Core Servlets and JavaServer Pages™

2.9. Debugging Servlets

Naturally, when you write servlets, you never make mistakes. However, some of your colleagues might make an occasional error, and you can pass this advice on to them. Seriously, though, debugging servlets can be tricky because you don't execute them directly. Instead, you trigger their execution by means of an HTTP request, and they are executed by the Web server. This remote execution makes it difficult to insert break points or to read debugging messages and stack traces. So, approaches to servlet debugging differ somewhat from those used in general development. Here are seven general strategies that can make your life easier.

1. Look at the HTML source.

   If the result you see in the browser looks funny, choose “View Source” ...