10.6 Basic Syntax

Here is a quick summary of the various JSP constructs you will see in this book.

HTML Text

• Description:

  HTML content to be passed unchanged to the client

• Example:

   <H1>Blah</H1> 

• Discussed in:

  Section 11.1

HTML Comments

• Description :

  HTML comment that is sent to the client but not displayed by the browser

• Example:

   <!-- Blah --> 

• Discussed in:

  Section 11.1

Template Text

• Description:

  Text sent unchanged to the client. HTML text and HTML comments are just special cases of this.

• Example:

  Anything other than the syntax of the following subsections

• Discussed in:

  Section 11.1

JSP Comment

• Description:

  Developer comment that is not sent to the client

• Example:

   <%-- Blah --%> 

• Discussed in:

  Section 11.1

JSP Expression

• Description:

  Expression that is evaluated and sent to the client each time the page is requested

• Example:

   <%=  Java Value  %> 

• Discussed in:

  Section 11.4

JSP Scriptlet

• Description:

  Statement or statements that are executed each time the page is requested

• Example:

   <%  Java Statement  %> 

• Discussed in:

  Section 11.7

JSP Declaration

• Description:

  Field or method that becomes part of class definition when page is translated into a servlet

• Examples:

   <%!  Field Definition  %> <%!  Method Definition  %> 

• Discussed in:

  Section 11.10

JSP Directive

• Description :

  High-level information about the structure of the servlet code ( page ), code that is included at page-translation time ( include ), or custom tag libraries used ( taglib )

• Example:

   <%@  directive att  ="  val  " %> 

• Discussed in:

  page : Chapter 12

  include : Chapter 13

  taglib and tag : Volume 2

JSP Action

• Description :

  Action that takes place when the page is requested

• Example:

   <jsp:  blah  >...</jsp:  blah  > 

• Discussed in:

  jsp:include and related : Chapter 13

  jsp:useBean and related: Chapter 14

  jsp:invoke and related: Volume 2

JSP Expression Language Element

• Description:

  Shorthand JSP expression

• Example:

   ${  EL Expression  } 

• Discussed in:

  Chapter 16

Custom Tag (Custom Action)

• Description:

  Invocation of custom tag

• Example:

   <  prefix:name  >  Body  </  prefix:name  > 

• Discussed in:

  Volume 2

Escaped Template Text

• Description:

  Text that would otherwise be interpreted specially. Slash is removed and remaining text is sent to the client

• Examples:

   <\% %\> 

• Discussed in:

  Section 11.1