Chapter 2. Servlet API Overview

In the preceding chapter, Apache Tomcat was described as a reference implementation of the Servlet and JSP specifications.

There are two concepts here that go together like peanut butter and jelly a specification and its implementation.

While the bulk of this book is focused on the implementation aspect, this chapter takes a bit of a detour to review the actual specification that is under discussion. Think of it as a walk through the actual requirements that the Tomcat development teams were given to implement.

We will begin by taking a look at how specifications are born and nurtured in the world of Java. We will then look at the Java Enterprise Edition specification, the uber-specification of which the Servlet and JSP specifications are but a part. We will end our tour by examining the Servlet and JSP specifications themselves.

There is a lot of ground to cover, and concepts will be coming at you from every direction. But at the end of this chapter, you will...