Server-Side Web Development

Server-Side Web Development

JavaBeans; basic concepts and syntax
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February 2005
Bogdan L. Vrusias
b.vrusias@surrey.ac.uk
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Contents
JavaBean definition and syntax
Sharing JavaBean components
JavaBeans Examples
Session Tracking
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Invoking Java code from JSP

Call Java code directly
Call Java code indirectly
Use beans
Use the Model-View-Controller architecture
Use the JSP expression language (EL)
Use custom tags
Simple application or
small development team
Complex application or
large development team
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JavaBeans
JavaBeans is a portable (platform-independent) component model
written in Java and was developed in collaboration with industry
leaders.
JavaBeans components are Java classes that can be easily reused and
composed together into applications.
Any Java class that follows certain design conventions can be a
JavaBeans component.
JavaServer Pages technology directly supports using JavaBeans
components with JSP language elements.
JavaBeans will minimize the code on the JSP.
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JavaBeans: Advantages
No Java syntax in the JSP
Stronger separation between content and presentation
Good for separating Web and Java developers
Simple object sharing
Due to the JSP bean constructs
Convenient correspondence between request parameters
and object properties
Simple process of reading request parameters
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JavaBeans: Basics
A bean class must have a zero-argument (default)
constructor.
A bean should have no public instance variables (fields).
Persistent values should be accessed through methods
called setXxx and getXxx (or isXxx for Boolean).
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JavaBeans: Basic Tasks
In a JSP there are three main JavaBean constructs:
jsp:useBean
<jsp:useBean id="beanName" class="package.classname"
scope="scope"/>

jsp:getProperty
<jsp:getProperty name="beanName" property="pName"/>

Jsp:setProperty
<jsp:setProperty name="beanName" property="pName"
value="pValue" />
<jsp:setProperty name="beanName" property="*" /> (CAREFUL)

Otherwise
<%= beanName.getPName() %>
<% beanName.setPName() %>
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JavaBeans: Basic Tasks
Properties of a JavaBean class must simply be accessible using public
methods that conform to certain conventions:
For each readable property, the bean must have a method of the form
PropertyClass getProperty() { ... }
For each writable property, the bean must have a method of the form
setProperty(PropertyClass pc) { ... }

NOTE 1: beanName must be the same as the one specified in a
useBean element (using the id attribute), and there must be a
getPName method in the JavaBeans component.
NOTE2: The official version of a Java Bean class extends the Object
class and implements the Serializable class. But for simplicity
reasons we will not be doing that.
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JavaBean Example I
StringBean.java
package webtech.w6;

public class StringBean {
private String message = "No message";

public String getMessage() {
return(message);
}

public void setMessage(String message) {
this.message = message;
}
}
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JavaBean Example II
StringBean.jsp
...
<jsp:useBean id="stringBean" class="webtech.StringBean" />
<p>Initial value (getProperty): <I><jsp:getProperty
name="stringBean" property="message" /></I></p>
<p>Initial value (JSP expression): <I><%=
stringBean.getMessage() %></I></p>
<jsp:setProperty name="stringBean" property="message"
value=Say something" />
<p>Value after setting property with setProperty:
<I><jsp:getProperty name="stringBean" property="message" />
</I></p>
<% stringBean.setMessage(... well ok, something!"); %>
<p>Value after setting property with scriptlet: <I><%=
stringBean.getMessage() %></I></p>
...
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Sharing Beans
<jsp:useBean scope="page"/> (Default)
Bean is not shared and a new bean is created for each request

<jsp:useBean scope="request"/>
Same as "page" scope but, two JSP pages or a JSP page and a servlet will
share the bean when you use jsp:include

<jsp:useBean scope="session"/>
Bean is shared within a session

<jsp:useBean scope="application"/>
Bean is shared by all servlets and JSP pages in a Web application
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Sharing Beans: Example
This example demonstrates the use of JavaBeans and how the beans are
shared.
There are four possibilities:
Page
Request
Session
Application
For this example these is one JavaBean that stores two parameters, and five
JSP pages to demonstrate the use of the bean.
To test the bean sharing we will try to pass parameters by directly entering the
parameters within the URL:
scope_page.jsp?sport=cricket&rating=boring

Parameter 1 Parameter 2
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Sharing Beans: The JavaBean
msgBean.java
package webtech.w6;
public class msgBean {
private String sport = "football";
private String rating = "fun";

public String getRating() {
return rating;
}
public void setRating(String newRating) {
rating = newRating;
}
public String getSport() {
return sport;
}
public void setSport(String newSport) {
sport = newSport;
}
}
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Sharing Beans: Page Scope Example
scope_page.jsp

<jsp:useBean id="pageBean" class="webtech.w6.msgBean"
/>

<jsp:setProperty name="pageBean" property="*" />
<H2>The sport:
<jsp:getProperty name="pageBean" property="sport"
/></H2>
<H2>Has rating:
<jsp:getProperty name="pageBean" property="rating"
/></H2>

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Sharing Beans: Request Scope Example
scope_request.jsp

<jsp:useBean id="requestBean"
class="webtech.w6.msgBean"
scope="request" />

<jsp:setProperty name="requestBean" property="*" />
<H2>The sport:
<jsp:getProperty name="requestBean" property="sport"
/></H2>
<H2>Has rating:
<jsp:getProperty name="requestBean" property="rating"
/></H2>
<jsp:include page="snippet.jsp" />

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Sharing Beans: Request Scope Example
snippet.jsp

<jsp:useBean id="requestBean"
class="webtech.w6.msgBean" scope="request" />

<H2>The sport:
<jsp:getProperty name="requestBean" property="sport"
/></H2>
<H2>Has rating:
<jsp:getProperty name="requestBean" property="rating"
/></H2>
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Sharing Beans: Session Scope Example
scope_session.jsp

<jsp:useBean id="sessionBean"
class="webtech.w6.msgBean" scope="session" />

<jsp:setProperty name="sessionBean" property="*" />
<H2>The sport:
<jsp:getProperty name="sessionBean" property="sport"
/></H2>
<H2>Has rating:
<jsp:getProperty name="sessionBean" property="rating"
/></H2>

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Sharing Beans: Application Scope Example
scope_application.jsp

<jsp:useBean id="applicationBean"
class="webtech.w6.msgBean" scope="application" />

<jsp:setProperty name="applicationBean" property="*" />
<H2>The sport:
<jsp:getProperty name="applicationBean"
property="sport" /></H2>
<H2>Has rating:
<jsp:getProperty name="applicationBean"
property="rating" /></H2>

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Installing JavaBeans
Each JavaBean should be located within your web
application under:
WEB-INF/classes

Or, if the bean is within a package (recommended), then:
WEB-INF/classes/subdirectoryMatchingPackageName

Or, if the bean is within a .JAR, then place the .JAR in:
WEB-INF/lib

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JSP Session Tracking
A session can be defined as a series of related interactions
between a single client and the server, which take place
over a period of time.
A session object can be used for storing and retrieving
information.
Every time the client accesses the resources on the server,
the client provides the session ID that was assigned by the
server.
A session has a one-to-one association between a client
and the server.
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JSP Session Tracking
Session tracking is a technique for maintaining user
information across pages:

HTTP information (not used much privacy issues)

Hidden fields (popular but again, privacy issues)
<input type="hidden" name="myKey"
value="myValue" />

Extended Path information and URL-rewriting ( privacy issues)
<a href="/myPage.jsp?login=james&item=book_1">
Next</a>
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JSP Session Tracking
Cookies (data can be encrypted)
Cookie uid = new Cookie("uid", "234ff543333c");
response.addCookie(uid);

Session (data can be encrypted)
session.putValue("user_id", user_id);
session.getValue("user_id")

JavaBeans using the session scope
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Closing

Questions???
Remarks???
Comments!!!
Evaluation!