> tag, the bundle attribute
must be present and must be an expression that evaluates to a LocalizationContext
object. Most often, a variable is initialized with the <fmt:setBundle> tag.
Syntax:
<fmt:message key=messageKey
[bundle=resourceBundle][var=varName]
[scope={page|request|session|application}]/>

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where,
key is the message key to be looked up.
bundle is the localization context in whose resource bundle the message key is
looked up.
var is the name of the exported scoped variable string.
scope is the scope of var.
Code Snippet 14 demonstrates the formatting of messages in JSP.

Code Snippet 14:

//this snippet formats the message//
<fmt:message key=welcome>

<fmt:param value=${userNameString}/>

</fmt:message>

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Check Your Progress

1.

hich among the following statements relating to the internationalization and localizaW
tion are true?
(A)
(B)

2.

(C)

Localization is a process of making a product or service language, culture and

local look-and-feel specific.

(D)

A Locale is a simple object, which identifies a specific language and a

geographic region.

(E)

Locales are used in entire Java class libraries data for formatting and
customization.

Which among the following statements relating to the Unicode and resource bundle are
true?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

3.

Internationalization can be defined as the method of designing an application

that can be adapted to only English speaking region without much change in
the technology.
Internationalization helps in creating Web applications that overlooks
formatting of numeric and date-time output.

Unicode is a coding system that has codes for all the major language of the
world.
Unicode coding system includes punctuation marks, symbols, and classical as
well as historical texts of many written languages.
Resource bundle helps in a great way in internationalization as it contains data,
which are very locale specific.
The applications can be internationalized using the resource bundles, which
contain locale-specific objects.
In a resource bundle, the locale is denoted by the standard format xx_YY.
Where, xx stands for two-letter country code in lower case and YY stands for
two-letter language code in upper case.

 hich among the following options return the enumeration of keys present in the
W
property file?

(A)

static void iterateKeys(Locale currentLocale) {

ResourceBundle labels =
ResourceBundle.
getBundle(LabelsBundle,currentLocale);
while (bundleKeys.hasMoreElements()) {
String key = (String)bundleKeys.
nextElement();
String value = labels.getString(key);
System.out.println(key = + key + ,
+value = + value);
}
}
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Check Your Progress

(B)

(C)

(D)

4.

static void iterateKeys(Locale currentLocale) {

ResourceBundle labels =
ResourceBundle.
getBundle(LabelsBundle,currentLocale);
Enumeration bundleKeys = labels.getKeys();
while (bundleKeys.hasMoreElements()) {
String key = (String)bundleKeys.
nextElement();
String value = labels.getString(key);
System.out.println(key = + key + ,
+value = + value);
}
}
static void iterateKeys(Locale currentLocale) {
ResourceBundle labels =
ResourceBundle.
getBundle(LabelsBundle,currentLocale);
Enumeration bundleKeys = labels.getKeys();
while (bundleKeys.hasMoreElements()) {
String key = (String)bundleKeys.
nextElement();
System.out.println(key = + key + ,
+
value = + value);
}
}
static void iterateKeys(Locale currentLocale) {
Enumeration bundleKeys = labels.getKeys();
while (bundleKeys.hasMoreElements()) {
String key = (String)bundleKeys.
nextElement();
String value = labels.getString(key);
System.out.println(key = + key + ,
+value = + value);
}
}

Match the classes for formatting dates against their corresponding description.
Description
(A)

(B)

Class

This is an abstract class, which formats

and parses the dates and time in a
language independent manner.
It is public class, which encapsulates
localizable date-time formatting data,
such as names of months, days of week,
and the time zone data.

(1) DateFormatSymbols

(2) SimpleDateFormat

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(C)
(D)

5.

This class formats the date as per format

of current locale.
This class allows formatting and parsing
dates in a locale-sensitive manner.

(3) DateFormat
(4) DateFormatter

(A) A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2

(C) A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1

(B) A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3

(D) A-4, B-3, C-2, D-2

Match the methods for formatting currencies against their corresponding description.
Description
(A)
(B)

6.

Method

This method gets the currency code of

the currency as per the ISO 4217 codes.
This method provides the number format
while formatting currency values.

(1) getCurrency()
(2) getCurrencyCode()
getInstance

(C)

This method returns the default number

format for the current default locale.

(3)

(D)

This method returns a Currency instance

for the specified locale.

(4) getInstance()

(Locale locale)

(A) A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2

(C) A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1

(B) A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3

(D) A-4, B-3, C-2, D-2

Which of the following options will output 277%?

(A)

double d = 2.769351;
String P1=
NumberFormat.
getPercentInstance().
format(d);
System.out.println(P1);

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double d = 2.769351;
String P1=
NumberFormat.
(C) getPercent
Instance(locale);
System.out.
println(P1);

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(B)

7.

double d = 2.769351;
String P1=
NumberFormat.
(D)
getPercentInstance();
System.out.
println(P1)

Which among the following statements relating formatting message is incorrect?

(A)

(B)

8.

double d = 2.769351;
String P1=
NumberFormat.
getPercentInstance
(locale).format(d);
System.out.println(P1);

MessageFormat class provides

a means to generate related
messages in a language-neutral
way.

In MessageFormat.Field
the array of objects using the
format specifiers
(C) embedded in the
pattern is formatted by
MessageFormat.format()
method.

MessageFormat takes a set of

objects, formats them, then inserts
the formatted strings into the
pattern at the appropriate places.

MessageFormat.Field
class defines constants that are
used as attribute keys in the
AttributedCharacterIte
(D)
rator returned from
MessageFormat.
formatToCharacterIte
rator.

Which among the following options is not a JSTL internationalization tag?

(A)

formatDate

(C) formatCurrency

(B)

formatNumber

(D) message

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Answer

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

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Summary

Internationalization can be defined as the method of designing an application that can be

adapted to a region or a language without much change in the technology
Localization is a process of making a product or service, language, culture, and local
look-and-feel specific.
Internationalization of server-side code reduces the task of writing multiple versions of a
class for different locales.
Resource bundles are used to achieve the locale specific output.
Internationalization requires formatting of dates, numbers, currencies, and messages
with the help of resource bundle.
The internationalization or I18N tags in JSTL help to reduce and manage the complexities
of internationalized applications. There are several tags available in I18N.

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Securing Web Applications

Welcome to the Session, Securing Web Applications.

This session explains the concepts of security in Web application. The session describes about
the various authentication mechanisms and security methods used in securing Java Web
components.
In this Session, you will learn to:

Explain the need and features of securing Web applications

Describe the HTTP basic, digest, client, and form-based authentication method of ensuring security

Explain how to configure users in Tomcat

Explain how to specify authentication mechanisms using web.xml

Describe the seven steps to implement declarative security

Explain the concept and five steps to implement programmatic security

Describe the HttpServletRequest methods for identifying users

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15.1

Introduction

A Web application is an application, which is accessed using a Web browser over a network,
such as Intranet or the Internet. The reason of popularity of Web application is the ability to
maintain the application and easy accessibility to information.
Easier accessibility to Web applications opens door to attackers to access or modify the confidential
information. Hence, it is necessary to secure the Web application to keep the information safe
using some of the security mechanisms.
Figure 15.1 depicts unauthorized access on the Internet.

Figure 15.1: Unauthorized Access on the Internet

Security is the constraint that restrict users from accessing sensitive information freely. However,
few pre-defined users can access sensitive information.
There are three important issues to be considered in case of security:
Authentication This enables client verification through correct username and password.
Confidentiality This keep information hidden from people other than the involved client
and server.
Integrity This ensures that the content of the communication is not changed during
transmission.

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15.1.1

Securing Web Applications

Understanding Authentication and Authorization

When the user accesses the Web application resources, he/she needs to be identified. The process
of identifying the user allows the Web application to understand the following:
Identity of the user
Operations that can be performed by the user
Maintaining integrity and confidentiality of the accessed resources
Java platform supports various runtime security mechanisms that can be performed while
responding to a method invocation by the client.
Figure 15.2 shows the various runtime security mechanism applied in a Web application.

Figure 15.2: Security Mechanisms in Web Application

As shown in figure 15.2, there are various security mechanisms that are applied at the client as
well as server-side to protect the Web application resources from wrong users.

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Transport-Level protection - Transportation security ensures that a protected transport-layer connection is used for all URL patterns and HTTP methods accessed by the
client. For example, if users use a normal HTTP connection to access the security
constraint URLs, then the Servlet or JSP page must redirect them to HTTPS protocol
layer.

Authentication Authentication is the process of identifying the user and verifying his/
her access to the Web application. Most of the Web applications provide username and
password system to identify the users. However, digital certificate technology can also
be used to handle identification and encryption of information between the Web server
and clients.

Authorization Authorization is the process of allocating permissions to the authenticated users. This means after the user logs in the application with proper credentials,
the authorization checks his access to the resources and services provided by the Web
application.

Authorization to the users can be enforced by providing the access control mechanism to
the users.

15.1.2

Securing Web Applications

Web applications are created by application developers who set up the security for the application
by using annotations or deployment descriptors. This information is then used by the application
deployers who assign method permissions for security roles, set up authentication and transport
mechanisms.
Some of the common terms used in applying security to Web applications are:
User A user is an identity that has been defined in the Web server. A user is associated with a set of roles that allows him to access all the resources defined by the role.
Group A group is a set of authorized users classified with common features such as
job title or department. Group is defined in the Web server and allows easier access to
large number of users. A group is designated for the entire Web server.
Role A role is a set of permissions that is applied to a resources in an application. A
role is associated with a specific application in the Web server.
Realm The resources can be partitioned based on their authentication scheme or
authorization details containing users and groups. A realm is a database of users and
groups identifying valid users for the Web applications. It is controlled by authentication
policy. Some of the pre-defined realm available on the GlassFish server includes: file,
admin-role, and certificate.

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15.1.3

Securing Web Applications

Configuring Users in Tomcat

For Tomcat 7, you create a user with the manager-script role and a password for that user.
Figure 15.3 shows how to register the Tomcat server with NetBeans IDE.

Figure 15.3: Configuring Tomcat Web Server in NetBeans IDE

Tomcat is flexible to configure it as per your needs. By configuring Tomcat, you can create
username and password for user authentication. The basic users and roles for the Tomcat server
are in tomcat-users.xml which is available in <CATALINA_BASE>\conf directory
under the installed directory of the machine.
Code Snippet 1 demonstrates how to add users and roles in the tomcat-users.xml file.

Code Snippet 1:
<!-- C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Tomcat 7.0\conf\
tomcat-users.xml file data, -->
<?xml version=1.0 encoding=utf-8?>
<tomcat-users>
// The purpose of role is to give access to a designated user. If
the rolename is manager, then the access is given to that area,
which is specified for manager.
<role rolename=manager/>
<role rolename=admin/>
<user username=admin password=app_tech roles=admin,manager/>
</tomcat-users>

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// To include a new user,
<?xml version=1.0 encoding=utf-8?>
<tomcat-users>
<role rolename=manager/>
<role rolename=admin/>
<user username=Tom password=tempo roles=admin,manager/>
<user username=admin password=aptech roles=admin,manager/>
</tomcat-users>

The roles named admin and manager are created. Then, the users named Tom and admin
are created with the password and the specified role.\

15.2

Authentication Mechanisms

The security mechanisms are based on authentication and authorization techniques. Authorization
mechanism specifies who is allowed to access the resources in the application. Authentication
is used to verify the users identity. It authenticates the user by some reusable methods, which
do not require any modification.
Some of the security mechanisms used in Web applications are as follows:
HTTP basic authentication method
In HTTP basic authentication, the Web browser pops-up a login page, which prompts the
user for credentials in the form of username and password. A user will be allowed to
access information only if the credentials match a stored pair of username and password.

HTTP digest authentication method

In HTTP digest authentication, the server has the password based on a hash function.
By using the hash function, the database stored the hash value rather than the password
in plain text, so that it is difficult to decipher the data.

Form-based authentication method

In form-based authentication, the browser provides a login form, which appears in
response to a request. The user can enter a username and password in the form. If the
entered credentials match a stored pair of username and password, the user will be
allowed to access information. The user will be directed to an error page if the login fails.

HTTPS client authentication method

In HTTPS client authentication, the browser uses HTTPS protocol, which is identical
with the http but the URL indicates to use a default TCP port and an extra authentication
layer in between HTTP and TCP. This extra security layer conform the clients authentication.

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15.2.1

Securing Web Applications

HTTP Basic Authentication

In HTTP basic authentication, the Web browser pops up a login page in response to a request. The
login page prompts the user for credentials, such as username and password. This authentication
method works on the assumption that the client-server communication is reliable.
This mechanism does not provide any protection for the information communicated between the
client and the server. The credentials are transmitted in plain text, any attacker can easily retrieve
the data. To prevent this, the data is encoded before the transmission. The username and password
are encoded using base 64 encoding scheme.
The advantage of using basic authentication is that it is browser friendly. However, there is no
logout mechanism specified.

15.2.2

HTTP Digest Authentication

The HTTP digest authentication builds over the basic authentication, which authenticate the user
identity without sending the password as plain text to the server. The password is first encrypted and then sent.
This type of authentication is based on a hash function. By using the hash function, the database
stores a hash value rather than the password. This process is a one-way system because it is
difficult to know the original password according to the output. So it is impossible for the attacker to breach this authentication mechanism.
Figure 15.4 depicts digest authentication.

Figure 15.4: Digest Authentication

15.2.3

HTTP Client Authentication

The HTTPS client authentication is a secured client authentication technique, which is based on
Public Key Certificates. This authentication is similar to http but uses the https, which is HTTP over
Secure Socket Layer (SSL). The URL instructs the browser to use a default TCP port with an extra
authentication layer in between HTTP and TCP.

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Figure 15.5 depicts HTTPS client authentication.

Figure 15.5: HTTPS Client Authentication

15.2.4

Form-based Authentication

The form-based authentication provides a login page, which appears in response to a request
from the user. An error page is also available if the login fails from the user side.
After getting the username and password validated by the server, the access is provided to the
user. Here, you can define how to protect the Web content for the URLs you are planning to
protect.
Figure 15.6 depicts form-based authentication.

Figure 15.6: Form-based Authentication

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15.3

Securing Web Applications

Configuring Authentication in web.xml

web.xml is the most important Java EE configuration file for Java EE Web applications. Web.
xml is also known as deployment descriptor. Security configuration in this descriptor leads the
operation of Web container security.
You must specify the authentication mechanism in the web.xml file. If you are using basic
authentication, the browser verifies the user or it forwards the login page if you are using formbased authentication. To know the use of basic authentication in an application, use the loginconfig element and its sub elements in the web.xml file. An Excel add-in can be activated by
performing the following steps:
The sub elements of login-config element are as follows:
<auth-method>
This sub element names the authentication method used in the element.
<realm-name>
This sub element names the Web resource where the <login-config> maps.
<form-login-config>
This sub element is optional, and is specified only when using form-based authentication
that is the <auth-method> value is set to FORM.
<form-login-page>
This sub element specifies the form to display when a request is made to a protected
Web resource in the Web application. The form-login page is usually an HTML or JSP file,
but it can also be a servlet.
Code Snippet 2 uses the form-based authentication mechanism.

Code Snippet 2:
<web-app>
. . .
<login-config>
<auth-method>FORM</auth-method>
<form-login-config>
<form-login-page>/login.htm</form-login-page>
<form-error-page>/loginerror.htm</form-error-page>
</form-login-config>
</login-config>
. . .
</web-app>

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15.4

Authorization Strategies

The main purpose of the security model is to control access to business services and resources
in the application. The Java security model two strategies for providing access control namely
declarative access control and programmatic access control.

15.4.1

Implementing Declarative Security

The declarative security provides security to a resource with the help of the server configuration.
Declarative security works as a different layer from the Web component with which it works.
Advantages of declarative security are as follows:
It gives scope to the programmers to ignore the constraints of the programming
environment.
Updating the mechanism does not require total change in security model.
It is easily maintainable.
Disadvantages of declarative security are as follows:
Access is provided to all or denied.
Access is provided by the server only if the password matches.
All the pages use same authentication mechanism, which means it cannot use both
form-based and basic authentication for the same page.
To implement the declarative security, perform the following eight steps:
1.

Set Up Usernames, Passwords, and Roles

When a user tries to access a secured resource in a Web application, which uses
form-based authentication, the system uses a form to ask for a username and a password. After verifying the password, the system gives access to the user. Then, it determines the role, such as user, administrator or executive, which is defined by the user.
As discussed in Code Snippet 1, the users and roles are created in tomacat-users.xml file
for the Tomcat Web server.

2.

Tell the Server That You Are Using Form-Based Authentication and Designate
Locations of Login and Login Failure Pages
After validating the user and the role of user, it uses a form-based authentication, which
supplies a value for the auth-method sub element, and uses the form-login-config sub
element to give the locations of the login and login-failure pages. These pages can
consists of either JSP or HTML.
As discussed in Code Snippet 2, the part of web.xml indicates that the container is using
form-based authentication.

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3.

Securing Web Applications

Create a Login Page

The login-config element informs the server to use form-based authentication for
creating a login page, and also redirect unauthenticated users to a designated error page.
The login page requires a form for security check, a text field named username and a
password field named password.
Code Snippet 3 shows the login.jsp page.

Code Snippet 3:
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC -//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN>
<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>...</TITLE></HEAD>
<BODY>
...

<FORM ACTION=securityServlet METHOD=POST>

<TABLE>

<TR><TD>User name: <INPUT TYPE=TEXT NAME=j_username>

<TR><TD>Password: <INPUT TYPE=PASSWORD NAME=j_password>
<TR><TH><INPUT TYPE=SUBMIT VALUE=Log In>
</TABLE>
</FORM>
...
</BODY></HTML>

4.

reate a Page to Report Failed Login Attempts

C
The login-failure page contains a link to an unrestricted section of the Web application.
The link shows login failed or username and password not found
message.

5.

Specifying URLs That Should Be Password Protected

Specifying the URLs and describing the protection they should have are the purposes of
the security-constraint element. The security-constraint element should come
before the login-config element in web.xml, and contains four sub elements,
display-name, web-resource-collection, auth-constraint, and
user-data-constraint.

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Code Snippet 4 shows the use of security-constraint.

Code Snippet 4:
<?xml version=1.0 encoding=ISO-8859-1?>
...

<web-app>

<!-- ... -->

<security-constraint>

<web-resource-collection>

<web-resource-name>Sensitive</web-resource-name>
<url-pattern>/sensitive/*</url-pattern>

</web-resource-collection>
<auth-constraint>

<role-name>administrator</role-name>
<role-name>executive</role-name>

</auth-constraint>

</security-constraint>

<login-config>...</login-config>

</web-app>

The code instructs the server to require passwords for all URLs of the form http://
localhost/.../ sensitive/. Users who supply passwords and belong to the
administrator or executive logical roles should be granted access; all others should be
denied access.
The sub-element web-resource-collection subelement of securityconstraint identifies the resources that should be protected. Each securityconstraint element must contain one or more web-resource-collection
entries; all other security-constraint subelements are optional. The web-resourcecollection element consists of a web-resource-name element that gives
an arbitrary identifying name, a url-pattern element that identifies the URLs that should
be protected, an optional http-method element that designates the HTTP commands such as GET, POST, and so on to which the protection is applied. The default is all
methods and an optional description element providing documentation.
The web-resource-collection element designates the URLs that should be
protected, whereas the auth-constraint element designates the users that should have
access to protected resources. It should contain one or more role-name elements
identifying the class of users that have access and, optionally, a description element
describing the role.

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6.

Securing Web Applications

Specifying URLs That Should Be Available Only with SSL

If your server supports SSL, you can define that certain resources are available only
through encrypted HTTPS (SSL) connections. Use of SSL does not obstruct the basic way
that form-based authentication works. None of your servlets or JSP pages need to be
modified or moved to different locations when you enable or disable SSL. This is an extra
advantage of declarative security.
The user-data-constraint subelement of security-constraint can mandate that
certain resources be accessed only with SSL. The user-data-constraint element, if used, must contain a transport-guarantee subelement (with legal values NONE,
INTEGRAL, or CONFIDENTIAL) and can optionally contain a description element. A
value of NONE for transport-guarantee puts no restrictions on the communication protocol
used. Since NONE is the default, there is little point in using user-data-constraint or transport-guarantee if you specify NONE. A value of INTEGRAL means that the communication
must be of a variety that prevents data from being changed in transit without detection. A
value of CONFIDENTIAL means that the data must be transmitted in a way that prevents
anyone who intercepts it from reading it. Although in principle (and perhaps in future HTTP
versions) there may be a distinction between INTEGRAL and CONFIDENTIAL, in current practice they both simply mandate the use of SSL.
Code Snippet 5 instructs the server to permit only https connections to the associated resource.

Code Snippet 5:
<security-constraint>
<!-- ... -->

<user-data-constraint>

<transport-guarantee>CONFIDENTIAL</transport-guarantee>

</user-data-constraint>

</security-constraint>

7.

Turning Off thse Invoker Servlet

The most portable approach of turning off the invoker servlet is to remap the servlet
pattern in the Web application so that all requests that include the pattern are sent to the
same servlet. To remap the pattern, first create a simple servlet that prints an error message. Then, use the servlet and servlet-mapping elements to send requests that include
the servlet pattern to that servlet.

8.

Write Authentication Filter

Write the Servlet filter and mention in web.xml. This Filter class filters the HTTP
requests based on its type.

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15.5

Programmatic Security

When declarative security alone is not sufficient to express the security model of the application,
then the programmatic security model can be used by security-aware applications.

15.5.1

Concept of Programmatic Security

Programmatic security authenticates the users and grants access to the users. The servlet or
JSP page either authenticates the user or verifies that the user has authenticated earlier, to
check the unauthorized access. To ensure the safety of network data, the servlet or JSP page
redirects the HTTP connection to HTTPS of the URLs.
The advantages of programmatic security are as follows:

Ensures total portability

Allows password matching strategies

The disadvantages are of programmatic security are as follows:

Much harder to code and maintain

Every resource must use the code

15.5.2

HttpServletRequest Methods for Identifying User

Some of the methods in the HttpServletRequest interface are used for identifying a user by the
help of cookies. Cookies are texts that are sent by the server to a browser, and then sent back
unchanged by the browser each time it accesses the server.
There are various methods available in HttpServletRequest interface as follows:
getAuthType()
This method returns the authentication scheme name.
Syntax:
public java.lang.String getAuthType()

getCookies()
It returns an array, which have all the information of the Cookie objects sent by the
client.
Syntax:
public Cookie[] getCookies()

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getHeader()
It returns the value of the header as a String, which is requested.
Syntax:
public java.lang.String getHeader(java.lang.String name)

getRemoteUser()
If the user is authenticated it returns the login name of the user, else it returns null.
Syntax:
public java.lang.String getRemoteUser()

getRequestedSessionId()
This method returns the session ID that is defined by the client.
Syntax:
public java.lang.String getRequestedSessionId()

getSession()
This method returns the current session or creates one if there is no session.
Syntax:
public HttpSession get Session()

isUserInRole()
It returns a boolean value, which indicates whether the authenticated user is included in the
logical role.
Syntax:
public boolean isUserInRole(java.lang.String role)

getUserPrincipal()
This method returns a java.security.Principal object.
Syntax:
public java.security.Principal getUserPrincipal()

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isRequestedSessionIdValid()
It checks the validity of the requested session ID.
Syntax:
public boolean isRequestedSessionIdValid()

15.5.3

Implementing Programmatic Security

The six steps to implement programmatic security are as follows:

1.

Check whether there is an authorization request header

It checks whether the header exists or not.

2.

Get the string, which contains the encoded username/password

If the authentication header exists it returns the string, which contains the username and
password in base64 encoding format.

3.

Reverse the base64 encoding of the username/password string

Reverse the base64 encoding of username or password by using the decodeBuffer
method of BASE64Decoder class.

4.

Check the username and password

The common approach of checking the username and password is to use database to get
the original username and password. In other way, put the information of the password
in the servlet. You will get access if the incoming username and password matches the
reference username and password pairs.

5.

If authentication fails, send the proper response to the client

It returns a 401 response code, which is an unauthorized one in the form of, WWW-Authenticate: BASIC realm=some-name. This response pop-up a dialog
box requesting the user to enter a name and password for some-name.

6.

Servlet Annotations
Based on J2EE API, javax.servlet.annotation package provides the number
of classes and interfaces.

Using of these classes and interfaces declare the filters, servlets, and listeners to authenticate
the http requests.

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ServerAuthModule Interface

Different clients sent different requests to server. For application security, it is necessary to
validate the client requests. Different type of security methods are used for validating the client
requests. ServerAuthModule interface helps to validate the client requests.

15.6.1

ServerAuthModule Interface Methods

ServerAuthModule interface have five methods that are as follows:

Initialize(): This method is used for initialize the authentication module and declare all
the necessary objects for authentication. This method has four arguments namely,
messagepolicy1, messagepolicy2, callbackhandler, and Map objects.
getSupportedMessageTypes(): This method returns the array of objects and it contains
the messages.
ValidateRequest(): This method is call by servlet container and validates the client sent
http Servlet requests. This method has argument messageinfo, subject 1 and subject2
objects.
SecureResponse(): This method also called by Servlet container. This method returns
the response code.
CleanSubject(): This method is used to clean the subject of requests.

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Check Your Progress

1.

Identify the correct options for different security mechanisms used in Web application.
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

2.

In basic security mechanism, the Web browser never pops-up a login page.
In form-based authentication, an error page is shown if the login fails from the
users side.
In HTTPS client authentication, the browser use a default TCP port and an extra
authentication layer in between HTTP and TCP.

(A)

A, B, E

(C) B, D, E

(B)

A, B, D

(D) A, C, D

Identify the correct option from the following statements for basic authentication.
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)

3.

In Web application, it is difficult to maintain the data without changing in the

client systems through the server.
In HTTP digest authentication, the server has the password based on a hash
function.

The user credentials are transmitted in plain text, so it is secure from any
attacker.
This mechanism provides protection for the information communicated between
client and server.
The login page prompts the user for credentials, such as username and
password.
In basic authentication the login page directly prompts the user to the home
page.

Identify the correct options from the following statements for HTTP digest
authentication.
(A)

Digest authentication authenticate the user identity without sending the

password as plain text to the server.

(B)

The hash value is vulnerable for the attacker to breach.

(C)

In digest authentication, the password is first encrypted and then sent.

(D)

It is quite easy to know the original password according to the output.

(E)

Digest authentication is based on a hash function.

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Check Your Progress

4.

5.

(A) A, B, E

(C) B, D, E

(B) A, C, E

(D) A, C, D

Identify the correct option from the following statements for client authentication.
(A)

This authentication is similar to TCP and Secure Socket Layer (SSL).

(B)

The HTTPS client authentication is a secured client authentication technique.

(C)

HTTPS client authentication based on Private Key Certificate.

(D)

The URL instructs the browser not to use a default HTTP port with an extra
authentication layer.

Identify the wrong option for configuring and specifying users in Tomcat.
(A)

To configure user in Tomcat, first select the Tomcat 6.0 from Apache Software
Foundation in your C: drive.

(B)

In URL, put http://localhost you will get Apache Tomcat home page.

(C)
(D)
6.

To know the use of basic authentication in an application, use the login-config

element.
When browser loads a resource, which is secured by web.xml file, the browser
responds in different ways.

Identify the correct options for declarative security from the following statements.
(A)

The login-config element tells the server to use form-based authentication and to
redirect unauthenticated users to a designated error page.

(B)

Use of SSL hampers the basic way that form-based authentication works.

(C)
(D)
(E)

The login page requires a form for security check, a text field named username
and a password field named password.
Specifying URLs and describing the protection they should have is not the
purpose of the security-constraint element.
In declarative security, any updating does not require the total change in the
security model.

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Check Your Progress

7.

(A) A, B, E

(C) B, D, E

(B) A, C, E

(D) A, C, D

Identify the correct option for programmatic security.

(A)

Programmatic security has not authenticated the users it grants access directly
to the users.

(B)

The programmatic security allows password matching strategies.

(C)
(D)
8.

To check the unauthorized access, the HTTP servlet verifies that the user has
been authenticated earlier.
To ensure the safety of network data, the JSP page redirects the HTTP
connection to the password URLs.

Identify which is not a correct step for programmatic security.

(A)

It checks whether there is an authorization request header.

(B)

If authentication fails, it redirects the client to the home page.

(C)

It does not check the username and password.

(D)

It uses the base46 encoding of the username/password string.

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Answer
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

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Summary

A Web application is an application, which is accessed with the help of a Web browser.
The reason of popularity of Web application is the ability to maintain it without changing
the client computers. When you access the Web, hackers can get your information. So
to keep your information secret, it is necessary to secure Web applications.
There are four authentication Mechanisms available. These are HTTP Basic
Authentication, HTTP Digest Authentication, HTTPS Client Authentication, and FormBased Authentication.
To configure a user in Tomcat, first include the Tomcat 7.0 from Apache Software
Foundation. When browser loads a resource, which is secured by web.xml file, the
browser responds in two ways.
The browser challenges the user if you are using basic authentication or forwards the
login page if you are using form-based authentication.
The declarative security provides security to a resource with the help of server
configuration.
Programmatic security authenticates the users and grants access to the users.

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