Session Tracking & Management in Java Servlets

A mini-project demonstrating how to maintain user state across multiple HTTP requests using the HttpSession API in Java Servlets and JSP.

🚀 Overview

HTTP is a stateless protocol, meaning the server forgets the user after every request. This project solves that problem by creating a multi-step form (Personal Info -> Education Details -> Review) where data is "remembered" using Session Tracking.

🛠️ Tech Stack

• Java: JDK 11 or higher
• Servlet API: Jakarta Servlet 5.0/6.0 (Tomcat 10+)
• JSP: JavaServer Pages for the UI
• Server: Apache Tomcat 10.1
• Frontend: HTML5 & CSS3

📂 Project Structure

• personalInfoFormPage.jsp: Step 1 - Collects Name, Email, and Phone.
• PersonalInfoFormPageServlet.java: Processes Step 1 and initializes the HttpSession.
• educationFormPage.jsp: Step 2 - Collects University and Degree.
• EducationDetailsFormPageServlet.java: Processes Step 2 and adds data to the existing session.
• reviewPage.jsp: Displays all stored session data for user review.
• home.jsp: Final landing page showing the persistent data.

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💡 Key Concepts Explained

1. HttpSession Management

In both PersonalInfoFormPageServlet and EducationDetailsFormPageServlet, we use:

HttpSession session = request.getSession();
session.setAttribute("key", value);

This stores data in a server-side "storage box" unique to each user, identified by a JSESSIONID cookie.

2. PRG Pattern (Post-Redirect-Get)

To prevent duplicate form submissions and handle navigation, the Servlets use:

response.sendRedirect("nextPage.jsp");

This tells the browser to make a brand-new GET request to the next page. While the HttpServletRequest object is destroyed during redirection, the HttpSession persists.

3. JSP Implicit Objects

In the .jsp files, we retrieve data directly using the implicit session object:

<%= session.getAttribute("userName") %>

🏃 How to Run

• Clone the Repository:

git clone https://github.com/guru-pandey/Servlet-Learnings4.git

• Import Project: Open your favorite IDE (Eclipse, IntelliJ, or NetBeans) and import it as a Dynamic Web Project or Maven Project.
• Server Setup: Ensure Apache Tomcat 10 or 10.1 is configured in your IDE.
• Deployment: Right-click on the project. Select Run As > Run on Server.
• Access: Navigate to: http://localhost:8080/Servlet-Learnings4/personalInfoFormPage.jsp

📝 Learning Outcomes

• Understanding the difference between Request Scope and Session Scope.
• Implementing Redirection (sendRedirect) vs Forwarding.
• Handling user-specific data storage in a multi-user environment.
• Mapping Servlets using @WebServlet annotations.