NetBeans IDE 5.0 Quick Start Guide for Web Applications
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This document takes you through the basics of using NetBeans IDE 5.0 to develop
web applications. This document is designed to get you going as quickly as possible.
For more information on working with NetBeans IDE, see the Support
and Docs page on the NetBeans website.
You create,
deploy, and execute a simple web application. The application uses a
JavaServer Pages™ page to ask you to input your name. It then uses a
JavaBeans™ component to persist the name during the HTTP session and
repeats the name on another JavaServer Pages page.
Setting Up a Web Application Project
Before you start writing code, you have to make sure you have all of the necessary software
and that your project is set up correctly.
Installing the Software
Before you begin, you need to install the following software on your
computer:
Optionally, you can download and use the Sun Java System Application Server Platform Edition 8
2005Q1 (download), JBoss, or WebLogic. However, the Tomcat
Web Server that is bundled with the IDE provides all the support you need for two-tier web applications
such as the one described in this quick start guide.
An application server (such as the Sun Java System Application Server, JBoss, or WebLogic)
is only required when you want to develop enterprise applications.
Registering the Server with the IDE
The bundled Tomcat Web Server is registered with the IDE automatically.
However, before you can deploy to
the Sun Java System Application Server, JBoss, or WebLogic, you have to register a local instance
with the IDE. If you installed the NetBeans IDE 5.0/Sun Java System Application
Server bundle, a local instance of the application server is registered automatically.
Otherwise, take the following steps:
- Choose Tools > Server Manager from the main window.
- Click Add Server. Select the server type and give
a name to the instance. Then click Next.
- Specify the server information, the location of the local instance of
the application server, and the domain to which you want to deploy.
Creating a New Web Application Project
- Choose File > New Project. Under Categories, select Web.
Under Projects, select Web Application and click Next.
- Under Project Name, enter HelloWeb. Notice
that the Context Path is /HelloWeb.
- Change the
Project Location to any directory on your computer. From now
on, this directory is referred to as $PROJECTHOME.
- Select the recommendations to which your source structure will adhere, which is purely a personal preference:
- Select the server to which you want to deploy your application. Only
servers that are registered with the IDE are listed.
- Leave the Set as Main Project checkbox selected. Click Finish.
The IDE creates the $PROJECTHOME/HelloWeb
project folder. The project folder contains all of your sources and
project metadata, such as the project's Ant build script. The HelloWeb project
opens in the IDE. You can view its logical structure in the Projects window and its
file structure in the Files window.
Creating and Editing Web Application Source Files
Creating and editing source files is the most important function that the
IDE serves. After all, that's probably what you spend most of your day doing.
The IDE provides a wide range of tools that can compliment any developer's
personal style, whether you prefer to code everything by hand or want the
IDE to generate large chunks of code for you.
Creating a Java Package and a Java Source File
- Expand the Source Packages
node. Note the Source Packages node only contains an empty default
package node.
- Right-click the Source Packages node and choose New >
Java Class.
Enter NameHandler in the Class Name text box and type
org.me.hello in the Package drop-down list. Click Finish.
- In the Source Editor, declare a field by typing the following line directly
below the class declaration:
String name;
- Add the following line in the nameHandler() method:
name = null;
Generating Getter and Setter Methods
- Right-click the word name in the field
declaration at the start of the class and choose Refactor > Encapsulate Fields.
Click Next to run the command with its default options.
- Click Do Refactoring. Getter and setter methods are
generated for the name field and its access level
is changed to private. The Java class should now look similar to this:
package org.me.hello;
/**
*
* @author Administrator
*/
public class NameHandler {
private String name;
/** Creates a new instance of NameHandler */
public NameHandler() {
setName(null);
}
public String getName() {
return name;
}
public void setName(String name) {
this.name = name;
}
}
Editing the Default JavaServer Pages File
- Expand the HelloWeb project node and the Web Pages node.
Note that the IDE has created a default JavaServer Pages file, index.jsp,
for you. When you create the project, the IDE opened the index.jsp file in the Source Editor.
- Select the index.jsp Source Editor tab. The index.jsp file
now has focus in the Source
Editor.
- In the Palette on the right side of the Source Editor, expand HTML Forms and
drag a Form item below the <h1> tags in the Source Editor:
Set the following values:
- Action: response.jsp
- Method: POST
- Name: Name Input Form
Click OK. The Form is added to the index.jsp file.
- Drag a Text Input item to just before the </form> tag.
Set the following values:
Click OK. The Text Input is added between the <form> tags.
- Drag a Button item to just before the </form> tag.
Set the following values:
Click OK. The Button is added between the <form> tags.
- Type Enter your name: in front of the <input> tag and change the text between the
<h1> tags to Entry Form.
The tags between the <body> tags now look as follows:
<h1>Entry Form</h1><form name="Name Input Form" action="response.jsp" method="POST">
Enter your name: <input type="text" name="name" value="" /><input type="submit" value="OK" /></form>
Creating a JavaServer Pages File
- Expand the HelloWeb project node and the Web Pages node.
- Right-click the Web Pages node and choose New > JSP,
name the JavaServer Pages file response, and click Finish.
The new response.jsp
opens in the Source Editor.
- In the Palette on the right side of the Source Editor, expand JSP and
drag a Use Bean item right below the <body> tag in the Source Editor.
Set the following values:
- ID: mybean
- Class: org.me.hello.NameHandler
- Scope: session
Click OK. The Use Bean is added below the <body> tag.
- Add a Get Bean Property item and a Set Bean Property item from the Palette. Then
change the code so that the tags between the <body> tags look as follows:
<jsp:useBean id="mybean" scope="session" class="org.me.hello.NameHandler" />
<jsp:setProperty name="mybean" property="*" />
<h1>Hello, <jsp:getProperty name="mybean" property="name" />!</h1>
Building and Running a Web Application Project
The IDE uses an Ant build script to build and run your web applications.
The IDE generates the build script based on the options
you enter in the New Project wizard and the project's Project Properties dialog box.
- Choose Run > Run Main Project (F6) from
the Run menu.
The IDE builds the web application and deploys it, using the server you specified when creating the project.
- Enter your name in the text box on your deployed index.jsp page:
Click OK. The response.jsp page should open and greet you:
Next Steps
For more information about using NetBeans IDE 5.0, see the following resources:
To send comments and suggestions, get support, and keep informed on the latest
developments on the NetBeans IDE J2EE development features, join
the nbj2ee@netbeans.org mailing list.
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