Servlet - life cycle and listener events

 

import database.BookDBAO;
import javax.servlet.*;
import util.Counter;

import javax.ejb.*;
import javax.persistence.*;

public final class ContextListener
    implements ServletContextListener {
    private ServletContext context = null;

    @PersistenceUnit
    EntityManagerFactory emf;

    public void contextInitialized(ServletContextEvent event) {
        context = event.getServletContext();
        try {
            BookDBAO bookDB = new BookDBAO(emf);
            context.setAttribute("bookDB", bookDB);
        } catch (Exception ex) {
            System.out.println(
                "Couldn’t create database: " + ex.getMessage());
        }
        Counter counter = new Counter();
        context.setAttribute("hitCounter", counter);
        counter = new Counter();
        context.setAttribute("orderCounter", counter);
    }

    public void contextDestroyed(ServletContextEvent event) {
        context = event.getServletContext();
        BookDBAO bookDB = context.getAttribute("bookDB");
        bookDB.remove();
        context.removeAttribute("bookDB");
        context.removeAttribute("hitCounter");
        context.removeAttribute("orderCounter");
    }
}

 

 

 

Servlet Life Cycle

The life cycle of a servlet is controlled by the container in which the servlet has been deployed. When a request is mapped to a servlet, the container performs the following steps.

1. If an instance of the servlet does not exist, the web container

   1. Loads the servlet class.

   2. Creates an instance of the servlet class.

   3. Initializes the servlet instance by calling the init method. Initialization is covered in Initializing a Servlet.

2. Invokes the service method, passing request and response objects. Service methods are discussed in Writing Service Methods.

If the container needs to remove the servlet, it finalizes the servlet by calling the servlet’s destroy method. Finalization is discussed inFinalizing a Servlet.

Handling Servlet Life-Cycle Events

You can monitor and react to events in a servlet’s life cycle by defining listener objects whose methods get invoked when life-cycle events occur. To use these listener objects you must define and specify the listener class.

Defining the Listener Class

You define a listener class as an implementation of a listener interface. Table 4-2 lists the events that can be monitored and the corresponding interface that must be implemented. When a listener method is invoked, it is passed an event that contains information appropriate to the event. For example, the methods in the HttpSessionListener interface are passed an HttpSessionEvent, which contains an HttpSession.

Table 4-2 Servlet Life-Cycle Events

Object

Event

Listener Interface and Event Class

Web context (seeAccessing the Web Context)	Initialization and destruction	javax.servlet.ServletContextListener and ServletContextEvent
Attribute added, removed, or replaced	javax.servlet.ServletContextAttributeListener and ServletContextAttributeEvent
Session (See Maintaining Client State)	Creation, invalidation, activation, passivation, and timeout	javax.servlet.http.HttpSessionListener,javax.servlet.http.HttpSessionActivationListener, and HttpSessionEvent
Attribute added, removed, or replaced	javax.servlet.http.HttpSessionAttributeListener and HttpSessionBindingEvent
Request	A servlet request has started being processed by web components	javax.servlet.ServletRequestListener and ServletRequestEvent
Attribute added, removed, or replaced	javax.servlet.ServletRequestAttributeListener and ServletRequestAttributeEvent