Welcome File Configuration in Servlet

Welcome File Configuration in Servlet

A welcome file is the file that is invoked automatically by the server, if you don't specify any file name. Welcome file is a default starting page of the website.

The welcome-file-list element of web-app, is used to define a list of welcome files. Its sub element is welcome-file that is used to define the welcome file.

By default server looks for the welcome file in following order:

1. index.html
2. index.htm
3. index.jsp

Note: If welcome file is not configure and index.html or index.jsp does not exits in an application then container sends http status 404 message to the browser.

If you have specified welcome-file in web.xml, and all the files index.html, index.htm and index.jsp exists, priority goes to welcome-file.

If welcome-file-list entry doesn't exist in web.xml file, priority goes to index.html file then index.htm and at last index.jsp file.

Let's see the web.xml file that defines the welcome files.

web.xml

<web-app>  
 ....  
    <welcome-file-list>  
   <welcome-file>home.html</welcome-file>  
   <welcome-file>home.jsp</welcome-file>  
  </welcome-file-list>  
</web-app>  

Now, home.html and default.html will be the welcome files.

If you have the welcome file, you can directory invoke the project as given below:

http://localhost:8888/myproject/ 

As you can see, we have not specified any file name after the project.