Hour 1. Getting Started with JavaServer Pages

What You'll Learn in This Hour:

• What JavaServer Pages are

• How to write simple JavaServer Pages to create dynamic Web pages

• The basics of how JavaServer Pages work

• About JavaServer Pages scripting elements, including scriptlets, expressions, and declarations

With the release of the JavaServer Pages 2.0 specification, a new milestone has been reached. Looking backward, we see that using JavaServer Pages has become a time-tested way to develop Web pages with dynamic content. JSPs are the technology of choice in many Web-based applications. Developers know that, because JavaServer Pages have Java at their foundation, they can build upon all that the platform provides, including a robust and rich set of technologies. If you are a Java programmer, chances are you may already be familiar with some of them and want to begin to develop Web applications that leverage your knowledge.

Beginning with JavaServer Pages 2.0, it's become easier to create Web applications. In fact, even if you are new to Java or don't have any Java experience at all, you'll be able to build sophisticated sites that use databases or work with XML documents—things that used to require an intermediate knowledge of the Java programming language and its platforms. The road ahead is full of opportunity.