Question

We have a couple of Java Web applications that serve different purposes (one for the public and one for internal administration) but work on the same database. We keep most of our business and database logic in a project a third project that is included in the two projects and this works well.

However, now we want to share presentation logic between the applications. (In other words we want to have the same pages controlled by the same action classes appearing in each application.)

What is the best way to accomplish this goal? Can JSPs be stored in in jars and used? Can two web apps refer to common jsps? Are there good ways for the two applications to share session data so users can go back and forth between applications?

Answer 1

Following can be done to achieve what you are planning:

1. Create a common EAR having multiple Web/EJB projects for your application. Thus all the WebApps can reside inside a common EAR file and can use common JARs kept at EAR level.
2. Just like a java project can depend upon another Java project, a Web Project can also depend upon other Web Projects. Hence create a common Web Project with JSPs and Utility Classes. Add this common Web Project to the Build Path of other Web Projects. They would inherit the JSPs and Java classes, and can have their custom JSPs as well.

The above would provide you the basic framework. There is no standard way for Web Apps to share data. If you want users to use common session you can use SSL or token based session maintenance. Session data from one App cannot be replicated to the other, but you can put some logic inside an EJB which can be called from both Apps there by linking them in a clean way.