Java Server Side Programming: The Conceptual Foundation

To drive a car you don't need to understand how the engine works, but if you are a race car driver, you should.

If you have race driver level programming talent, this book will take you under the hood of server technologies.

By showing readers how to write a powerful and usable Java server from scratch (and in under 1,000 lines of code) this book shows how major technologies can be built from the ground up using bare bones Java. It gives readers a tour behind the scenes, enabling them to create similar powerful technologies themselves.

This empowering book is a must-have for serious Java programmers.
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Books and courses on servlets and JSP teach a list of features and how to use them. Effectively, this is like rote memorization, with no deep understanding. Because the technologies can be difficult to actually implement, the conventional wisdom is that learning by doing is not possible for server side technologies.

But this book aims to change the status quo in servlet and JSP learning, by using an approach that does make learning by doing possible. The book actually guides the reader into writing a small Java web server, that can not only serve HTML and media pages, but implements powerful subsets of servlet and JSP technologies. And all this can be done in less that 1,000 lines of code (that's right, under one thousand LOC) with the guidance and technical approach of this book. The servlet and JSP subsets implement all the core technology and most of the powerful features.

This gives the reader actual insight into how and why servlet and JSP features are designed that way, and what is the "magic" going on under the hood. The reader will no longer need to rote memorize the features of servlet and JSP, and will actually understand them.

The book is accompanied by a downloadable file. This downloadable file includes support code, so readers can stay focused on the server technologies without getting side-tracked far into string manipulation etc.

"Using clear, colloquial language and copious code examples ... the book builds a foundation that allows readers to understand concepts by practicing actual, hands-on programming... In both the code and the accompanying prose, the author demonstrates efficiency and clarity, two qualities necessary in the practice -- and instruction -- of programming."  - Kirkus

"Five Stars (out of Five) ... a clear, concise guide to writing Java code for web servers ... [This book] is a welcome addition to contemporary computer science literature... [The author] does an admirable job. ... Prasad's prose is clear and concise, two virtues uncommon in technical writing."  - Clarion ForeWord

".. This is a very different, and rather interesting, approach than is usually taken... This approach works pretty well, making the reader acquainted not just with the specifics of servlets and JSPs, but also provides some detail on why certain features of the web are as they are..." - JavaRanch

"[This book] is a straight-to-the-point, no-frills introduction to Java server side programming that teaches the concepts of servlets, JavaServer Pages, and Java web servers through a unique deep-dive approach... I was fairly comfortable with Java servlets and JSPs before reading [this book]. However, I still found the book interesting and even insightful. I tried to imagine how helpful the book would have been to me when I was first learning these technologies and I believe that I would have found it tremendously helpful." - JavaLobby DZone