JSTL Concepts and Definitions
The following table lists the JSTL concepts and its definitions.
| Concept | Definition |
|---|---|
| Expression Language (EL) | Computer language used in JSTL for expressing simple expressions, which is based on the XPath and JavaScript or JScript languages. |
| JavaServer Page (JSP) | Web pages that use templates, custom elements, scripting languages, and server-side Java objects to return dynamic content to a Web browser in the form of HTML or XML. |
| JSP Container | An entity that provides life-cycle management and runtime services to the components of a Web application, just like a servlet, and provides an engine that interprets and processes JSPs. |
| JSTL Namespace | A unique identifier that defines the Universal Resource Indicator (URI) of the tag library and the prefix used in the tags for that specific functional area library. |
| Prefix | A unique identifier that defines the functional area that a tag belongs to.
The prefix is defined in the JSTL Namespace. For example, prefix=”c” means that all
tags that start with c are part of the core functional area tag library. |
| Runtime (RT) Processing | Scripting used in JSPs processed at runtime. This method is being replaced by the EL method in JSTLs. |
| Tag Handler | Explanation of how to process the tag when it is encountered in the processing
of the Web template. Typically, this is defined in a tag-class tag. |
| Tag Library Descriptor (.tld) | XML file that describes a tag library and contains the tags in the library. Each functional area library has a .tld file. |
| Universal Resource Indicator (URI) | Trailing part of a Web address that indicates the location of the resource being used. For example, in http://host:port/uri/sample.xml, the URI is located on host and sample.xml is located in the uri folder. |
| web.xml | A standard file created when the Web application is developed in J2EE and contains properties controlling servlets for the specific Web application. The web.xml file also includes the tag library declaration, the URI, and tld declarations. |
| Web Application | Web site that delivers dynamic content. For example, a Web site that has a purchase order form that once submitted returns an acknowledgment that the purchase order was created and sent to the appropriate trading partner. |
| Web Archive (WAR) | A compressed file that contains the directory structure and file contents of a Web application. The directory structure includes the WEB-INF directory containing the web.xml file and classes directory. |