CSCI 479 Java Server Pages (JSP)

Computer Science Department, Bucknell University

CSCI 479 Capstone CS Desgin
JavaServer Pages (JSP)
By Professor Dan Hyde, Fall, 2009

Introduction

Since you are designing a web-based application, you could implement your project as JavaServer Pages (JSP), Java applets or a combinations of the two.

JavaServer Pages (JSP) is Sun Microsystems' answer to Microsoft's ASP (Active Server Pages). JSP is Java code embedded as tags in the HTML (or XHTML). JSP is easier to use than Java Servlets especially if you are a web-page designer who most of time wants to present static text with HTML or XHTML and incorporate only a few dynamically generated features.

A good reference on JavaServer Pages (JSP) is Chapter 29 in our Java text.

In order to use JSP you need to run a tomcat server. If you have a PC, you can download tomcat for free.

tomcat Server

I asked ECST to install a tomcat on a Linux machine so we could play with JSP. Point your browser at

http://www.linux.bucknell.edu:9004/

to see the standard startup page and documentation that comes with the recent version of tomcat. Note that some links are password protected. Try the JSP examples.

Sample JSP program

To try a JSP program that I wrote, point your browser at

http://www.linux.bucknell.edu:9004/hydeTest/clock.jsp

Below is the JSP code for the clock example to provide you a flavor of JSP.

<?xml version = "1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPDE html PUBLIC "-//W3C/DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
  "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">

<html xmlns = "http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
  <head>
    <meta http-equiv = "refresh" content = "60" />
    <title>A Simple JSP Example</title>
    <style type = "text/css">
       .big { font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;
              font-weight: bold;
              font-size: 3em;}
    </style>
  </head>
<body>
<center>
     <p class = "big">Simple JSP example based on example<br>
from <i>Java: How to Program</i> <br>
by Deitel and Deitel, 6th edition,
    page 1283.<br>
Time and date is refreshed every 60 seconds.
</p>
     <table style = "border: 6px outset;">
       <tr>
         <td style = "background-color: black;">
           <p class = "big" style = "color: cyan;">
            <!-- JSP expression to insert time and date -->
	         <%= new java.util.Date() %>
           </p>
          </td>
        </tr>
      </table>
</center>
</body>
</html>

Below is a JSP program that uses a Java Applet to convert temperatures. The original temperature application is an example Java program done in CSCI 203.

http://www.linux.bucknell.edu:9004/hydeTest/temperature.jsp

Below is the JSP code for the temperature example.

<?xml version = "1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
   "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">

<!-- temperature.jsp , the class files are in same directory as  
     .jsp file -->

<html xmlns = "http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

   <head>
      <title>Temperature Conversion Applet</title>
   </head>

   <body>

        <h1>Using Java Applet.  You can enter temperatures in either field.
        </h1>

       <applet code = "TempConvert.class" width = "200" height = "80">
        </applet>

        <h1>After Applet
        </h1>
   </body>
</html>

Original Java Application

Details

Normally the system administrator installs all the servlets/Java Server Pages (JSP) under one server. However, to allow multiple developers, we have set it up so that each Team can run their own Tomcat server on a Linux machine. This allows you to control what you do on your server.
To use JSP, you need to set up a Tomcat server on the Linux Tomcat machine. ECST must be informed and they will set up your account for you.
To install a Tomcat server you need to email "ecst@bucknell.edu" with the account name, e.g., cs479a, you want for the Tomcat server. Mike Harvey or Jeremy Dreese will add a bunch of files to the account and provide you with information including the port number to use. The files are placed in new directory
```
     ~account/apache-tomcat/
```
Also, they will adds some lines to the account's .cshrc file.
You need to create the following directory structure under the account's home directory. In ~/apache-tomcat/webapps directory create a "myProject" directory with "myProject" being whatever you want to name your project. Since this name will be part of a URL later, choose carefully.
The static content of your web site (HTML pages, JSP pages, JavaScript files, CSS stylesheet files, and images) that you want accessible to application clients should be placed in "myProject". This directory will be the document root of your web application, and any subdirectory structure found here will be reflected in the request URIs required to access those files.
To use Java servlets and JSP, you must include in your CLASSPATH environment variable on the Linux machines in your .cshrc file the following:
```
setenv CLASSPATH /usr/local/apache-tomcat/lib/servlet-api.jar:$CLASSPATH
```
This should have been done for you by ECST.
The javax.* libraries are in the above servlet-api.jar. This library only exists on www.linux.bucknell.edu server, because that's where Tomcat, the JSP and Java servlet engine, is installed. So you need to login to www.linux.bucknell.edu to do your Java compilations. This is also where you need to be to restart your Tomcat server. We recommend logging in to www.linux.bucknell.edu when doing any of your Java servlet or JSP work.
During development, e.g, after a compile, you will probably need to stop your Tomcat server by typing the alias "tomcatshutdown" and to restart it by typing the alias "tomcatstartup". These alias should have been included in your account's .cshrc file by ECST.
To use JSP program in web browser:
In your web browser, type the following URL to use your servlet
```
  http://www.linux.bucknell.edu:port/myProject/prog.jsp
```
Page maintained by Dan Hyde, hyde at bucknell.edu Last update October 6, 2009
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CSCI 479 Capstone CS Desgin JavaServer Pages (JSP) By Professor Dan Hyde, Fall, 2009

Introduction

tomcat Server

Sample JSP program

Details

CSCI 479 Capstone CS Desgin
JavaServer Pages (JSP)
By Professor Dan Hyde, Fall, 2009