Introduction to
JSP
What is Java Server Pages?
JSP, full name Java Server Pages, is a dynamic web development technology. I
t uses the JSP tag to insert Java code into HTML web pages. L
abels usually start with .lt;% and end with %.gt;
JSP is a Java servlet that is primarily used to implement the user interface portion of a Java web application. W
eb developers write JSPs by combining HTML code, XHTML code, XML elements, and embedded JSP operations and commands.
JSP gets user input data, accesses databases, and other data sources through web forms, and then dynamically creates Web pages.
JSP tags have a variety of functions, such as access to databases, recording user selection information, accessing JavaBeans components, and passing control and sharing information across different Web pages.
Why JSP?
JSP programs have similar functions to CGI programs, but they have the following advantages over CGI programs:
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Performance is even better because JSPs can dynamically embed elements directly in HTML pages without having to refer to CGI files separately.
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Instead of CGI/Perl, the server calls a compiled JSP file and must first load the interpreter and target script.
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JSP is based on the Java Servlets API, so JSP has a variety of powerful enterprise Java APIs, including JDBC, JNDI, EJB, JAXP, and more.
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JSP pages can be used with servlets that handle business logic, a pattern supported by the Java servlet template engine.
Finally, JSP is an integral part of Java EE and a complete enterprise application platform. T
his means that JSP can implement the most complex applications in the simplest way.
The advantages of JSP
The following are some of the other benefits of using JSP:
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Compared to ASP: JSP has two major advantages. F
irst, the dynamic part is written in Java, not VB or other MS-specific languages, so it's more powerful and easy to use.
The second point is that JSPs are easy to port to non-MS platforms.
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Compared to pure servlets: JSPs can easily write or modify HTML pages without having to face a large number of println statements.
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Compared to SSI: SSI cannot use form data, can't link databases.
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Compared to JavaScript: Although JavaScript can dynamically generate HTML on the client side, it is difficult to interact with the server and therefore does not provide complex services such as access to databases and image processing.
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Compared to static HTML: Static HTML does not contain dynamic information.
What's next?
We'll take you step by step to build the JSP operating environment, which requires a certain Java foundation.
If you haven't learned Java yet, you can start with the Java tutorial
we've provided you with.