Implementing the web application using JavaServer pages

As an alternative to the REXX CGI execs and text template file described in Customizing the end-user web application if you use REXX CGI execs and Customizing the administration web pages if you use REXX CGI execs, you can use Java™Server pages (JSPs) and an XML template file to create and customize the PKI Services web application. This approach has several advantages over the REXX CGI approach:
  • It uses Java, a popular and flexible web application programming language.
  • It uses XML, which is likely to be more familiar and intuitive to web application programmers than the text template file format used by the REXX CGI approach.
  • You can validate the syntax of your XML template file using the TemplateTool utility (see Using the TemplateTool utility) or web application tools that include XML validation, such as IBM® Rational® Software Development Platform.
  • The XML template with modifiable JSP files is a simpler structure than the single text template file used by the REXX CGI approach.

JavaServer pages control the content or appearance of web pages through the use of Java code that runs on an application server to modify a web page before it is sent to the user who requested it. JavaServer pages can contain a mixture of HTML and Java code. For the PKI Services web application, the XML template file defines the applications and the certificates that the applications provide. The JavaServer pages define and process the web pages. The application server is assumed to be WebSphere Application Server.

Parent topic: Customizing PKI Services