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Student Profile: 7 Step For Building a Dynamic Page with JSP and Servlets

Posted on by Gokulan V S
"JSP and Servlets Student Management System"

Introduction

 

I am currently working on a Student Profile Page using JSP, Servlets, and JDBC to improve my web development skills. Initially, I created a basic login and registration system, but now, I am expanding the project by integrating JDBC (Java Database Connectivity) to store and retrieve student data dynamically.

 

Project Overview

The Student Profile Page allows students to: Register by providing their name, age, email, and password. Login using their Student ID and password. View their profile after successful authentication

 

Previously, I was using hardcoded values for authentication, but now, with JDBC, I aim to store and fetch user data from a MySQL database.

Technologies Used

Frontend: HTML, CSS, JSP

Backend: Java Servlets

Database: MySQL

Server: Apache Tomcat 9

Student Profile

Steps to Build a Student Profile Page using JSP, Servlets, and JDBC

Step 1: Setup the Environment

  • Install JDK (Java Development Kit).

  • Download and configure Apache Tomcat Server.

  • Install MySQL Database and create a schema for storing student data.

  • Setup your project in an IDE like Eclipse/IntelliJ IDEA.

Step 2: Create the Database

  • Open MySQL and create a database (e.g., studentdb).

  • Create a table students with fields like id, name, age, email, and password.

  • Insert a few dummy records to test the connection.

CREATE DATABASE studentdb;

CREATE TABLE students (
id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
name VARCHAR(50),
age INT,
email VARCHAR(100),
password VARCHAR(100)
);

Step 3: Design the Frontend (JSP Pages)

  • registration.jsp → A form for new students to register.

  • login.jsp → A form for student login.

  • profile.jsp → A page to display student details after login.

Use HTML + CSS for design and embed JSP for dynamic content.

Step 4: Create the Servlets (Backend Logic)

  • RegistrationServlet.java → To handle student registration and insert data into MySQL using JDBC.

  • LoginServlet.java → To validate user credentials from the database.

  • ProfileServlet.java → To fetch and display student details dynamically.

Step 5: Connect JSP & Servlets with JDBC

  • Add the MySQL Connector JAR to your project’s lib folder.

  • Write JDBC code to connect with the database.

  • Use PreparedStatement for secure queries.

Example:

Connection con = DriverManager.getConnection("jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/studentdb", "root", "password");
PreparedStatement ps = con.prepareStatement("SELECT * FROM students WHERE email=? AND password=?");

Step 6: Test the Application

  • Run the project on Tomcat Server.

  • Register a new student.

  • Login with the registered credentials.

  • Check if profile details are displayed correctly from the database.

Step 7: Add Extra Features

  • Password encryption using MD5/SHA-256.

  • Allow students to update their profile.

  • Add form validation using JavaScript.

  • Improve UI with Bootstrap.

Implementing JDBC for Student Profiles

One of the major improvements I am working on is integrating JDBC to allow the system to fetch all registered students’ profiles from the database. Right now, the login system validates only one user (hardcoded), but with JDBC, multiple students can log in and view their own profile dynamically.

 

Challenges and Future Improvements

Currently, I am facing some challenges in handling servlet instantiation errors and database connection issues, but I am debugging and learning through the process. My future goal is to: Implement password encryption for better security. Allow students to edit their profiles.

Challenges Faced

While implementing this project, I faced several challenges:

  • Servlet instantiation errors when mapping in web.xml.

  • Database connection failures due to driver issues.

  • Session management to keep students logged in across multiple pages.

Future Improvements

To make the project more professional, I plan to add:

  • Password encryption (using BCrypt) for security.

  • Edit Profile Feature to update student details.

  • Admin Dashboard to view all registered students.

  • Form validation for strong input checks.

Conclusion

Building a Student Profile Page using JSP, Servlets, and JDBC is an excellent way to learn Java Web Development. This project covers frontend, backend, and database integration, making it a mini full-stack Java application. By improving it with features like encryption, profile editing, and admin control, the project can be turned into a complete Student Management System.

In conclusion, creating a Student Profile Page with JSP, Servlets, and JDBC has been a highly rewarding learning experience. Through this project, I was able to understand how Java web technologies work together to build a complete and dynamic web application. Unlike static web pages, this system uses real-time database integration to store and retrieve student details, which makes it far more practical and professional.

This project also helped me explore the MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture in depth. By separating the logic into JSP (View), Servlets (Controller), and JDBC with MySQL (Model), the code became easier to maintain, scalable, and reusable. Such architecture is widely used in real-world enterprise applications, so this project serves as a good foundation for bigger Java projects.

Another key takeaway from this project was problem-solving. While working on it, I faced challenges like database connectivity errors, servlet mapping issues, and session handling. Overcoming these challenges improved my debugging skills and taught me the importance of clean code practices.

From a career perspective, this project is very useful. Most software companies expect candidates to have experience in Java web development, SQL, and full-stack concepts. By completing and enhancing this project, I now have a strong portfolio project that I can showcase during interviews or internship opportunities.

Looking ahead, this Student Profile project has huge scope for future enhancements. By adding features like:

  • Password encryption for security,

  • Profile editing and updating,

  • Admin dashboard for monitoring students,

  • Form validation and error handling,

  • Responsive design using CSS/Bootstrap,

 it can be transformed into a complete Student Management System that can actually be deployed in schools, colleges, or training centers.

Overall, this project gave me hands-on experience in Java EE technologies, database integration, and full-stack development concepts. It not only strengthened my technical knowledge but also boosted my confidence as a Java developer. With further improvements, I am confident this project can be turned into a real-world application that demonstrates both technical depth and creativity.

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