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> ## Getting Started with Web Applications

> ##### Stephanie Bodoff

> A Web application is a dynamic extension of a Web server. There are two types of Web applications:

> - Presentation-oriented. A presentation-oriented Web application generates interactive Web pages containing various types of markup language (HTML, XML, and so on) and dynamic content in response to requests.
> - Service-oriented. A service-oriented Web application implements the endpoint of a Web service. Presentation-oriented applications are often clients of service-oriented Web applications.

> In the Java 2 platform, Web components provide the dynamic extension capabilities for a Web server. Web components are either Java Servlets or JSP pages. Servlets are Java programming language classes that dynamically process requests and construct responses. JSP pages are text-based documents that execute as servlets but allow a more natural approach to creating static content. Although servlets and JSP pages can be used interchangeably, each has its own strengths. Servlets are best suited to service-oriented Web applications and managing the control functions of a presentation-oriented application, such as dispatching requests and handling nontextual data. JSP pages are more appropriate for generating text-based markup such as HTML, SVG, WML, and XML.

> Web components are supported by the services of a runtime platform called a Web container. The Web container provides services such as request dispatching, security, concurrency, and life cycle management. It also gives Web components access to APIs such as naming, transactions, and e-mail.

> Certain aspects of Web application behavior can be configured when the application is installed or deployed to the Web container. The configuration information is maintained in a text file in XML format called a Web application deployment descriptor. A Web application deployment descriptor (DD) must conform to the schema described in the Java Servlet specification.

> This chapter describes the organization, configuration, and installation and deployment procedures for Web applications. Chapters 12 and 13 cover how to develop Web components for service-oriented Web applications. The technologies for developing service-oriented Web applications were introduced in Chapter 1. Chapters 15--23 cover how to develop the Web components for presentation-oriented Web applications. The technologies for developing presentation-oriented Web applications were introduced in Chapter 2.

> Many features of JSP technology are determined by Java Servlet technology, so you should familiarize yourself with that material even if you do not intend to write servlets.

> Most Web applications use the HTTP protocol, and support for HTTP is a major aspect of Web components. For a brief summary of HTTP protocol features see Appendix E.

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