Java Servlet Technology - The Java EE 6 Tutorial (original) (raw)

Chapter 15

Java Servlet Technology

Shortly after the Web began to be used for delivering services, service providers recognized the need for dynamic content. Applets, one of the earliest attempts toward this goal, focused on using the client platform to deliver dynamic user experiences. At the same time, developers also investigated using the server platform for the same purpose. Initially, Common Gateway Interface (CGI) server-side scripts were the main technology used to generate dynamic content. Although widely used, CGI scripting technology had many shortcomings, including platform dependence and lack of scalability. To address these limitations, Java Servlet technology was created as a portable way to provide dynamic, user-oriented content.

The following topics are addressed here:

What Is a Servlet?
Servlet Lifecycle
Sharing Information
Creating and Initializing a Servlet
Writing Service Methods
Filtering Requests and Responses
Invoking Other Web Resources
Accessing the Web Context
Maintaining Client State
Finalizing a Servlet
The mood Example Application
Further Information about Java Servlet Technology