Java servlets are fast becoming indispensable enterprise components, as they provide a means to build scalable and portable business services that communicate over the Web. This book provides a comprehensive guide to developing applications based on the Java Servlet 2.3 API, a part of the Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition 1.3. The book reveals how and where servlets fit into an enterprise solution, and addresses issues such as security, scalability, performance and design. It walks you through the API covering the role of all the classes and interfaces and provides lots of example applications to demonstrate servlets in action. The book also covers the key role that servlets play in the new web services development model. This book is for Java programmers who are moving into working with J2EE and want to learn how to apply their skills to create real-world web components. Knowledge of the Java language and core APIs is assumed. An understanding of XMI will be of benefit, but is not essential.