Head First Servlet JSP: BeerSelect example: requested resource not available

Hello,

I also have problems getting the Head First Servlets and JSP example of chapter 3 (page 81) run.

After pressing the submit button of form.html I got an 404 error, saying
"description The requested resource (/Beer-v1/SelectBeer.do) is not available."

##########

What I did before:

0) Run Windows-XP-Home, Apache Tomcat/5.5.16, firefox-1.5.0.1-win with extension LiveHTTPHeader-0.12

1) I put the form.html to the place:
<tomcat-path>\webapps\ROOT\Beer-v1\form.html
with:
...
<form method="POST" action="SelectBeer.do">
...

2) Place the web.xml to:
<tomcat-path>\webapps\ROOT\Beer-v1\WEB-INF\web.xml

with:
...
<servlet>
<servlet-name>Ch3 Beer</servlet-name>
<servlet-class>com.example.web.BeerSelect</servlet-class>
</servlet>

<servlet-mapping>
<servlet-name>Ch3 Beer</servlet-name>
<url-pattern>/SelectBeer.do</url-pattern>
</servlet-mapping>
...

3) Compiled BeerSelect.java and placed BeerSelect.class to:
<tomcat-path>\webapps\ROOT\Beer-v1\WEB-INF\classes\com\example\web\BeerSelect.class

4) Restart Tomcat

5) type URL:
localhost:8080/Beer-v1/form.html which is transformed in my firefox-1.5.0.1-win to http://localhost:8080/Beer-v1/form.html

The html page is rendered.

After pressing the submit button, firefox extension LiveHTTPHeader shows /Beer-v1/SelectBeer.do is called:
...
POST /Beer-v1/SelectBeer.do HTTP/1.1
...

6) Got:
"HTTP Status 404 - /Beer-v1/SelectBeer.do

type Status report

message /Beer-v1/SelectBeer.do

description The requested resource (/Beer-v1/SelectBeer.do) is not available.
Apache Tomcat/5.5.16"

###########

7) I tried also Ben Southers "Simple Servlet" (http://simple.souther.us./ar01s02.html) from his "Simple Servlets Examples" and got also error 404
(with his path structure <tomcat-path>\webapps\ROOT\mjs_SimpleServlet\WEB-INF\classes\us\souther\simple\SimpleServlet.class
instead of mine <tomcat-path>\webapps\ROOT\Beer-v1\WEB-INF\classes\com\example\web\BeerSelect.class ):

"HTTP Status 404 - /mjs_SimpleServlet/simple-servlet

type Status report

message /mjs_SimpleServlet/simple-servlet

description The requested resource (/mjs_SimpleServlet/simple-servlet) is not available.
Apache Tomcat/5.5.16"

######################

Does any of you has a hint for me?

Greetings Mike

3) Compiled BeerSelect.java and placed BeerSelect.class to:
<tomcat-path>\webapps\ROOT\Beer-v1\WEB-INF\classes\com\example\web\BeerSelect.class

Don't put your Beer-v1 app inside ROOT folder.

You should have structured it as follows:

<tomcat-path>\webapps\Beer-v1
[ April 09, 2006: Message edited by: Eduardo Dela Rosa ]

Your project folder(Beer-V1) should be present in the webapps directory.

Regards,
Ganesh
SCJP 1.4
SCWCD 1.4
SCBCD 1.3

Ok, now it works after moving <tomcat-path>\webapps\ROOT\Beer-v1 to <tomcat-path>\webapps\Beer-v1.

Also Ben Southers "Simple Servlet" is running now after moving from <tomcat-path>\webapps\ROOT\SimpleServlet\ to <tomcat-path>\webapps\SimpleServlet\

That ROOT-Folder already existed after the Tomcat installation. There is the default jsp-page in which one sees after typing the URL: "localhost:8080".

There are still two questions:
1) Why the URL: "localhost:8080" leads to an error now after moving my Beer-v1 folder? [ "description The requested resource (Servlet org.apache.jsp.index_jsp is not available) is not available." ]

2) Why do the <tomcat-path>\webapps\jsp-examples don't run, as they are already in webapps folder?

Any suggestions?

I would suggest reinstalling your Tomcat, as you might have messed it up because of your Beer?

Otherwise, check that the <tomcat-dir>\webapps\ROOT\WEB-INF\web.xml is
intact and its content is still in order.

Take note of the following "NOTE" when you first install and run TOMCAT for the first time:

NOTE: This page is precompiled. If you change it, this page will not change since it was compiled into a servlet at build time. (See $CATALINA_HOME/webapps/ROOT/WEB-INF/web.xml as to how it was mapped.)

So whatever you do, don't blow it up, else the only option you've got is
really - a reinstall.

HTH.

I would suggest reinstalling your Tomcat

Ok I did a reinstall after deinstallation and total delete of ALL Tomcat files. After the reinstall i have in folder "<tomcat-dir>\webapps\":

balancer

jsp-examples

servlets-examples

ROOT

tomcat-docs

webdav

What is the sutuation with these webapps:

A) "http://localhost:8080/" (ROOT), "localhost:8080/tomcat-docs" and "localhost:8080/webdav" succeed while displaying the rendered content.

B) "localhost:8080/balancer" brings me to "http://jakarta.apache.org/"

C) "localhost:8080/jsp-examples/", "localhost:8080/servlets-examples" failed with "The requested resource (/jsp-examples/) is not available." and "The requested resource (/servlets-examples/) is not available."

After copy back both folder "Beer-v1" and "SimpleServlet" into "<tomcat-dir>\webapps\" both ("localhost:8080/Beer-v1/form.html" and "localhost:8080/SimpleServlet") are sucessful. Section C still does not work.

I cant see any rule nor reason for that behaviour.

Anyway, my Beer-v1 webapp runs and I cant go on with the exercise in the book.

Eduardo thanks for your help.
If anybody has a hint for that new behaviour please let me know.

Mike