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 be able to appreciate exactly how servlets fit into the grand scheme of things, and you will be very well positioned to appreciate the huge effort undertaken by the Apache Tomcat project teams.

Readers who are familiar with the Servlet API and the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) may safely skip this chapter.