JavaServer Pages, 3rd Edition

Using the Right Person for Each Task

As I alluded to earlier, JSP allows you to separate the markup language code, such as HTML, from the programming language code used to process user input, access databases, and perform other application tasks. One way this separation takes place is through the use of the JSP standard and custom elements; these elements are implemented with programming code and used the same way as page markup elements in regular web pages.

Another way to separate is to combine JSP with other J2EE technologies. For example, Java servlets can handle input processing, Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB) can take care of the application logic, and JSP pages can provide the user interface.

This separation means that with JSP, a typical business can divide its efforts among two groups that excel in their own areas of expertise: a Java web development team with programmers who implement the application logic as servlets, EJBs and custom JSP elements, and page authors who craft the specifics of the interface and use the powerful custom elements without having to do any programming. We’ll talk more about this benefit as we move through the book, although I should reiterate that the first half of the book is devoted more to those without programming experience, while the second half is for programmers who wish to combine JSP with other technologies and create their own JSP elements.