More Servlets and JavaServer Pages™

1.8. Establish a Simplified Deployment Method

OK, so you have a development directory. You can compile servlets with or without packages. You know which directory the servlet classes belong in. You know the URL that should be used to access them (at least the default URL; in Section 5.3, “ Assigning Names and Custom URLs,” you’ll see how to customize that address). But how do you move the class files from the development directory to the deployment direc-tory? Copying each one by hand every time is tedious and error prone. Once you start using Web applications (see Chapter 4), copying individual files becomes even more cumbersome.

There are several options to simplify the process. Here are a few of the most popular ones. If you are just beginning ...