Java Training : Fast Track to Servlets/JSP Using Rational™ Application Developer (RAD)

Fast Track to Servlets/JSP Using Rational™ Application Developer (RAD)

Java Training Overview

Servlets and JSP (JavaServer Pages) are key server-side Java technologies for building web applications. Servlets are programs that run on a web server; they can respond to client requests and create dynamic content. JSPs are useful for displaying dynamic data, and allowing Java developers and Web page designers to work together easily. The JSTL is a tag library for JSP that encapsulates the core functionality common to many Web applications using custom tags. These include tags for iteration, conditionals, XML manipulation and much more.

This course is a comprehensive tutorial in the design and programming of Java Web applications using servlets and JSP. It starts with Web application architecture, usage, and deployment. It teaches about the capabilities of servlets, servlet architecture, and session management, JSP structure and syntax, and good design techniques for using them. Extensive coverage is included on how to efficiently use the JSP Expression Language (EL), custom tags, and the JSTL library.

The course is current with the latest releases of the specification, and uses the latest capabilities to write Web applications in the most efficient way possible. This includes the use of the JSP Expression Language directly in JSP 2.0+ Web pages, an overview of creating custom tags with tag files, and other new capabilities that make the framework much more user friendly. The complete course will give you excellent experience on how to build robust and capable Web applications using the latest features of the Java EE Web container.

All labs are done using the RAD Development Environment, and the lab instructions include detailed directions on using RAD and the RAD wizards and tools.

Java Training Skills Gained

Understand the design and development of web applications using Servlets and JSPs
Develop Servlets to process Web requests and generate dynamic data
Understand and create JavaServer Pages (JSPs)
Link Servlets and JSPs, and share data between them
Use the JSP 2.0+ Expression Language (the EL)
Use the built in JSP objects
Store and process session information
Deal with concurrency issues
Understand and use custom tag libraries and tag files
Understand and use the JSTL
Use J2EE Security from the Web Tier
Understand good design techniques including MVC (Model View Controller) / Model 2 Architecture

Hands-On

50% hands-on, 50% lecture

Supported Platforms

JBoss™, Tomcat, RAD/WebSphere, Weblogic, Oracle, GlassFish, Eclipse

Java Training Course Duration

3 Days

Java Training Course outline

Session 1: Web Application Basics

How the Web works, Thin Clients, TCP/IP
HTTP overview, Brief HTML review
Overview of J2EE
Web Applications - Structure and Contents
Servlet Basics and Capabilities
Basics of Writing a Servlet
Labs:
- Setup development environment and server; Create a simple web application
- Create a Simple Servlet

Session 2: Servlet API

HTML Forms Review
HTTP Review: Request-response, headers, GET, POST
Overview: How Servlets Work
- Servlet Lifecycle: init(), service(), destroy()
- API: Servlet, ServletConfig, ServletRequest, ServletResponse, GenericServlet,
- Requests and Responses - Using ServletRequest and ServletResponse
- HTTP Servlets: HttpServlet, HttpServletRequest, HttpServletResponse
- Accessing Parameters
- More About web.xml
Labs:
- Using Client Input, Retrieving parameters

Session 3: Additional Servlet Capabilities

Working with HttpServletResponse
- Status/Errors
- Response Headers
- MIME Types
Initialization
- Overview
- Using ServletConfig and ServletContext
- Init Parameters - Servlet and Web App
Error Handling: Error Pages and Their Configuration
Labs:
- Using Model Classes, Generating Simple Output

Session 4: JavaServer Pages

Basics and Overview
- JSP architecture
- JSP tags and JSP expressions
- Fixed Template Data
- Lifecycle of a JSP
Model View Controller (MVC)
- Overvie
- Java EE Model 2 Architecture : Servlet Controllers, JSP Views, JavaBeans Glue
Servlets as Controllers
- Using RequestDispatcher
- Forwarding and Including
Data Sharing in a Web App

Object scopes or "buckets"
Using JavaBeans to Hold Data
Using the Scope Objects - get/set/remove Attributes
Request, application, session and page scope

JSP Expression Language (EL) and Data Access
- JSP EL Overview
- JavaBeans and the EL
- Predefined JSP EL implicit objects (pageContext, param, header, scope objects)
- <jsp:useBean>, <jsp:getProperty>, <jsp:setProperty>
jsp:include, jsp:forward, the page Directive
Labs:
- Create a Simple JSP Page
- Put Data on a Scope and Forward to a JSP
- Use the JSP Expression Language

Session 5: Using Custom Tags

Custom tags overview
Reducing JSP complexity
Tag Libraries
- Overview and TLD (Tag Library Descriptor)
- taglib Directive - Using a Tag Library
JSTL
- Overview
- c:out, c:forEach
- c:url, c:param
Labs:
- Use c:forEach for Iteration
- Working with Links and c:url

Session 6: HTTP Session Tracking

HTTP Session Overview
- HTTP as a stateless protocol
- Hidden form fields
Cookies
- Overview and Servlet API
- Using Cookies, Persistent and Session Cookies
- Issues
Sessions
- Servlet/JSP Session Support, HttpSession
- Using Sessions - Putting Data in, Retrieving Data From
- How Sessions Work
Labs:
- Storing and Using Session Data

Session 7: More JSP Capabilities

Error Pages
- Error Pages and Exception Handling
- The implicit exception Object
- JSP 2.0+ Error Handling and errorData Object
- Directives (page, include, others)
JSPs as XML Documents
Scriptlets - Overview and Usage
Labs:
- Using Error Pages
- {optional} Using Scriptlets

Session 8: More JSTL and EL

More About the JSTL
- Core, Formatting, SQL, XML, Functions Libraries
- Custom Tag Architecture and Tag Library Structure
- c:if, c:choose, c:import
- Formatting: formatNumber, formatDate, Resource Bundles
- Using Common Tags
- XML Action Example
More About the JSP EL
- Syntax, Identifiers, Literals, Operators
- Implicit Objects
- The pageContext in Detail
- Type Coercion
- String concatenation
Using Common Tags
- c:if, c:choose
- c:set
- fmt:formatDate, fmt:formatNumber
Labs:
- Using c:if, c:choose, c:when and c:otherwise to customize output
- [Optional]: Using the Function Library
- JSTL Format Tags

Session 9: Security

J2EE Security Overview
Role Based Security
Declarative Security
Web Authentication - Basic, Form-Based, Digest, HTTPS Client
Using Basic Authentication
Using Form-Based Authentication
Programmatic Security - HttpServletRequest, Retrieving Roles
Labs:
- Securing a Web App, Setting Up and Using a Security Domain

Session 10: Additional Topics

Design Issues
- Dividing Responsibilities Between Servlets/JSP
- Network Overhead
- Scalaibility - Clustering, Serving Static Content
- Other Guidelines - Using the Technology Well
Custom Tags Using Tag Files
- Overview and Writing Tag Files
- Tag Attributes
- The tag Directive
Servlet Filter overview
- Filtering examples, lifecycle, & filter chains
- Filter API, Modifying a request, Modifying a response
Java ServerFaces (JSF) Overview
- Advanced MVC – JSF overview
- JSF Components
- Process Flow
- Advantages and Disadvantages