Java: Under the Hood™

Java Servlets

Servlets are Java applications that run in a Web server. They are often referred to as an extension of the Web server, and they offer many advantages over CGI scripts. This course describes the lifecycle of servlets and how to develop them. This course is typically offered with the JDBC course, and is a good prerequisite for the JSP course.

Course Length:

1.5 days

Audience:

This course is intended for Java developers who have a good working knowledge of the Java language.

Outline

• Overview of Servlets: Programs that run in a Web server.
• Server-side Development: Options for creating Web applications.
• Advantages of Servlets: Powerful, portable and secure.
• The Servlet API: The javax.servlet and javax.servlet.http packages.
• HTTP: The Hypertext Transfer Protocol.
• Requests: The HTTP Request header.
• Responses: The HTTP Response header.
• HTML Basics: A quick introduction to HTML and its syntax.
• HTTP Servlets: The HttpServlet class.
• "Hello, Servlets": A simple HTTP servlet handling a GET request.
• Deploying Servlets
• Parameters: Using HTML forms and URL parameters.
• Server-side Includes: A servlet embedded in an HTML page.
• The Lifecycle of a Servlet
• A Servlet Counter: A demonstration of the lifecycle of a servlet.
• Servlet Threading Models: Understanding the single-thread model.
• HttpServletRequest and HttpServletResponse
• Session Tracking: The various options available.
• Cookies: Request data stored on the client.
• The HttpSession Class
• Connecting to a Database: Using JDBC within a servlet.