| [66] | 1 | <html><head><META http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"><title>Catalina Functional Specifications - Invoker Servlet</title><meta value="Craig McClanahan" name="author"><meta value="craigmcc@apache.org" name="email"></head><body vlink="#525D76" alink="#525D76" link="#525D76" text="#000000" bgcolor="#ffffff"><table cellspacing="0" width="100%" border="0"><!--PAGE HEADER--><tr><td><!--PROJECT LOGO--><a href="http://tomcat.apache.org/"><img border="0" alt=" | 
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 | 2 |       Catalina Functional Specifications | 
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 | 3 |     " align="right" src="../../../images/tomcat.gif"></a></td><td><font face="arial,helvetica,sanserif"><h1>Apache Tomcat 6.0</h1></font></td><td><!--APACHE LOGO--><a href="http://www.apache.org/"><img border="0" alt="Apache Logo" align="right" src="../../../images/asf-logo.gif"></a></td></tr></table><table cellspacing="4" width="100%" border="0"><!--HEADER SEPARATOR--><tr><td colspan="2"><hr size="1" noshade></td></tr><tr><!--RIGHT SIDE MAIN BODY--><td align="left" valign="top" width="80%"><table cellspacing="4" width="100%" border="0"><tr><td valign="top" align="left"><h1>Catalina Functional Specifications</h1><h2>Invoker Servlet</h2></td><td nowrap="true" valign="top" align="right"><img border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" height="1" width="1" src="../../../images/void.gif"></td></tr></table><table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td bgcolor="#525D76"><font face="arial,helvetica.sanserif" color="#ffffff"><a name="Overview"><strong>Overview</strong></a></font></td></tr><tr><td><blockquote> | 
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 | 4 |  | 
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 | 5 |  | 
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 | 6 |   <table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td bgcolor="#828DA6"><font face="arial,helvetica.sanserif" color="#ffffff"><a name="Introduction"><strong>Introduction</strong></a></font></td></tr><tr><td><blockquote> | 
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 | 7 |  | 
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 | 8 |     <p>The purpose of the <strong>Invoker Servlet</strong> is to allow a | 
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 | 9 |     web application to dynamically register new <em>servlet definitions</em> | 
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 | 10 |     that correspond with a <code><servlet></code> element in the | 
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 | 11 |     <code>/WEB-INF/web.xml</code> deployment descriptor, and execute | 
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 | 12 |     requests utilizing the new servlet definitions.  From the perspective | 
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 | 13 |     of the newly registered servlets, all servlet lifecycle requirements | 
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 | 14 |     of the Servlet Specification (such as calling <code>init()</code> and | 
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 | 15 |     <code>destroy()</code> at the correct times) will be respected.</p> | 
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 | 16 |  | 
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 | 17 |   </blockquote></td></tr></table> | 
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 | 18 |  | 
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 | 19 |  | 
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 | 20 |   <table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td bgcolor="#828DA6"><font face="arial,helvetica.sanserif" color="#ffffff"><a name="External Specifications"><strong>External Specifications</strong></a></font></td></tr><tr><td><blockquote> | 
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 | 21 |  | 
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 | 22 |     <p>I do not know of any formal specification of the behavior of an | 
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 | 23 |     invoker servlet that is publicly available.  Anyone know of one?</p> | 
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 | 24 |  | 
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 | 25 |   </blockquote></td></tr></table> | 
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 | 26 |  | 
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 | 27 |  | 
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 | 28 |   <table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td bgcolor="#828DA6"><font face="arial,helvetica.sanserif" color="#ffffff"><a name="Implementation Requirements"><strong>Implementation Requirements</strong></a></font></td></tr><tr><td><blockquote> | 
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 | 29 |  | 
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 | 30 |     <p>The implementation of this functionality shall conform to the | 
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 | 31 |     following requirements:</p> | 
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 | 32 |     <ul> | 
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 | 33 |     <li>Implemented as a servlet.</li> | 
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 | 34 |     <li>Exist in the <code>org.apache.catalina.servlets</code> package | 
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 | 35 |         so that it can be loaded by the Catalina class loader.</li> | 
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 | 36 |     <li>Implement the <code>org.apache.catalina.ContainerServlet</code> | 
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 | 37 |         interface, so that it gains knowledge of the <code>Wrapper</code> | 
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 | 38 |         that is responsible for itself and, therefore, access to other | 
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 | 39 |         internal Catalina components.</li> | 
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 | 40 |     <li>Support a configurable debugging detail level.</li> | 
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 | 41 |     <li>Log debugging and operational messages (suitably internationalized) | 
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 | 42 |         via the <code>getServletContext().log()</code> method.</li> | 
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 | 43 |     </ul> | 
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 | 44 |  | 
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 | 45 |   </blockquote></td></tr></table> | 
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 | 46 |  | 
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 | 47 |  | 
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 | 48 | </blockquote></td></tr></table><table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td bgcolor="#525D76"><font face="arial,helvetica.sanserif" color="#ffffff"><a name="Dependencies"><strong>Dependencies</strong></a></font></td></tr><tr><td><blockquote> | 
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 | 49 |  | 
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 | 50 |  | 
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 | 51 |   <table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td bgcolor="#828DA6"><font face="arial,helvetica.sanserif" color="#ffffff"><a name="Environmental Dependencies"><strong>Environmental Dependencies</strong></a></font></td></tr><tr><td><blockquote> | 
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 | 52 |  | 
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 | 53 |     <p>The following environmental dependencies must be met in order for | 
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 | 54 |     the Invoker servlet to operate correctly:</p> | 
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 | 55 |     <ul> | 
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 | 56 |     <li>The invoker servlet must be registered in the application deployment | 
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 | 57 |         descriptor (or the default deployment descriptor in file | 
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 | 58 |         <code>$CATALINA_BASE/conf/web.xml</code>) using a "path mapped" | 
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 | 59 |         servlet mapping.  The historical default mapping is to URL pattern | 
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 | 60 |         "<code>/servlet/*</code>", although the invoker servlet must operate | 
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 | 61 |         correctly with an arbitrary mapping.</li> | 
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 | 62 |     </ul> | 
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 | 63 |  | 
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 | 64 |   </blockquote></td></tr></table> | 
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 | 65 |  | 
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 | 66 |  | 
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 | 67 |   <table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td bgcolor="#828DA6"><font face="arial,helvetica.sanserif" color="#ffffff"><a name="Container Dependencies"><strong>Container Dependencies</strong></a></font></td></tr><tr><td><blockquote> | 
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 | 68 |  | 
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 | 69 |     <p>Correct operation of the invoker servlet depends on the following | 
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 | 70 |     specific features of the surrounding container:</p> | 
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 | 71 |     <ul> | 
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 | 72 |     <li>Correct support for the <code>ContainerServlet</code> interface, | 
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 | 73 |         including calling <code>setWrapper()</code> <strong>before</strong> | 
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 | 74 |         the <code>init()</code> method of the invoker servlet is called.</li> | 
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 | 75 |     <li>The web application class loader must be stored as the context | 
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 | 76 |         class loader of the request processing thread.</li> | 
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 | 77 |     </ul> | 
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 | 78 |  | 
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 | 79 |   </blockquote></td></tr></table> | 
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 | 80 |  | 
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 | 81 |  | 
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 | 82 | </blockquote></td></tr></table><table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td bgcolor="#525D76"><font face="arial,helvetica.sanserif" color="#ffffff"><a name="Functionality"><strong>Functionality</strong></a></font></td></tr><tr><td><blockquote> | 
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 | 83 |  | 
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 | 84 |  | 
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 | 85 |   <table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td bgcolor="#828DA6"><font face="arial,helvetica.sanserif" color="#ffffff"><a name="Initialization Functionality"><strong>Initialization Functionality</strong></a></font></td></tr><tr><td><blockquote> | 
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 | 86 |  | 
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 | 87 |     <p>The following processing must be performed when the <code>init()</code> | 
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 | 88 |     method of the invoker servlet is called:</p> | 
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 | 89 |     <ul> | 
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 | 90 |     <li>Ensure that the container has called <code>setWrapper()</code>.  If | 
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 | 91 |         not, throw a permanent <code>UnavailableException</code>.</li> | 
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 | 92 |     <li>Look up and cache the <code>Context</code> that corresponds to our | 
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 | 93 |         <code>Wrapper</code>.  This is the component with which new servlet | 
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 | 94 |         definitions and mappings will be registered.</li> | 
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 | 95 |     </ul> | 
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 | 96 |  | 
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 | 97 |   </blockquote></td></tr></table> | 
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 | 98 |  | 
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 | 99 |  | 
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 | 100 |   <table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td bgcolor="#828DA6"><font face="arial,helvetica.sanserif" color="#ffffff"><a name="Per-Request Functionality"><strong>Per-Request Functionality</strong></a></font></td></tr><tr><td><blockquote> | 
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 | 101 |  | 
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 | 102 |     <p>On each request, the following processing shall be performed:</p> | 
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 | 103 |     <ol> | 
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 | 104 |     <li>Calculate the <code>{ServletPath}</code> for this request, either from | 
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 | 105 |         request attribute <code>javax.servlet.include.servlet_path</code> or | 
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 | 106 |         by calling <code>request.getServletPath()</code>.</li> | 
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 | 107 |     <li>Calculate the <code>{PathInfo}</code> for this request, either from | 
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 | 108 |         request attribute <code>javax.servlet.include.path_info</code> or | 
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 | 109 |         by calling <code>request.getPathInfo()</code>.  If the calculated | 
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 | 110 |         <code>{PathInfo}</code> is null, return HTTP status 400 | 
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 | 111 |         (bad request).</li> | 
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 | 112 |     <li>Parse the calculated <code>{PathInfo}</code> value as follows: | 
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 | 113 |         <ol> | 
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 | 114 |         <li>Ignore the leading slash character.</li> | 
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 | 115 |         <li>Accumulate characters up to the next '/' (if any) as the | 
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 | 116 |             <code>{ServletSelector}</code>.</li> | 
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 | 117 |         <li>If a '/' was encountered, accumulate all characters from that | 
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 | 118 |             slash (inclusive) to the end of the string as | 
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 | 119 |             <code>{PathRemainder}</code>.  If no slash was encountered, | 
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 | 120 |             set <code>{PathRemainder}</code> to a zero-length string.</li> | 
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 | 121 |         </ol></li> | 
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 | 122 |     <li>Determine whether <code>{ServletSelector}</code> is the name of an | 
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 | 123 |         existing servlet definition, and process it as follows: | 
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 | 124 |         <ol> | 
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 | 125 |         <li>Ask our associated <code>Context</code> to find and return a | 
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 | 126 |             child <code>Wrapper</code> named <code>{ServletSelector}</code>. | 
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 | 127 |             </li> | 
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 | 128 |         <li>If there is no such child, skip to the next major step.</li> | 
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 | 129 |         <li>Register a new servlet mapping for this <code>Wrapper</code>, | 
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 | 130 |             using a URL pattern calculated as follows: | 
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 | 131 |             <code>{ServletPath}</code> + "/" + <code>{ServletSelector}</code> | 
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 | 132 |             + "/*"</li> | 
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 | 133 |         <li>Create a request dispatcher using a path calculated as follows: | 
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 | 134 |             <code>{ServletPath}</code> + "/" + <code>{ServletSelector}</code> | 
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 | 135 |             + <code>{PathRemainder}</code></li> | 
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 | 136 |         <li>Forward this request to the created request dispatcher, and | 
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 | 137 |             exit from this request.</li> | 
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 | 138 |         </ol></li> | 
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 | 139 |     <li>Assume that <code>{ServletSelector}</code> is the fully qualified | 
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 | 140 |         name of a Java class that implements <code>javax.servlet.Servlet</code> | 
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 | 141 |         and process it as follows: | 
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 | 142 |         <ol> | 
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 | 143 |         <li>Synthesize a new <code>{ServletName}</code> for the servlet | 
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 | 144 |             definition that will be created.</li> | 
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 | 145 |         <li>If there is already a child <code>Wrapper</code> associated with | 
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 | 146 |             this name, return HTTP status 500 (internal server error), because | 
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 | 147 |             a mapping should have already been created for this servlet.</li> | 
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 | 148 |         <li>Attempt to load a class named <code>{ServletSelector}</code> from | 
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 | 149 |             the web application class loader (i.e. the context class loader | 
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 | 150 |             for our current thread).  If this fails, return HTTP status 404 | 
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 | 151 |             (not found).</li> | 
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 | 152 |         <li>Instantiate an instance of this class.  If an error occurs, | 
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 | 153 |             return HTTP status 404 (not found).</li> | 
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 | 154 |         <li>If this class does not implement the | 
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 | 155 |             <code>javax.servlet.Servlet</code> interface, return HTTP status | 
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 | 156 |             404 (not found).</li> | 
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 | 157 |         <li>Create and register a new <code>Wrapper</code> child with our | 
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 | 158 |             <code>Context</code>, under name <code>{ServletName}</code>.</li> | 
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 | 159 |         <li>Register a new servlet mapping for this <code>Wrapper</code>, | 
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 | 160 |             using a URL pattern calculated as follows: | 
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 | 161 |             <code>{ServletPath}</code> + "/" + <code>{ServletSelector}</code> | 
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 | 162 |             + "/*"</li> | 
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 | 163 |         <li>Create a request dispatcher using a path calculated as follows: | 
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 | 164 |             <code>{ServletPath}</code> + "/" + <code>{ServletSelector}</code> | 
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 | 165 |             + <code>{PathRemainder}</code></li> | 
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 | 166 |         <li>Forward this request to the created request dispatcher, and | 
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 | 167 |             exit from this request.</li> | 
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 | 168 |         </ol></li> | 
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 | 169 |     </ol> | 
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 | 170 |  | 
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 | 171 |   </blockquote></td></tr></table> | 
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 | 172 |  | 
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 | 173 |  | 
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 | 174 |   <table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td bgcolor="#828DA6"><font face="arial,helvetica.sanserif" color="#ffffff"><a name="Finalization Functionality"><strong>Finalization Functionality</strong></a></font></td></tr><tr><td><blockquote> | 
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 | 175 |  | 
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 | 176 |     <p>No specific processing is required when the <code>destroy()</code> | 
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 | 177 |     method is called:</p> | 
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 | 178 |  | 
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 | 179 |   </blockquote></td></tr></table> | 
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 | 180 |  | 
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 | 181 |  | 
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 | 182 | </blockquote></td></tr></table><table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td bgcolor="#525D76"><font face="arial,helvetica.sanserif" color="#ffffff"><a name="Testable Assertions"><strong>Testable Assertions</strong></a></font></td></tr><tr><td><blockquote> | 
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 | 183 |  | 
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 | 184 |   <p>In addition the the assertions implied by the functionality requirements | 
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 | 185 |   listed above, the following additional assertions shall be tested to | 
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 | 186 |   validate the behavior of the invoker servlet:</p> | 
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 | 187 |   <ul> | 
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 | 188 |   <li>It is possible to access an existing servlet definition by name | 
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 | 189 |       through the invoker.  The existing servlet definition can include | 
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 | 190 |       either a <code><servlet-class></code> or | 
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 | 191 |       <code><jsp-file></code> subelement.</li> | 
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 | 192 |   <li>When an existing servlet definition is accessed by name, the request | 
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 | 193 |       will be ultimately processed by the same servlet instance that would | 
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 | 194 |       have processed it had a mapping to that servlet definition been used | 
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 | 195 |       on the request directly.</li> | 
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 | 196 |   <li>It is possible to access an anonymous servlet by class name | 
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 | 197 |       through the invoker.</li> | 
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 | 198 |   <li>When an anonymous servlet is accessed, the servlet instance is processed | 
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 | 199 |       according to the lifecycle requirements of the Servlet Specification. | 
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 | 200 |       </li> | 
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 | 201 |   <li>When an anonymous servlet is accessed, the servlet instance receives | 
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 | 202 |       a <code>ServletConfig</code> instance with no servlet initialization | 
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 | 203 |       parameters.</li> | 
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 | 204 |   <li>It is possible to utilize the invoker servlet via a direct request.</li> | 
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 | 205 |   <li>It is possible to utilize the invoker servlet via a call to | 
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 | 206 |       <code>RequestDispatcher.forward()</code>, or the corresponding | 
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 | 207 |       <code><jsp:forward></code> tag in a JSP page.</li> | 
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 | 208 |   <li>It is possible to utilize the invoker servlet via a call to | 
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 | 209 |       <code>RequestDispatcher.include()</code>, or the corresponding | 
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 | 210 |       <code><jsp:include></code> tag in a JSP page.</li> | 
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 | 211 |   <li>It is possible to use any HTTP method (including GET and POST) that | 
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 | 212 |       is supported by the Servlet class that is ultimately executed.</li> | 
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 | 213 |   <li>The invoker servlet should never be asked to process a second or | 
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 | 214 |       subsequent request for the same <code>{ServletSelector}</code> (because | 
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 | 215 |       it will have registered an appropriate servlet mapping.</li> | 
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 | 216 |   </ul> | 
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 | 217 |  | 
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 | 218 | </blockquote></td></tr></table></td></tr><!--FOOTER SEPARATOR--><tr><td colspan="2"><hr size="1" noshade></td></tr><!--PAGE FOOTER--><tr><td colspan="2"><div align="center"><font size="-1" color="#525D76"><em> | 
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 | 219 |         Copyright © 1999-2008, Apache Software Foundation | 
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 | 220 |         </em></font></div></td></tr></table></body></html> | 
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