Document Information

Preface

Part I Introduction

1.  Overview

2.  Using the Tutorial Examples

Part II The Web Tier

3.  Getting Started with Web Applications

4.  Java Servlet Technology

5.  JavaServer Pages Technology

6.  JavaServer Pages Documents

7.  JavaServer Pages Standard Tag Library

8.  Custom Tags in JSP Pages

The Example JSP Pages

Types of Tags

Tags with Attributes

Simple Attributes

Fragment Attributes

Dynamic Attributes

Deferred Value

Deferred Method

Dynamic Attribute or Deferred Expression

jsp:attribute Element

Tags with Bodies

jsp:body Element

Tags That Define Variables

Communication between Tags

Encapsulating Reusable Content Using Tag Files

Tag File Location

Tag File Directives

Declaring Tags

body-content Attribute

Declaring Tag Attributes in Tag Files

Declaring Tag Variables in Tag Files

Evaluating Fragments Passed to Tag Files

Custom Tag Examples

Simple Attribute Example

Simple and Fragment Attribute and Variable Example

Dynamic Attribute Example

Tag Library Descriptors

Top-Level Tag Library Descriptor Elements

validator Element

listener Element

Declaring Tag Files

tag-file TLD Element

Unpackaged Tag Files

Packaged Tag Files

Declaring Tag Handlers

body-content Element

Declaring Tag Attributes for Tag Handlers

Declaring Tag Variables for Tag Handlers

Programming Simple Tag Handlers

Including Tag Handlers in Web Applications

How Is a Simple Tag Handler Invoked?

Tag Handlers for Basic Tags

Tag Handlers for Tags with Attributes

Defining Attributes in a Tag Handler

Attribute Validation

Setting Dynamic Attributes

Setting Deferred Value Attributes and Deferred Method Attributes

Tag Handlers for Tags with Bodies

Tag Handler Does Not Manipulate the Body

Tag Handlers for Tags That Define Variables

TagExtraInfo Class

Cooperating Tags

Tag Handler Examples

An Iteration Tag

A Template Tag Library

9.  Scripting in JSP Pages

10.  JavaServer Faces Technology

11.  Using JavaServer Faces Technology in JSP Pages

12.  Developing with JavaServer Faces Technology

13.  Creating Custom UI Components

14.  Configuring JavaServer Faces Applications

15.  Internationalizing and Localizing Web Applications

Part III Web Services

16.  Building Web Services with JAX-WS

17.  Binding between XML Schema and Java Classes

18.  Streaming API for XML

19.  SOAP with Attachments API for Java

Part IV Enterprise Beans

20.  Enterprise Beans

21.  Getting Started with Enterprise Beans

22.  Session Bean Examples

23.  A Message-Driven Bean Example

Part V Persistence

24.  Introduction to the Java Persistence API

25.  Persistence in the Web Tier

26.  Persistence in the EJB Tier

27.  The Java Persistence Query Language

Part VI Services

28.  Introduction to Security in the Java EE Platform

29.  Securing Java EE Applications

30.  Securing Web Applications

31.  The Java Message Service API

32.  Java EE Examples Using the JMS API

33.  Transactions

34.  Resource Connections

35.  Connector Architecture

Part VII Case Studies

36.  The Coffee Break Application

37.  The Duke's Bank Application

Part VIII Appendixes

A.  Java Encoding Schemes

B.  About the Authors

Index

 

What Is a Custom Tag?

A custom tag is a user-defined JSP language element. When a JSP page containing a custom tag is translated into a servlet, the tag is converted to operations on a tag handler. The web container then invokes those operations when the JSP page’s servlet is executed.

Custom tags have a rich set of features. They can

  • Be customized by means of attributes passed from the calling page.

  • Pass variables back to the calling page.

  • Access all the objects available to JSP pages.

  • Communicate with each other. You can create and initialize a JavaBeans component, create a public EL variable that refers to that bean in one tag, and then use the bean in another tag.

  • Be nested within one another and communicate by means of private variables.