Web applications

A Web application is comprised of one or more related Java^TM servlets, JavaServer Pages^TM (JSP^TM) files, and HTML files that you can manage as a unit. The files in a Web application are related in that they work together to perform a business logic function.

The Web application is a concept supported by the Java Servlet Specification Version 2.3. Web applications are typically packaged as Web archive (WAR) files.

For more information about developing Web applications for WAS, see these topics:

Migrate Web applications
See this topic for information about migrating your Version 4.x applications to Version 5.0.

Servlets
Servlets are programs that are written in Java and run in WAS. Servlets interact with your Web server and its clients, and they can also access data resources and generate dynamic Web content.

JavaServer Pages (JSP)
With JSP files, you can generate dynamic Web content while keeping presentation logic and business logic separated. JSP files combine HTML or XML tags for formatting with Java code for content generation.

Bean Scripting Framework (BSF)
BSF enables developers to use scripting language functions in their server-side Java applications. It also extends scripting languages so that existing Java classes and Java beans can be invoked.

Dynamic caching
Use dynamic caching to improve the performance of applications that use servlets and JavaServer Pages files. See this topic for information about enabling and configuring the dynamic cache service in WAS.

Sessions
HttpSession objects record the referral page that led a visitor to your Web site, tracks the visitor's position within the site, and associates user identification with the session. See this topic for information about implementing, configuring, and persisting session data.

Assemble Web modules
See the help documentation for the Application Assembly Tool for information about assembling your Web application.