Servlet Request

and Response
1
 Servlet Request & Response – Scope Objects
• User sends request for a servlet by clicking a link that has URL to a servlet.
 Servlet Request & Response
• The container finds the servlet using deployment descriptor/@WebServlet
Annotation and creates two objects :
• HttpServletRequest
• HttpServletResponse
 Servlet Request & Response
• Then the container creates or allocates a thread for that request and calls
the Servlet's service() method and passes the request, response objects as
arguments.
 Servlet Request & Response
• The service() method, then decides which servlet method, doGet() or
doPost() to call, based on HTTP Request Method(Get, Post etc) sent by the
client.
• Suppose the client sent an HTTP GET request, so the service() will call
Servlet's doGet() method
 Servlet Request & Response
• Then the Servlet uses response object to write the response back to the
client.
 Servlet Request & Response
• After the service() method is completed the thread dies. And the request and
response objects are ready for garbage collection.
 Introduction to Servlet Request
• Servlet is used to handle client request.

• Servlet API provides two important interfaces javax.servlet.ServletRequest

and javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest to encapsulate client request.

• Implementation of these interfaces provide important information about

client request to a servlet.
• The various methods are :
• getParameterValues(String name) ,
• getParameter(String name);
• getServletContext(),
• getServerName(),
• setAttribute(String name, Object o),
• getAttribute(String name)
 HttpServletRequest interface
• HttpServletRequest interface adds the methods that relates to the HTTP
protocol.
Important methods of HttpServletRequest
Methods Description
String getContextPath() returns the portion of the request URI that indicates the context of the request

Cookies getCookies() returns an array containing all of the Cookie objects the client sent with this request

String getQueryString() returns the query string that is contained in the request URL after the path

HttpSession getSession() returns the current HttpSession associated with this request or, if there is no current session
and create is true, returns a new session

String getMethod() Returns the name of the HTTP method with which this request was made, for example, GET,
POST, or PUT.

Part getPart(String name) gets the Part with the given name
String getPathInfo() returns any extra path information associated with the URL the client sent when it made
this request.

String getServletPath() returns the part of this request's URL that calls the servlet
 Introduction to Servlet Response
• Servlet API provides two important interfaces ServletResponse and
HttpServletResponse to assist in sending response to client.
Methods Description
PrintWriter getWriter() returns a PrintWriter object that can send character text to the
client.
void setBufferSize(int size) Sets the preferred buffer size for the body of the response
void setContentLength(int len) Sets the length of the content body in the response In HTTP
servlets, this method sets the HTTP Content-Length header
void setContentType(String sets the content type of the response being sent to the client before
type) sending the respond.
void setBufferSize(int size) sets the preferred buffer size for the body of the response.
boolean isCommitted() returns a boolean indicating if the response has been committed

void setLocale(Locale loc) sets the locale of the response, if the response has not been
committed yet.
 HttpServletResponse Interface
• HttpServletResponse interface adds the methods that relates to the HTTP
response.
Methods of HttpServletResponse
Methods Description
void addCookie(Cookie cookie) adds the specified cookie to the response.

void sendRedirect(String location) Sends a temporary redirect response to the client using the
specified redirect location URL and clears the buffer

int getStatus() gets the current status code of this response

String getHeader(String name) gets the value of the response header with the given name.

void setHeader(String name, String sets a response header with the given name and value
value)
void setStatus(int sc) sets the status code for this response

void sendError(int sc, String msg) sends an error response to the client using the specified status and
clears the buffer
 Servlet Communication Methods

• The RequestDispatcher interface provides the facility of dispatching the

request to another resource it may be html, servlet or jsp.
• This interface can also be used to include the content of another resource
also.
• It is one of the way of servlet collaboration.
Servlet Communication Methods
 Servlets access network resources to satisfy client requests

 The forward() and include() methods of RequestDispatcher

interface are used by Servlets to access network resources.

 RequestDispatcher interface is part of javax.servlet package

public void forward (ServletRequest req, ServletResponse res);

Forwards the requests from one Servlet to another on the same server

public void include (ServletRequest req, ServletResponse res);

Includes the contents of one Servlet in another Servlet in the Response

Forward() Method

• As you see in the above figure, response of second servlet is

sent to the client.
• Response of the first servlet is not displayed to the user
Include() Method

• As you can see in the above figure, response of second

servlet is included in the response of the first servlet that is
being sent to the client.
 Get the object of RequestDispatcher
• The getRequestDispatcher() method of ServletRequest interface
returns the object of RequestDispatcher.

• Syntax of getRequestDispatcher method

public RequestDispatcher getRequestDispatcher(String resource);

• Example of using getRequestDispatcher method

RequestDispatcher rd=request.getRequestDispatcher("servlet2");
//servlet2 is the url-pattern of the second servlet
rd.forward(request, response);//method may be include or forward
 SendRedirect ()-Servlet Communication
• The sendRedirect() method of HttpServletResponse interface
can be used to redirect response to another resource, it may be
servlet, jsp or html file.

• It accepts relative as well as absolute URL.

• It works at client side because it uses the url bar of the browser to
make another request.

• So, it can work inside and outside the server.

Difference between forward() and sendRedirect()
method
forward() method sendRedirect() method
The forward() method works at The sendRedirect() method works
server side. at client side.
It sends the same request and It always sends a new request.
response objects to another servlet.
It can work within the server only. It can be used within and outside
the server.
Example: Example:
request.getRequestDispacher("servl response.sendRedirect("servlet2");
et2").forward(request,response);
 InterServlet Communication 3-1
 InterServlet communication can be used by Servlets to gain access to other currently loaded Servlets and
perform some task on each Servlet. This is called Servlet Chaining . The output of one Servlet act as Input to
another Servlet. The InterServlet communication methods are:

InterServlet Communication

Servlet Manipulation Servlet Reuse Servlet Collaboration

Servlet
Servlet manipulation
reuse allows oneallows one to
Servlet Servlet
reuseto invoke
the the methods
methods of another
and properties of
Servlet
Servlet. collaboration allows the Servlets to share information.
another Servlet for its own purpose.
InterServlet Communication
• Servlets running together in the same server have
several ways to communicate with each other.
There are three major reasons to useinterservlet
communication:
Direct servlet manipulation:
• A servlet can gain access to the other currently loaded
servlets and perform some task on each.
• The servlet could, for example, periodically ask every
servlet to write its state to disk to protect against server
crashes.
InterServlet Communication
Servlet reuse:
• One servlet can use another's abilities to perform a task.
• For Eg Chat Servlet written as a server for chat applets, can be
reused (unchanged) by another servlet that needed to support
an HTML-based chat interface.
Servlet collaboration
• The most common, situation involves two or more servlets
sharing state information.
• For example, a set of servlets managing an online store could
share the store's product inventory count. Session tracking is a
special case of servlet collaboration.
 ServletContext Interface
• An object of ServletContext is created by the web container at time of
deploying the project.

• This object can be used to get configuration information from web.xml file.

• There is only one ServletContext object per web application.

• If any information is shared to many servlet, it is better to provide it from the

web.xml file using the <context-param> element.
 Advantage of ServletContext
• Easy to maintain if any information is shared to all the servlet, it is better to
make it available for all the servlet.

• We provide this information from the web.xml file, so if the information is

changed, we don't need to modify the servlet.

• Thus it removes maintenance problem.

 Uses of ServletContext Interface
• The object of ServletContext provides an interface between the container
and servlet.
• The ServletContext object can be used to get configuration information from
the web.xml file.
• The ServletContext object can be used to set, get or remove attribute from
the web.xml file.
• The ServletContext object can be used to provide inter-application
communication.
ServletContext object
 Methods of ServletContext interface
• public String getInitParameter(String name):Returns the parameter value for the
specified parameter name.
• public Enumeration getInitParameterNames():Returns the names of the context's
initialization parameters.
• public void setAttribute(String name,Object object):sets the given object in the
application scope.
• public Object getAttribute(String name):Returns the attribute for the specified name.
• public Enumeration getInitParameterNames():Returns the names of the context's
initialization parameters as an Enumeration of String objects.
• public void removeAttribute(String name):Removes the attribute with the given name
from the servlet context.
 Get the object of ServletContext Interface
• getServletContext() method of ServletConfig interface returns
the object of ServletContext.
• Syntax of getServletContext() method
public ServletContext getServletContext()

Example:
//We can get the ServletContext object from ServletConfig object
• ServletContext application=getServletConfig().getServletContext();

• ServletContext application=getServletContext();
Syntax to provide the initialization parameter in Context
scope
• The context-param element, subelement of web-app, is used to
define the initialization parameter in the application scope.
• The param-name and param-value are the sub-elements of the
context-param.
• The param-name element defines parameter name and and
param-value defines its value.

1.<web-app>
2. ......
3.
4. <context-param>
5. <param-name>parametername</param-name>
6. <param-value>parametervalue</param-value>
7. </context-param>
8. ......
9.</web-app>
InterServlet Communication 3-2
//UserServlet1
UserDetails.html
String uid=request.getParameter("txtuserid");
<HTML>
response.setContentType(CONTENT_TYPE);
<HEAD><TITLE>User
PrintWriter out = Details</TITLE></HEAD>
response.getWriter();
<BODY>
ServletContext context=getServletContext();
<FORM
context.setAttribute("userid",uid);
method=post action="/Example3/UserServlet1">
<H1
RequestDispatcher
align=center>Welcome to Shop Stop</H1>
Please object
dispatcher=getServletContext().getRequestDispatcher(
enter your userRequestDispatcher
id to display your is created to
details:
<Input
"/UserServlet2"); access the context of another Servlet using
type=text name=txtuserid>
if(dispatcher==null) getServletContext() method.
<br/>
<input
{ type=submit>
</FORM>
response.sendError(response.SC_NO_CONTENT);
</BODY>
}
</HTML>
dispatcher.forward(request,response);
out.close();

4
Demonstration: Example 5
 InterServlet Communication 3-3
//UserServlet2
ServletContext context=getServletContext();
Object obj=context.getAttribute("userid");

Class.forName("sun.jdbc.odbc.JdbcOdbcDriver");
Connection con=DriverManager.getConnection("jdbc:odbc:pubs",
"sa","playware");

Statement s=con.createStatement();
ResultSet rs=s.executeQuery("Select * from CustomerRegistration
where UserId='"+obj.toString()+"'");
boolean flag=rs.next();

if(flag==true) {
password=rs.getString(2);
FullName=rs.getString(3);
gender=rs.getString(4);
age=rs.getString(5);
} else {
out.println("<font color=red size=7>Login Failed</font>");
Demonstration: Example 6
}
 Servlet Context 2-1
• Stores the attributes and resources common to all Servlets in a
ServletContext interface object. The methods dealing with
context attributes are:

public Object getAttribute(String name);

Returns the Servlet container attribute name

Returns null if there is no attribute by that name

public void setAttribute(String name, Object object);

Binds an object to a given attribute name in the Servlet context

public void removeAttribute(String name);

Removes the attribute with the given name

 Servlet Context 2-2
 The ServletContext interface defines methods which allow the
users to access the context’s state.

public ServletContext getContext(String path);

Returns an object of ServletContext interface that corresponds to the

specified URL on the server

public String getInitParameter(String name);

Returns a string containing the context initialization parameters

public String getServletContextName();

Returns the name of the Web application corresponding to the

context object as specified in the deployment descriptor file
Chat Application 5-1
//UserServlet
response.setContentType("text/html;charset=UTF-8");
PrintWriter out = response.getWriter();

out.println("<html>");
out.println("<head><title>UserServlet</title></head>");
out.println("<body bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"onload=
'javascript:frm.userName.focus();'>");
out.println("<FORM METHOD=POST Action='MainServlet'" +
"name='frm'><center>Please enter your nick name<br>
<INPUT " + "TYPE='text' NAME='userName'>" +
"<INPUT TYPE='submit'" + "value='chat'></center></FORM>");
out.println("</body>");
out.println("</html>");
out.close();

Demonstration: Example 7
Chat Application
//MainServlet 5-2
response.setContentType("text/html;charset=UTF-8");
out.println("<html>");
PrintWriter out = response.getWriter();
out.println("<frameset
String usrName rows='80%,*'>");
= request.getParameter("userName");
out.println("<frame
if(usrName src='TopServlet?name="
== null || usrName.equals("")) { +
usrName + "'>");
out.println("<h1 style='color:red' align='center'>" +
"Please out.println("<frame src='MessageServlet?name="
go back and put a valid User Name</h1>"); +
} else { usrName + "' >");
out.println("<frameset>");
Vector vec =
out.println("</body>");
(Vector)getServletContext(). getAttribute("userArray");
out.println("</html>");
if (vec == null) {
} else { vec = new Vector();
} out.println("<h1 style='color:red'
align='center'>" + "UserID
if(!vec.contains(usrName)) { in use</h1>");
} vec.add(usrName);
} //Servlet Context Initialization
HttpSession ses = request.getSession();
out.close();ses.setAttribute("userName",usrName);
getServletContext().setAttribute("userArray",vec);
Demonstration: Example
//Servlet 8
Context Initialization End
Chat Application 5-3
//TopServlet
response.setContentType("text/html;charset=UTF-8");
PrintWriter out = response.getWriter();
out.println("<html>");
out.println("<head><title>TopServlet</title></head>");
out.println("<frameset cols='80%,*'>");
out.println("<frame src='DisplayServlet'>");
String usrName = request.getParameter("name");
out.println("<frame src='UserList?name'= + usrName + >");
out.println("<frameset>");
out.println("</html>");
out.close();

Demonstration: Example 9
Chat Application
UserList
// 5-4
response.setContentType("text/html;charset=UTF-8");
PrintWriter out = response.getWriter();
out.println("<html>");
out.println("<META HTTP-EQUIV='REFRESH' CONTENT='3;Userlist'>");
out.println("<head><title>UserList</title></head>");
out.println("<body bgcolor=\"#ffffff\">");
Vector usr = (Vector) getServletContext(). getAttribute("userArray");
String UserName = request.getParameter("name");
if(usr == null) {
throw new ServletException("Error in Servlet.");
}
for(int i = 0;i<usr.size();i++) {
if(String.valueOf(usr.get(i)).equals(UserName)) {
out.println("<b>" + String.valueOf(usr.get(i)) +
"</b><br>");
} else {
out.println(String.valueOf(usr.get(i)) + "<br>");
}
}
out.println("</body>");
Demonstration: Example 10
out.println("</html>");
out.close();
Chat//DisplayServlet
Application 1-5
response.setContentType("text/html;charset=UTF-8");
PrintWriter out = response.getWriter();
ServletContext app = getServletContext();
StringBuffer strMsg =
(StringBuffer)app.getAttribute("objMessage");
if(strMsg == null) {
public void displayHtml(PrintWriter out,StringBuffer msgBuffer) {
strMsg = new StringBuffer("");
out.println("<html>");
}
out.println("<META HTTP-EQUIV='REFRESH'
displayHtml(out,strMsg);
CONTENT='3;DisplayServlet'>");
out.close();
out.println("<head><title>MessageServlet
</title></head>");
out.println("<body bgcolor=\"#ffffff\">");
out.println(msgBuffer.toString());
out.println("</body>");
out.println("</html>");
}

Demonstration: Example 11
Chat Application 5-5
//MessageServlet
response.setContentType("text/html;charset=UTF-8");
PrintWriter out = response.getWriter();
String strMsg = null;
public void displayHtml(PrintWriter out) {
strMsg = request.getParameter("message");
out.println("<html>");
if (strMsg == null || strMsg.equals("")) {
out.println("<head><title>MessageServlet</title></head>");
displayHtml(out);
out.println("<body bgcolor=\"#ffffff\"onload =
} else {
'javascript:frm.message.focus();'>");
ServletContext app = getServletContext();
out.println("<form method='post' name='frm'>");
StringBuffer objMsg =
out.println("<input type='textbox'
(StringBuffer)app.getAttribute("objMessage");
name='message'size='40'>");
if(objMsg == null) {
out.println("<input type='submit' value='Send'>");
objMsg = new StringBuffer("");
out.println("</form>");
}
out.println("</body>");
String userName = request.getParameter("name");
out.println("</html>");
objMsg.append("<b>" + userName +
}
" Says : </b>" + strMsg + "<br>");
app.setAttribute("objMessage",objMsg);
displayHtml(out);
}
Demonstration: Example 12
out.close();
 Attribute
• An attribute is an object that is used to share information in a web app.
• Attribute allows Servlets to share information among themselves.

• Attributes can be SET and GET from one of the following scopes :

• request
• session
• application
Attribute
 Session
• A session is defined as a series of related browser requests that come from
the same client during a certain time period.

• Session tracking ties together a series of browser requests—think of these

requests as pages—that may have some meaning as a whole, such as a
shopping cart application.
Session Tracking
Session Tracking
• Session simply means a particular interval of time.

• Session Tracking is a way to maintain state (data) of an user. It is also

known as session management in servlet.

• Http protocol is a stateless so we need to maintain state using session

tracking techniques.

• Each time user requests to the server, server treats the request as the
new request.

• So we need to maintain the state of an user to recognize to particular

user.
Session Tracking

Request 1

Request 2

…….
Request n

Server assigns
unique session
ID to client to
track the user
Session Tracking Techniques 9-1

Session Tracking Techniques

HTTP Session Hidden Form Fields URL Rewriting Cookies

 HttpSession interface
• Container creates a session id for each user.

• The container uses this id to identify the particular user.

• An object of HttpSession can be used to perform two tasks:

• Bind objects
• View and manipulate information about a session, such as the session identifier,
creation time, and last accessed time.
HTTPSession Interface - Functionality
 The HttpSession Object
• Servlet provides HttpSession Interface which provides a way to identify a
user across more than one page request or visit to a Web site and to store
information about that user.

• The servlet container uses this interface to create a session between an

HTTP client and an HTTP server.

• The session persists for a specified time period, across more than one
connection or page request from the user.
Creating a Session

public HttpSession getSession();

public HttpSession getSession(boolean value);

The getSession() method is used to create a session if there is no current

session associated with the request.

 The getSession(boolean value) is used to create a session if the boolean value is

true and no session is currently associated with the request.
 If the boolean value is false then no session is associated with the current request.
 Methods & Description –HTTP Session Object
public Object getAttribute(String name)
This method returns the object bound with the specified name in this session, or null if
no object is bound under the name.

public Enumeration getAttributeNames()

This method returns an Enumeration of String objects containing the names of all the
objects bound to this session.

public long getCreationTime()

This method returns the time when this session was created, measured in milliseconds
since midnight January 1, 1970 GMT.

public String getId()

This method returns a string containing the unique identifier assigned to this session.

public long getLastAccessedTime()

This method returns the last time the client sent a request associated with this session, as
the number of milliseconds since midnight January 1, 1970 GMT.
public int getMaxInactiveInterval()
This method returns the maximum time interval, in seconds, that the servlet container
will keep this session open between client accesses.

public void invalidate()

This method invalidates this session and unbinds any objects bound to it.

public boolean isNew()

This method returns true if the client does not yet know about the session or if the
client chooses not to join the session.
public void removeAttribute(String name)
This method removes the object bound with the specified name from this session.

public void setAttribute(String name, Object value)

This method binds an object to this session, using the name specified.

public void setMaxInactiveInterval(int interval)

This method specifies the time, in seconds, between client requests before the
servlet container will invalidate this session.
Session Tracking Techniques 9-2
User Authorization
 Tracks the user when the user logs in
 Does not allow unauthorized users to access some resources on the
Web page.

Request

Authorized user

Request

Unauthorized user
 Hidden Form Field
• Hidden Form Field is a hidden (invisible) textfield is used for maintaining
the state of an user.

• We store the information in the hidden field and get it from another servlet.

• This approach is better if we have to submit form in all the pages and we
don't want to depend on the browser.
Application of Hidden field
• It is widely used in comment form of a website.

• We store page id or page name in the hidden field so that each

page can be uniquely identified.

• It will always work whether cookie is disabled or not.

• It is maintained at server side.

• Extra form submission is required on each pages.

• Only textual information can be used.

Session Tracking Techniques 9-3
Hidden Form Fields

• Hidden form fields are added to the HTML page.

However, these fields are not rendered on the page.

…
<form action = "\\firsthtml.htm" method="POST">

<input type = "hidden" name="productid" value="123">

</form>
…
 URL Rewriting
• In URL rewriting, we append a token or identifier to the URL of the next
Servlet or the next resource.
• We can send parameter name/value pairs using the following format:
url?name1=value1&name2=value2&??
• A name and a value is separated using an equal = sign, a parameter
name/value pair is separated from another parameter using the
ampersand(&).
 URL Rewriting
• When the user clicks the hyperlink, the parameter name/value pairs will be
passed to the server.
• From a Servlet, we can use getParameter() method to obtain a parameter
value.
• It will always work whether cookie is disabled or not (browser independent).
• Extra form submission is not required on each pages.
• It will work only with links.
Session Tracking Techniques 9-4
URL Rewriting

 Adds a unique session ID at the end of the URL to identify a session.

For example, following URLs are rewritten to pass session ID 10.

Original URL: http://server:post/servlet/Rewritten

URL rewritten with extra information:

http://server:post/servlet/Rewritten/10

URL rewritten with added parameters:

http://server:post/servlet/Rewritten?sessionid=10

URL rewritten with custom change:

http://server:post/servlet/Rewritten;$sessionid$10
 Cookies in Servlet
• A cookie is a small piece of information that is persisted between the
multiple client requests.

• A cookie has a name, a single value, and optional attributes such as a

comment, path and domain qualifiers, a maximum age, and a version
number.
 How Cookie works
• By default, each request is considered as a new request.

• In cookies technique, we add cookie with response from the servlet.

• So cookie is stored in the cache of the browser.

• After that if request is sent by the user, cookie is added with request by
default.

• Thus, we recognize the user as the old user.

How Cookie works
 Types of Cookie
• Non-persistent cookie
It is valid for single session only.
It is removed each time when user closes the browser.

• Persistent cookie
It is valid for multiple session .
It is not removed each time when user closes the browser.
It is removed only if user logout or signout.
 Pros & Cons of Cookies
• Pros
Simplest technique of maintaining the state.
Cookies are maintained at client side.

• Cons
It will not work if cookie is disabled from the browser.
Only textual information can be set in Cookie object.
Cookie class
• javax.servlet.http.Cookie class provides the
functionality of using cookies.
• It provides a lot of useful methods for cookies.

Constructor Description

Cookie() constructs a cookie.

Cookie(String name, String value) constructs a cookie with a

specified name and value.
Methods of Cookie class
Method Description
public void setMaxAge(int expiry) Sets the maximum age of the
cookie in seconds.
public String getName() Returns the name of the cookie.
The name cannot be changed
after creation.
public String getValue() Returns the value of the cookie.
public void setName(String name) changes the name of the cookie.
public void setValue(String value) changes the value of the cookie.
Session Tracking Techniques 9-5
Cookies
 Are used to store information sent by the Web server to the client.
The server sends the cookie by setting Set-Cookie method in the response
header. The syntax is as follows:

Set-Cookie: Name=VALUE; Comment=COMMENT; Domain=

DOMAINNAME; Max-age=SECONDS; Path=PATH; secure;

Name– Specifies the name of the cookie

VALUE– Specifies the value of the Cookie name

Domain – Specifies the URL for which the cookie is valid

Max-age – Specifies the life of the cookie in seconds

secure – Specifies whether cookies can be exchanged over HTTP

Session Tracking Techniques 9-6
Cookies

 Contain one or more name-value pairs, which are exchanged in request

and response headers.

public void setDomain(String domain);

public String getDomain();

public void setMaxAge(int age);

public int getMaxAge();

public void setPath(String path);

public String getPath();

Session Tracking Techniques 9-7
//UrlRedirectServlet
response.setContentType("text/html;charset=UTF-8");
PrintWriter out = response.getWriter();
out.println("<html>");
out.println("<head>");
out.println("<title>Servlet UrlRedirectServlet</title>");
out.println("</head>");
out.println("<body>");
out.println("<h1>Servlet UrlRedirectServlet at " +
request.getContextPath() + "</h1>");
out.println("<body bgcolor=\"#ffffff\">");
String contextPath = request.getContextPath();
String encodedUrl = response.encodeURL(contextPath +
"/CookieReader"); getContextPath() returns context path
andURL
out.println("<h3>This page will use encodeURL() converts
rewriting if " + the string
"necessary</h3>"); to URL path.
out.println("Go to the default page <a href=\"" +
encodedUrl + "\">here</a>.");
out.println("</body>");
out.println("</html>");

//create a cookie
Cookie c = new Cookie("servletName", getServletName());
Demonstration: Example 1
response.addCookie(c);
out.close();
 Session Tracking Techniques 9-8
//CookieReader
Cookie cookie = null;
Cookie[] cookies = request.getCookies();
boolean hasCookies = false;
if (cookies != null) If the requested URL contains cookies, the
corresponding names and values are displayed.
hasCookies = true;
if (hasCookies)
{
out.println("<h2> The name and value of each found
cookie</h2>");
for (int i = 0; i < cookies.length; i++)
{
cookie = cookies[i];
out.println("Name of cookie #" + (i + 1) +
": " + cookie.getName() + "<br>");
out.println("Value of cookie #" + (i + 1) +
": " + cookie.getValue() + "<br><br>");
}
} else {
out.println("<h2> This request did not

}
Demonstration: Example 2
include any cookies</h2>");
 Session Tracking Techniques 9-9

//SessionServlet
HttpSession session=request.getSession();
out.println("Session status:<br/>");
if(session.isNew()) {
out.println("New session created...<br/>");
} else {
out.println("Old session...<br/>");
}
out.println("<br/> Session id : "+session.getId());
out.println("<br/> Creation time : ");
out.println(new Date(session.getCreationTime()));
out.println("<br/> Last Accessed : ");
out.println(new Date(session.getLastAccessedTime()));

This example displays various session attributes as output.

Demonstration: Example 3
 Tracking Service Requests
• To track service requests, include in your servlet class a field that counts the
• number of service methods that are running.

• The field should have synchronized access methods to increment,

decrement, and return its value.
Tracking Service Requests

• The service method should increment the service

counter each time the method is entered and
should decrement the counter each time the
method returns.
 Tracking Service Requests
protected void service(HttpServletRequest req,
HttpServletResponse resp)
throws ServletException,IOException {
enteringServiceMethod();
try {
super.service(req, resp);
} finally {
leavingServiceMethod();
}
}

• This is one of the few times that your HttpServlet subclass should override the service method.
• The new method should call super.service to preserve all of the original service method’s
functionality:
 Notifying Methods to Shut Down
• To ensure a clean shutdown, your destroy method should not release any
shared resources until all of the service requests have completed.
• One part of doing this is to check the service counter.
• Another part is to notify the long-running methods that it is time to shut
down.
• For this notification, another field is required.
• The field should have the usual access methods:
protected synchronized void setShuttingDown(boolean flag) {
public class ShutdownExample extends HttpServlet shuttingDown = flag;
{ }
private boolean shuttingDown; protected synchronized boolean isShuttingDown() {
... return shuttingDown;
//Access methods for shuttingDown }
}
 Notifying Methods to Shut Down
• An example of the destroy method using these fields to provide a clean
shutdown follows:
public void destroy() {
/* Check to see whether there are still service methods /*
/* running, and if there are, tell them to stop. */
if (numServices() > 0) {
setShuttingDown(true);
}
/* Wait for the service methods to stop. */
while(numServices() > 0) {
try {
Thread.sleep(interval);
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
}
}
}
 Creating Polite Long-Running Methods
• The final step in providing a clean shutdown is to make any long-running
methods behave politely.
• Methods that might run for a long time should check the value of the field
that notifies them of shutdowns and should interrupt their work,
• if necessary.
public void doPost(...) {
...
for(i = 0; ((i < lotsOfStuffToDo) &&
!isShuttingDown()); i++) {
try {
partOfLongRunningOperation(i);
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
...
}
}
}
 Java XML Parser
• Java XML parser is used to work with xml data.
• XML is widely used technology to transport or store data.
• That’s why there are many java xml parsers available.

• Some of the commonly used java xml parsers are;

• DOM Parser
• SAX Parser
• StAX Parser
• JAXB
 Java XML Parser – DOM
• DOM Parser is the easiest java xml parser to learn.
• DOM parser loads the XML file into memory and we can traverse it node by
node to parse the XML.
• DOM Parser is good for small files but when file size increases it performs
slow and consumes more memory.
Read XML File
- DOM Parser to parse XML file to Object.
Write XML File
- DOM Parser to write Object data to XML file.
Edit XML File
DOM Parser can be used to edit XML data also. How to add elements, remove elements, edit element
values, edit attributes in an XML document using DOM Parser.
Summary
• The successive requests made by the client can be identified using Session
Tracking.
• The different session tracking techniques are: User Authorization, Hidden
Form Fields, URL Rewriting and Cookies.
• The forward() and include() methods of RequestDispatcher objects
are used by the Servlets belonging to the same application to communicate.
• The InterServlet communication techniques are: Servlet Manipulation,
Servlet Reuse and Servlet Collaboration.
• A ServletContext is used to store the information of different Servlets.
• The getServletContext() method of ServletConfig interface is used
to configure the Servlet context.