Murach’s Java Servlets and JSP, 3/e

From the start, servlets and JSPs have been a training problem because web programming with them requires so many different skills and so much conceptual background. But the first edition of this book solved that training problem: It presented the critical skills in the right order with plenty of examples, allowing developers to master all the complexities in a manageable way.

Now, this improved and updated 3rd Edition makes it even easier and faster for you to learn. And to prove to yourself that you will master all the servlet and JSP skills that you need to develop e-commerce applications, you can download the book’s e-commerce website that ties all the skills together.

Who this book is for

This book is for anyone who wants to develop professional websites using Java servlets and JSPs. The only prerequisite is a basic understanding of the Java programming language, roughly equivalent to chapters 1 through 14 of our core Java book, Murach’s Java Programming. But you don’t need any web programming experience at all.

What you’ll learn in this book

Section 1: Get started right

In this section, you’ll learn:

• the concepts and terms that you need for Java web programming
• how to use the MVC pattern to get the most from JSPs and servlets
• how to use the NetBeans IDE for developing servlet and JSP applications more efficiently
• how to use the Tomcat web server that lets you use servlets and JSPs for web applications

By the time you’re through with this section, you’ll be ready to use the IDE to code and run servlets and JSPs on your own computer.

Section 2: The essential servlet and JSP skills

In this section, you’ll get a crash course in HTML and CSS, which are essential to the use of JSPs. Then, you’ll learn the skills for creating servlets and JSPs that you’ll use in almost every application. These chapters move from the simple to the complex as you learn how to work with servlets, JSPs, sessions, cookies, JavaBeans, Expression Language (EL), the JSP Standard Tag Library (JSTL), and custom JSP tags.

Section 3: The essential database skills

Here, you’ll learn how to use both JDBC (Java Database Connectivity) and JPA (Java Persistence API) to work with a database. Although this section focuses on the use of MySQL databases, JDBC and JPA can be used for working with any database management system, including Oracle and SQL Server.

Section 4: Advanced servlet and JSP skills

In this section, you’ll learn the advanced servlet and JSP skills that you will need for certain types of web applications. This includes the use of JavaMail, SSL, authentication, encryption, HTTP, listeners, and filters. Then, the last chapter in this section shows you how to use JavaServer Faces, which is an alternative to using JSPs.

Since the chapters in this section have been designed to work independently of each other, you can read them in any order you want. This makes it easy for you to learn new skills whenever you need them.

Section 5: The Music Store website

This section presents an e-commerce website that puts the skills in the first four sections into context. This downloadable application illustrates best practices and provides code that you can use in your own applications. Once you understand how this website works, you will have all the skills you need for creating your own web applications.

Why you’ll learn faster and better with this book

Like all our books, this one has features that you won’t find in competing books. Here, though, are a few of the features that are unique to this book:

• Chapter 2 shows how to use the MVC pattern (or Model 2 architecture) to get the most from JSPs and servlets. From that point on, you’ll use servlets when they’re appropriate and JSPs when they’re appropriate. As a result, you won’t waste your time learning how to use servlets for tasks that should be handled by JSPs, or vice versa.
• Chapter 3 shows how to use the NetBeans IDE with a Tomcat server to develop web applications on your own computer. By using this IDE, you’ll learn faster and better than you would without one. In contrast, most competing books let you figure this out on your own.
• Chapter 4 provides a crash course in HTML5 and CSS3. Since this is essential background for the use of JSPs, this means you won’t have to use a second book to figure out how HTML and CSS work.
• Like all of our books, this one includes dozens of examples that range from the simple to the complex. That way, you can quickly see how a feature works from the simple examples, but you’ll also see how the feature is used in more complex, real-world examples, including the complete e-commerce application that’s presented in section 5.

What’s new in this edition

• An improved instructional approach that starts by presenting the MVC pattern in chapter 2. That way, you will use the MVC pattern for all exercises and projects, and you won’t learn programming practices that you won’t or shouldn’t use on the job.
• New chapters on how to use JPA (Java Persistence API) for database programming, security skills that weren’t covered in the second edition, and JavaServer Faces (JSF).
• An improved Music Store website in two versions: one that uses JDBC and one that uses JPA.
• Technical enhancements throughout the book, thanks to co-author Michael Urban, who has a wealth of Java web programming experience.

What software you need

To create and use the web applications in this book, you need to install this software on your PC:

• Java SE
• NetBeans
• Tomcat
• MySQL
• MySQL Workbench

This software is available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux systems.

Although all of this software is free, it can be difficult to install and get started with it. So this book provides all the support you need for doing that if you’re working on a Windows or Mac system:

• Appendix A shows how to install the software on Windows systems.
• Appendix B shows how to install the software on Mac OS X systems
• Chapter 3 shows how to use NetBeans and Tomcat

If you’re using a Linux system, we assume that you’ll be able to install this software on your own. If not, you can use appendix B as a general guide and use the Internet to get any other information that you need.

Companion books

Murach’s Java Programming

Murach’s Java Programming is the perfect companion to our Servlets and JSP book. It presents all the Java skills that you need for using servlets and JSP. It lets you learn new Java skills whenever you need them. And it’s the best on-the-job Java reference that money can buy.

Murach’s HTML and CSS

Murach’s HTML and CSS is a book that every web developer should have. It will help you expand your HTML and CSS skills in a professional way whenever you have some extra time. It covers today’s best practices for using HTML and CSS. And it will answer your HTML and CSS questions as they arise.

Murach’s JavaScript and jQuery

Today, knowing a server-side language is not enough to be a top web developer. So Murach’s JavaScript and jQuery teaches you how to write client-side code for your web pages to enhance the user experience. Another great book for training and on-the-job reference.

Murach’s MySQL Murach’s Oracle SQL and PL/SQL for Developers

If you use MySQL or Oracle Database with your web applications, you’ll want to have a copy of Murach’s MySQL or Murach’s Oracle SQL and PL/SQL at your side. Each book is a complete course in the SQL and database administration skills you need as a web developer.

About the Author

Joel Murach has been writing and editing books about computer programming for over 10 years. During that time, he has written extensively on a wide range of Java, .NET, web, and database technologies. When he's not programming or writing books about programming, he can be found surfing or writing music.