How should I start Java-based web development? [closed]

Question

I would say:

1. Install Java.
2. Install Tomcat.
3. Build a servlet, make it do stuff. Play with Requests and Responses. Get to grips with GET and POST requests, the HTTP protocol, why many web applications need RDBMSs, etc.
4. If you get stuck on anything, use google, or this site to figure it out.
5. Get your hands dirty!
6. Get your hands dirty!

I had the same question and read this thread and started with Head First. Have read 5 chapters but then I started to search for new resources and found Core Servlets and JavaServer Pages (JSP) from http://pdf.coreservlets.com/ and I think this book is much better in many ways.

• First of all it is not objected to an exam.
• Includes much more example with codes.
• There is many ways to implement a web application in Java. You can use just Servlets, just JSPs or combinations with/without beans etc. This book explains advantages and disadvantages of each very well.
• Explains MVC from scratch much better. (chapter 15)
• And it is free.

Update after almost seven years: I highly recommend to take a look at Spark Framework.

Use the first few lessons from the Spring step-by-step tutorial: http://static.springsource.org/docs/Spring-MVC-step-by-step/

Although the latter lessons are cover advanced Spring functionality the first couple of lessons are about setting up a simple, Tomcat-based web-app.

Be a bit careful. Most solutions to doing web development have a tendency to be very large and hard to get around and learn.

I would suggest getting the basics right since you WILL eventually need to know them. The Head First series are well written and a good start.

This will teach you JSP's and servlets which is what most of the frameworks build on top of.

Just start with your project with the book of your choice by your side. Lots of resources about good books can be found here on stackoverflow.

My advice is to start with making a page to communicate with the server, at least post some data and act depending on the response. At the beginning stick with base scriplets, don't go straight to jsf tag libraries (or whatever else of that kind), understand what is a session, a request, a response and so on.