MySQL Cookbook

Using Tomcat to Run Web Scripts

Problem

You want to run Java-based programs in a web environment.

Solution

Write programs using JSP notation and execute them using a servlet container.

Discussion

As described in Recipe 16.3, Apache can be used to run Perl, PHP, and Python scripts. For Java, a different approach is needed, because Apache doesn’t serve JSP pages. Instead, we’ll use Tomcat, a server designed for processing Java in a web environment. Apache and Tomcat are very different servers, but there is a familial relationship—Tomcat is part of the Jakarta Project, which is overseen by the Apache Software Foundation.

This section provides an overview of JSP programming with Tomcat, but makes several assumptions:

• You have a some familiarity with the concepts underlying JavaServer Pages, such as what a servlet container is, what an application context is, and what the basic JSP scripting elements are.

• The Tomcat server has been installed so that you can execute JSP pages, and you know how to start and stop it.

• You are familiar with the Tomcat webapps directory and how a Tomcat application is structured. In particular, you understand the purpose of the WEB-INF directory and the web.xml file.

• You know what a tag library is and how to use one.

I recognize that this is a lot to assume, because the use of JSP and Tomcat in the MySQL world is not so widespread as the use of our other languages with Apache. If you’re unfamiliar with JSP or need instructions for installing Tomcat, Appendix B ...