CMSC484 Java Server Technologies

Spring 2008

Project 2

Web Forum (Newsgroup) JSP/Servlet Project

Due Date: April 23, 2008

Project Description

Project Requirements

Your application should allow users to do the following:

• Create an account for themselves
• Login
• Post articles
• View articles and the article's follow-up comments
• Post follow-up comments to articles
• Set user preferences for using the site. Possible user selectable items include:
  • Users whose articles should not be displayed
  • Screen location of forms and other information

A user can view articles (and follow-up comments) without logging in, but must be logged in to do any postings. Also, only a logged-in user can set user preferences.

You *must* use the MVC approach for this project. All of the presentation should be done by JSPs. Much of the request handling should be done by controlling servlets which instantiate (or lookup) the required beans, populate the beans, perform other business logic, store the beans in an appropriate place and then forward the request to an appropriate JSP. The JSPs should simply access the required beans and display bean properties. As little Java code as possible should be put inside the JSPs. In addition, you should package your system as a web application with the associated war file ready to drop into the Tomcat servlet engine. Any "database" you use should be provided as flat files in the war file. Thus, all the grader has to do is drop in your war file, start up Tomcat and go!

Project Grading

• Program Correctness - 80%
  • The program performs all of its required functions properly.
  • The program has no bugs.
  • The program handles appropriate error conditions properly.
  • The program operates with reasonable efficiency.
• Proper JSP/servlet usage - 10%
  • The MVC approach
  • JSP and servlet conventions and APIs
• Coding Style - 10%
  • Good, professional documentation.
  • Good readability and understandability.
  • Proper use of indentation to highlight function flow control.
  • Proper use of blank lines to highlight distinct sections of a method.

As in all your work, NO COPYING OR PLAGIARISM. If such is detected, no credit for the project will be given and appropriate actions for academic dishonesty will be taken.

You may freely use the ServletUtilities and CookieUtilities classes provided in the text.

Project Submission

• All source files, including all .java, .jsp and .html files, preferably in a zip or jar file.
• The .war file for your web application.

        submit cs484 project2 <filenamelist>

        submitls cs484 project2

        submitrm cs484 project2 <filename>

Project Due Date

No project will be accepted after April 30, 2008. NO EXCEPTIONS! NO EXCUSES!