Preface


The iPlanet Application Server Programmer's Guide (JavaTM) describes how to create Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) applications intended to run on the iPlanet Application Server that follow the new open Java standards model of Servlets, Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs), JavaServer Pages (JSPs), and Java Database Connectivity (JDBC).

This guide is intended for information technology developers in a corporate enterprise who want to extend client-server applications to a broader audience through the World Wide Web. In addition to describing programming concepts and tasks, this guide offers sample code, implementation tips, and reference material and a glossary.

This preface contains information about the following topics:

• Using the Documentation

• What You Should Already Know

• How This Guide Is Organized

• Documentation Conventions

• Related Information

Using the Documentation

---

Table 1 lists the tasks and concepts that are described in the iPlanet Application Server and the iPlanet Application Builder printed manuals and online Release Notes file. If you are trying to accomplish a specific task or learn more about a specific concept, refer to the appropriate guide.

Note that the printed guides are also available as online files in Portable Document Format (PDF) and Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) formats, at http://docs.iplanet.com/docs/manuals/.

Table 1    iPlanet Application Server documentation roadmap  

For information about	See the following	Shipped with
Late-breaking information about the software and documentation	Release Notes	iPlanet Application Server 6.0, iPlanet Application Builder 6.0
Installing the iPlanet Application Server and its various components (Web Connector plug-in, iPlanet Application Server Administrator), and configuring the sample applications	Installation Guide	iPlanet Application Server 6.0
Installing iPlanet Application Builder.	install.htm	iPlanet Application Builder 6.0
Basic iPlanet Application Server features, such as its software components, general capabilities, and system architecture.	Overview	iPlanet Application Server 6.0 Developer Edition (Solaris), iPlanet Application Server 6.0, iPlanet Application Builder 6.0
Administering one or more application servers using the iPlanet Application Server Administrator tool to perform the following tasks: Deploying applications with the Deployment Manager tool Monitoring and logging server activity Setting up users and groups Administering database connectivity Administering transactions Load balancing servers Managing distributed data synchronization	Administration Guide and the Deployment Tool Online Help	iPlanet Application Server 6.0
Migrating applications to the iPlanet Application Server 6.0 from version 2.1 and 4.0, including a sample migration of an Online Bank application provided with iPlanet Application Server	Migration Guide	iPlanet Application Server 6.0, iPlanet Application Builder 6.0
Creating iPlanet Application Server applications in an integrated development environment by performing the following tasks: Creating and managing projects Using wizards Creating data access logic Creating presentation logic and layout Creating business logic Compiling, testing, and debugging applications Deploying and downloading applications Working with source control Using third-party tools	User's Guide	iPlanet Application Builder 6.0
Creating iPlanet Application Server applications that follow the new open Java standards model (Servlets, EJBs, JSPs, and JDBC), by performing the following tasks: Creating the presentation and execution layers of an application Placing discrete pieces of business logic and entities into EJB components Using JDBC to communicate with databases Using iterative testing, debugging, and application fine tuning procedures to generate applications that execute correctly and quickly	Programmer's Guide (Java)	iPlanet Application Server 6.0, iPlanet Application Builder 6.0
Using the public classes and interfaces, and their methods in the iPlanet Application Server class library to write Java applications	Server Foundation Class Reference (Java)	iPlanet Application Server 6.0, iPlanet Application Builder 6.0
Creating iPlanet Application Server C++ applications using the iPlanet Application Server class library by performing the following tasks: Designing applications Writing AppLogics Creating HTML templates Creating queries Running and debugging applications	Programmer's Guide (C++)	Order separately
Using the public classes and interfaces, and their methods in the iPlanet Application Server class library to write C++ applications	Server Foundation Class Reference (C++)	Order separately

What You Should Already Know

---

This guide assumes you are familiar with the following topics:

• J2EE specification

• HTML

• Java programming

• JavaSoft APIs as defined in specifications for EJBs, JSPs, and JDBC

• Structured database query languages such as SQL

• Relational database concepts

• Software development processes, including debugging and source code control

How This Guide Is Organized

---

The first part of this guide provides an iPlanet Application Server environment overview for designing programs. This part includes the following topic:

• Chapter 1 "Developing Applications"

The next part describes the programming tasks associated with presentation logic and page design. This part includes the following topics:

• Chapter 2 "Controlling Applications with Servlets"

• Chapter 3 "Presenting Application Pages with JavaServer Pages"

The next part describes the programming tasks associated with business logic and data access. This part includes the following topics:

• Chapter 4 "Introducing Enterprise JavaBeans"

• Chapter 5 "Using Session EJBs to Manage Business Rules"

• Chapter 6 "Building Entity EJBs"

• Chapter 7 "Handling Transactions with EJBs"

• Chapter 8 "Using JDBC for Database Access"

• Chapter 9 "Rich Client"

The next part describes issues that affect all application parts. This part includes the following topics:

• Chapter 10 "Deployment Packaging"

• Chapter 11 "Creating and Managing User Sessions"

• Chapter 12 "Writing Secure Applications"

• Chapter 13 "Taking Advantage of the iPlanet Application Server Features"

The appendixes include the following reference material:

• Appendix A "Using the Java Message Service"

• Appendix B "Dynamic Reloading"

• Appendix C "Sample Deployment Files"

Finally, a Glossary and Index are provided.

Documentation Conventions

---

File and directory paths are given in Microsoft Windows format (with backslashes separating directory names). For Unix versions, the directory paths are the same, except that forward slashes are used to separate directories.

This guide uses URLs of the form:

http://server.domain/path/file.html

In these URLs, server is the server name where applications are run; domain is your Internet domain name; path is the server's directory structure; and file is an individual filename. Italic items in URLs are placeholders.

This guide uses the following font conventions:

• The monospace font is used for sample code and code listings, API and language elements (such as function names and class names), file names, pathnames, directory names, and HTML tags.

• Monospace italic is used for code variables.

• Italic type is used for book titles, emphasis, variables and placeholders, and words used in the literal sense.

• Bold type is used as either a paragraph lead-in or to emphasis words used in the literal sense.

Related Information

---

You can find a directory of URLs for the official specifications at installdir/ias/docs/index.htm.

Additionally, we recommend the following resources:

Programming with Servlets and JSPs

Java Servlet Programming, by Jason Hunter, O'Reilly Publishing

Java Threads, 2nd Edition, by Scott Oaks & Henry Wong, O'Reilly Publishing

The web site is http://www.servletcentral.com.

Programming with EJBs

Enterprise JavaBeans, by Richard Monson-Haefel, O'Reilly Publishing

The web site is http://ejbhome.iona.com.

Programming with JDBC

Database Programming with JDBC and Java, by George Reese, O'Reilly Publishing

JDBC Database Access With Java: A Tutorial and Annotated Reference (Java Series), by Graham Hamilton, Rick Cattell, Maydene Fisher