DefaultServlet

The DefaultServlet implements the same request URI to filename mapping as the servlet container. There are two primary reasons to use the DefaultServlet:

• You can map the DefaultServlet to '/' to ensure that servlet mapping is always activated and there is a filter chain.
• The attribute NoMatchFile ensures that a file is always sent to the browser.

The example below clarifies these two items.

Security policy

For security reasons, never put a file containing secret information (like a secret key or some Lua code) into the directory configured as "<docBase>" in the navajo.xml file. This is because the DefaultFilter can easily access such a file. An exception is the WEB-INF directory inside the "<docBase>" directory. The WEB-INF directory is protected against the DefaultFilter and cannot be accessed.

Classname:
ch::nevis::isiweb4::servlet::defaults::DefaultServlet

Library:
libDefaultServlets.so.1

Configuration

Name	Type, Usage Constraints, Defaults	Description
EntryURI	string; optional, basic connectivity; must start with /	If no matching file is found and the path info of the request is empty, a redirect with the configured value is sent to the browser.
NoMatchFile	string; optional, basic feature; must start with /	If there is no matching file found, the file with the configured value will be sent.
StatusCode	integer; optional, basic feature; min: 100, max: 600; default: 200	Permits configuration of the HTTP status code of the response.
MappingType	enum. [requestURI or pathinfo]; optional; default: requestURI	Enables mapping of request URIs to file names. Possible values are: requestURI: Mapping plays no role; pathinfo: The file name is the pathinfo part of the requestURI.

Example

• Consider the following situation: To enforce an authentication, an IdentityCreationFilter will be mapped to /*. If the browser requests the URI /, thatIdentityCreationFilteris not invoked because there is no matching servlet. By mapping the DefaultServlet to /*, there is a matching servlet and therefore the IdentityCreationFilter is invoked.
• Consider the following situation: All images are located in the directory <docBase>/img. Even if there is no matching file, an image should be sent. That can be done by configuring a DefaultServlet with the value /default.gif for the attribute ‘NoMatchFile’, and mapping it to /img/*.