Learn to build dynamic Web-based applications using JavaServer Pages and MySQL. Most JSP applications require strong database services; this book provides hands-on details on how to set-up and manage application/database interaction. The author presents all examples in Tomcat and MySQL, two popular and widely-available open-source products. Tomcat 4.0 and JDBC 3.0--two new Java technologies--provide significant improvements for application design. Java Server Pages (JSP) developers encounter unique problems when building web applications that require intense database connectivity. MySQL and JSP Web Applications addresses the challenges of building data-driven applications based on the JavaServer Pages development model. MySQL and JSP Web Applications begins with an overview of the core technologies required for JSP database development--JavaServer Pages, JDBC, and the database schema. The book then outlines and presents an Internet commerce application that demonstrates concepts such as receiving and processing user input, designing and implementing business rules, and balancing the user load on the server. Through the JDBC (Java DataBase Connector), the developer can communicate with most commercial databases, such as Oracle. The solutions presented in MySQL and JSP Web Applications center on the open source tools MySQL and Tomcat, allowing the reader an affordable way to test applications and experiment with the books examples James Turner is president of Black Bear Software. Until recently, he served as senior software engineer at Viridien Technologies, a New Hampshire-based wireless development firm. James also serves as an adjunct professor at the Massachusetts Communications College. His main areas of expertise are Internet programming and Unix systems administration. Prior to starting Black Bear Software, James worked for Lisp Machine, Xerox, Solbourne Computer, Kendall Square Research, and Interleaf.