Core JSTL: Mastering the JSP™ Standard Tag Library

Core JSTL: Mastering the JSP™ Standard Tag Library

Chapter 1 - Introduction
 Section 1.1 - JSTL Overview
 Section 1.2 - Getting Started
 Section 1.3 - A Simple JSTL Web Application
 Section 1.4 - JSTL Design Principles

Chapter 2 - The JSTL Expression Language
 Section 2.1 - Expression Language Overview
 Section 2.2 - Expressions
 Section 2.3 - Identifiers
 Section 2.4 - Operators
 Section 2.5 - Type Coercion
 Section 2.6 - Literal Values
 Section 2.7 - Implicit Objects
 Section 2.8 - Method Invocation
 Section 2.9 - EL Expressions in Custom Actions
 Section 2.10 - Common Mistakes

Chapter 3 - General-Purpose and Conditional Actions
 Section 3.1 - General-Purpose Actions
 Section 3.2 - Conditional Actions
 Section 3.3 - Using Conditional and General-Purpose Actions Together
 Section 3.4 - Conditional Custom Actions

Chapter 4 - Iteration Actions
 Section 4.1 - The Action
 Section 4.2 - The Action
 Section 4.3 - Iteration Status
 Section 4.4 - Custom Iteration Actions

Chapter 5 - URL Actions
 Section 5.1 - Overview
 Section 5.2 - The Action
 Section 5.3 - The Action
 Section 5.4 - The Action
 Section 5.5 - The Action
 Section 5.6 - Accessing External Resources
 Section 5.7 - Accessing Resources in Foreign Contexts
 Section 5.8 - Redirecting a Response

Chapter 6 - Configuration Settings
 Section 6.1 - Overview
 Section 6.2 - The Config Class

Chapter 7 - I18N Actions
 Section 7.1 - Overview
 Section 7.2 - I18N and L10N
 Section 7.3 - Localization Contexts
 Section 7.4 - An Overview of the I18N Actions
 Section 7.5 - Use of
 Section 7.6 - Request Encoding
 Section 7.7 - I18NCustom Actions

Chapter 8 - Formatting Actions
 Section 8.1 - Formatting and Parsing Numbers
 Section 8.2 - Formatting and Parsing Dates and Times
 Section 8.3 - Using Time Zones
 Section 8.4 - Determining a Formatting Locale

Chapter 9 - Database Actions
 Section 9.1 - Overview
 Section 9.2 - A Simple Database
 Section 9.3 - How JSTL Locates Data Sources
 Section 9.4 - Creating Data Sources
 Section 9.5 - Querying a Database
 Section 9.6 - Updating a Database
 Section 9.7 - Executing Database Transactions
 Section 9.8 - Implementing Database Custom Actions

Chapter 10 - XML Actions
 Section 10.1 - A Simple XML File
 Section 10.2 - XML Actions Overview
 Section 10.3 - XPath Overview
 Section 10.4 - Parsing XML
 Section 10.5 - Using Scoped Variables in XPath Expressions
 Section 10.6 - Transforming XML with XSLT
 Section 10.7 - Filtering XML
 Section 10.8 - Accessing External Entities

Chapter 11 - JSTL Reference
 Section 11.1 - Action Reference Index
 Section 11.2 - General-Purpose Actions
 Section 11.3 - Conditional Actions
 Section 11.4 - Iteration Actions
 Section 11.5 - URL Actions
 Section 11.6 - Internationalization Actions
 Section 11.7 - Formatting Actions
 Section 11.8 - Database Actions
 Section 11.9 - XML Core Actions
 Section 11.10 - XML Flow Control Actions
 Section 11.11 - XML Transform Actions

Appendix: Setting Up the MySQL Database Used in This Book
 Section A.1 - Download and Install MySQL
 Section A.2 - Download and Install a JDBC Driver for MySQL
 Section A.3 - Create a MySQL Database for Core JSTL Examples
 Section A.4 - Populate the MySQL Database Used in Core JSTL Examples

The majority of this book is written in a tutorial style that illustrates how to make the most of JSTL's expression language and actions. The last chapter in the book is a reference for the JSTL actions. That reference provides detailed syntax information for each JSTL action, in addition to a short description of the action and its constraints and error handling. Each action also is accompanied by an In a Nutshell section that provides enough information about the action to get you started.

You can use the reference chapter in one of two ways. First, it may be a good place to start when you are using a JSTL action for the first time. Once you understand the action's syntax and its intent, you will probably want to read more about the action in the applicable chapter where it's discussed in detail. Second, you should use the reference to help you use JSTL actions after you understand their purpose and intent; for example, the action, which is discussed in detail in "Formatting and Parsing Numbers" on page 310 and summarized in "Formatting Actions" on page 509 provides 12 attributes. It can be difficult to remember all of those attributes and how they work together. Instead of trying to unearth that specific information from the "Formatting Actions" chapter beginning on page 308, you would be better off looking up those attributes in the "JSTL Reference" chapter beginning on page 464.