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In computing, a WAR file (short for Web ARchive) could be a JAR file used to distribute a collection of JavaServer Pages, servlets, Java classes, XML files, tag libraries and static Web pages (HTML and related files) that together constitute a Web application.

A WAR file may be digitally signed in the same way as a JAR file in order to assert that the code is trusted.

There are special files and directories within a WAR file.

The /WEB-INF directory in the WAR file contains a file named web.xml which defines the structure of the web application. If the web application is only serving JSP files, the web.xml file is not strictly necessary. If the web application uses servlets, then the servlet container uses web.xml to ascertain which servlet a URL request should be routed to. web.xml is also used to define context variables which can be referenced within the servlets and it is used to define environmental dependencies which the deployer is expected to set up. An example of this is a dependency on a mail session used to send email. The servlet container is responsible for providing this service.

Unfortunately, one disadvantage of web deployment using WAR files in very dynamic environments is that minor changes cannot be made during runtime. Any change whatsoever requires regenerating and redeploying the entire WAR file.

http://java.sun.com/j2ee/dtds/web-app_2_2.dtd">


    
        HelloServlet
        mypackage.HelloServlet
    

    
        HelloServlet
        /HelloServlet
    

    
        
            Resource reference to a factory for javax.mail.Session
            instances that may be used for sending electronic mail messages,
            preconfigured to connect to the appropriate SMTP server.
        
        mail/Session
        javax.mail.Session
        Container
    

The /WEB-INF/classes directory is on the ClassLoader's classpath. This is where .class files are loaded from when the web application is executing. Any JAR files placed in the /WEB-INF/lib directory will also be placed on the ClassLoader's classpath.

• Sun Microsystems: Manually Creating a Simple Web ARchive (WAR) File

• KDE WAR (file format)
• EAR (file format)
• JAR (file format)

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