A Development Gem

Overview Web application development presents a set of challenges different from those encountered in the development of self-contained desktop or server software. Whereas the interconnections between program modules in self-contained software are determined largely at compile time, the interactions between modules in a Web application occur almost exclusively at runtime. Apparently disconnected HTML pages, application servers, and databases can find themselves combining suddenly into a coherent program at the command of a client Web browser. Orchestrating such interactions involves multiple software entities, from the Web server or application server that parses HTTP requests to the database that stores persistent session data. Web application development frameworks hide many aspects of these complex interactions from the programmer, converting HTTP requests into servlet method invocations and managing client sessions transparently.