Summary

Tag Libraries (TagLibs) define one or more custom tags that can be used to extend the capabilities of JSP. Judicious use of TagLibs can remove most, if not all, of the Java scriptlets from your Web pages. Encapsulating the Java code in a custom tag will

• Simplify the writing of Web pages

• Reduce development time by removing awkward Java compiler errors from the JSP-generated code

• Integrate business logic constructs more closely into the JSP syntax

Custom tags can provide programming constructs, such as iteration and selection (if statements) for your Web pages. Custom tags can also

• Use attributes to pass information from the Web page to the Java code

• Create scripting variables that can be used on the Web page

• Share information between tags in a hierarchical structure

Standard Libraries, such as JSPTL and the Apache Jakarta libraries, provide many useful tags that can quickly be incorporated into your Web applications. Using existing libraries reduces the amount of code you have to develop, and that will reduce the overall development time for your application.