| Shows HTML and Java programmers how to create and use JSP tag components to perform iterations and access databases, and manipulate EJB's, e-mail systems, Java Beans, and e-commerce applications and WAP that work with cellular phones.
Six years ago, Java burst onto the computing scene and dramatically changed the way programmers develop applications. Misunderstood initially, Java was typecast as a client-side language suitable only for building simple browser applications (i.e., applets). Though some patient developers built entire applications with Java, many dismissed it as an experimental language with little enterprise potential. As Java matured, bolstered by a firm focus on server-side functionality, it began to turn the heads of enterprise and web developers.
Servlet technology, the first server-side Java offering, was introduced in 1996.
Web developers could now create Java components that extended the web server to
provide dynamic content to their users. Servlets were followed by other technologies,
such as JavaServer Pages and, more recently, by custom JSP tag libraries which
aim to give nonprogrammers and web designers all the power of Java with a simple,
tag-based syntax.
When servlets first appeared, we used them in real-world projects and saw how
useful Java was for creating dynamic, data-driven sites. However, servlets and JSP
were still too difficult for nonprogrammers to use, requiring them to learn at least
some Java to accomplish most tasks. With the arrival of JSP tags, developing
dynamic content with JSP became easier than ever. For the first time, it was possible
for the HTML developer to perform complex operations like querying databases,
iterating results, and performing other server-side activities without needing to
understand any high-level programming language. The Java community has been
quick to see the merits of this new technology, with dozens of companies and organizations
already offering custom JSP tag libraries that perform everything from
database access to translation of content for wireless devices. |
