What is JSP All About?

JAVA Server Pages

There are several similarities between microsoft ASP and JSP server hosting which the latter is run using Java. JSP stands for Java Server Pages while microsoft's ASP equivelant stands for Active Server Pages and the whole premise of JSP hosting is to manage Java Server Pages. Now although ASP and JSP are very similar, the small differences lie in the hosting side of the equation.

Just like php, JSP is a server based language which is used to create dynamic web pages that are also interactive. It places tag type codes into the html and xml and has the ability to theoretically work across all platforms and achieve the same results. This means that no matter what platform you use you should get the visual outcome. As long as you use a server hosting company such as severspace.co.uk or similar others that provides Java support for your website you have the freedom to use JSP on any website you wish.

Dynamic web pages are commonly used to build ecommerce sites where databases are used so visitors can search for several different products from the database. Ordinarily web designers would have to build both dynamic and static pages together within one CGI program for the website to function properly but with the use of JSP this is no longer the case. With this new found freedom both the static and dynamic pages can be created separately and then brought together to work seamlessly.

The best way to master JSP is to learn Java first as you will be placing Java code within the JSP file by way of using simple tags. Not only that, you will need to understand the algorithmic basics, html and css. Once you have a good understanding you can then pick up JSP fairly quickly by learning the basic codes to work on a Java server hosting interface.

Using JSP servlets is quite a popular choice for website builders to use and many web design north London companies use it as it's the perfect choice when you have a team of skilled workers. The ease of use and flexibility when building static and dynamic pages makes it a real win win for all concerned.

JSP (Java Server pages) - Reviews

If you're planning on getting shared hosting, dedicated servers or even vps (virtual private servers) anytime soon and wish to use JSP make sure that the hosting you pick has JSP runtime modules support which will allow you to run any number of scripts.

To give you an understanding of JSP there are four main tyoes of tags which are commonly used and are named directives, declarations, scriplets and expressions.

The directives tag is used the information of the JSP page as well as import packages. Declarations define the actual functions to be used where as scriplets are used to input the java code. The first three tags just mentioned deal with importing and inputing data where as expressions are used to export the data onto the web pages.

You also have JSP actions which are placed in JSP pages and it enables the web designer to use a lot of the functionality which is built into the container framework.

There are many books and tutorials online which will teach you how to use JSP properly but as I said it helps enormously if you already have a good understanding of the other coding languages you will be using. All the good books and information sites will teach you how to write JSP so you can create simple and more complex dynamic pages. You'll learn how to retrieve data and read the requested information. You'll also learn how to properly access the database from JSP, insert and update data using javascript, use JSP cookies and understand how to work with JSP sessions.

Learning JSP is just like learning any other type of language. Once you have a good understanding of the core principles everything else falls into place. If you want to get straight into it now you can find some free books to download here. Also check out Youtube as you'll find a wide variety of videos to watch and learn.