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Server-Side Web Programming: Java Servlets and The Control-View Architecture

The document discusses the control-view architecture pattern for server-side web programming using Java servlets and JSPs. Servlets act as controllers that categorize requests and decide which JSP view to forward the request to for generating the response. This separates the control logic from the presentation logic. Information can be passed from the servlet to the JSP using request attributes.

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Hop Huynh
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29 views26 pages

Server-Side Web Programming: Java Servlets and The Control-View Architecture

The document discusses the control-view architecture pattern for server-side web programming using Java servlets and JSPs. Servlets act as controllers that categorize requests and decide which JSP view to forward the request to for generating the response. This separates the control logic from the presentation logic. Information can be passed from the servlet to the JSP using request attributes.

Uploaded by

Hop Huynh
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Server-side

Web Programming
Lecture 5:
Java Servlets and the
Control-View Architecture
The Control-View Architecture
• Different user input might require different
response pages
– Different types of request
– Errors/missing field values, etc.
• Example: missing fields in Widget order
The Control-View Architecture
• Bad solution: single JSP with lots of conditions

<% if (fields are valid) { %>


entire web page for normal response
<% } else { %>
entire web page for error message(s)
<% } %>
Java Servlets
• Class containing methods executed by Tomcat
– Not a web page (like a JSP)
– Methods invoked by a request for the servlet
– Usually redirects to a JSP

Request for servlet Servlet methods called Tomcat


Servlet

JSP
converted Redirect to
to html appropriate
Response
response
html JSP page
The Control-View Architecture
• Servlets usually act as controls
– Categorize request based on the parameters and
possibly other factors (database info, etc.).
– Decide which JSP should be sent back as response.
– Forward control (and request data) to that JSP.

request Control JSP


servlet JSPs act
JSP
as views
response JSP
Adding a Servlet
• File  New File Choose Servlet type
Adding a Servlet
Give it a name
Adding a Servlet
Adds servlet
information to web.xml
descriptor file.
This allows other
servlets and JSPs to
refer to it using its
name.
Adding a Servlet
• Servlet added to source
packages of site
• When deployed, must be in WEB-
INF/classes subdirectory of site
webapps
application directory 
your html files and Java Server pages
WEB-INF 
web.xml
classes 
yourservlet.class

– Note that the yourservlet.java file


must be compiled to create
yourservlet.class
Basic Servlet Structure
Key methods:
• void doGet(HttpServletRequest request,
HttpServletResponse response)
Called if servlet invoked using get method
• void doPost(HttpServletRequest request,
HttpServletResponse response)
Called if servlet invoked using post method

• Have access to request object


– Can call getParameter, etc.
Basic Servlet Structure
• Note that 99.9% both doGet and doPost do same thing
• NetBeans generates code in both that just calls single
processRequest method.
– doGet and doPost hidden by editor
Importing Servlet Libraries
• Servlets libraries generally imported:
– import java.io.*;
– import javax.servlet.*;
– import javax.servlet.http.*;
This is where request, response, etc. defined

• Note that NetBeans does not automatically import these


(just specific classes)
– Should change code to include all of these
Invoking a Servlet from a JSP
• Use its name in the ACTION attribute of FORM
Servlet Background
• Preceded development of JSP model
– Modeled after CGI-BIN model
• Can generate own response page by writing a string of
html to response object

– Very rarely done!


– Usually just redirect to JSP to create response
Servlet Background
• JSP model built on servlets
– When JSP called for first time
• JSP converted to equivalent servlet and compiled
• Stored in WORK directory
Only this done in
• Run to generate html for response subsequent
requests
Much more efficient
than running JSP
again each request
Servlet Redirection
Basic syntax (step 1):
RequestDispatcher dispatcherObject =
getServletContext().
getRequestDispatcher("/MyJSP");

Forward control to this JSP on


the same site
The / tells Tomcat to look in
dispatcherObject the application root directory
is a new object that
holds information Get the location of
about the redirection the site (so can do a
relative url forward)
Servlet Redirection
Basic syntax (step 2):

dispatcherObject.forward(request, response);

Transfer control
Both the request
using the
and response must
dispatcherObject
be passed so the
JSP has access to
parameters, etc.
Redirection Example
• index.jsp prompts for quantity, name, email
• Upon submit, invokes Validate.java servlet
• If all information present, forward to receipt page
• Otherwise forward to error page

Validate.java
servlet
Redirection Example
public class Validate extends HttpServlet {
protected void processRequest(HttpServletRequest request,
HttpServletResponse response)
throws ServletException, IOException {
String url = ""; // url to forward to

// Get the parameter values from the request


String name = request.getParameter("customerName");
String email = request.getParameter("customerEmail");
String quantity = request.getParameter("quantity");

// If any are empty, set the url to forward to to the error page.
// Otherwise, forward to the normal reciept
if (name.equals("") || email.equals("") || quantity.equals("")) {
url = "/error.jsp";
}
else {url = "/reciept.jsp";}

// Create the dispatcher from the url and perform the forward
RequestDispatcher dispatcher =
getServletContext().getRequestDispatcher(url);
dispatcher.forward(request, response);
}
Passing Information to the JSP
• Information can be passed from a servlet to the JSP it
forwards to
• Added to request object as an attribute
– Like a parameter, has name and a value
– Value can be any Java object (not just a string)

Request Request
parameter=value
parameter=value
servlet parameter=value JSP
parameter=value
… attribute=value
…
Passing Information to the JSP
• Adding attribute in servlet:
request.setAttribute(“name”, some object);

• Retrieving attribute in JSP:


variable = (type)request.getAttribute(“name”);

Since attribute can be any type,


must use casting to tell Java
original type
Passing Information to the JSP

Code in servlet to pass price per


unit and total cost as strings
Passing Information to the JSP

Code in JSP to retrieve price per


unit and total cost as strings
Servlet Details
• Important note: Forward does not terminate servlet!
– Will run to end of processRequest even after forward
• Bad code:
if (somevalue == null) {
forward to error page
}
code that will crash if somevalue is null
• Better code:
if (somevalue == null) {
forward to error page
}
else {
code that will crash if somevalue is null
}
Servlet Details
• Invoking one servlet from another:
– getRequestDispatcher(“/sitename/servletname“);

WidgetSite Validate
– Note: may not need sitename in NetBeans, but may not work
when deployed otherwise
– Often done for modular multistage redirection
JSP for
request Validation Error standard
servlet JSP configuration

Servlet to JSP for


response choose custom
computer type configuration
Servlet Details
• Debugging servlets
– Can write diagnostic messages to control screen
– System.out.println(“message”);

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