ExperSHOP - Quick Start instructions

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Please email any bug reports, comments or suggestions to ExperLog's Online Support

Prerequisite

  • A java environment that supports java servlets (JDK 1.4+).
  • A web server that supports servlets, like Tomcat, Enhydra, or any commercial one like Weblogic or Websphere.
The sample shop comes with a demo database, there's an HsqlDB engine coming with ExperSHOP for demo purposes.

Installation as a web application

This chapter applies to servlet engines that support Web Applications Archive deployment (.war files).
Any server that supports at least the Servlets 2.2 specification (like, for example, Tomcat) should support .war deployment.
If your servlet engine DOES NOT support .war files, please skip to the next chapter.

To deploy ExperSHOP as a Web Application:

  • Download the expershop.war file on ExperLog's web site ("ExperShop Web Application Package" in the download section).
  • On Windows, this file may appear as "expershop.war.zip": if so, rename it "expershop.war".
  • Deploy the ExperShop Web Application, as specified in your servlet engine documentation about .war files deployment. (For example, on Tomcat, copy the expershop.war file in the "webapps" directory; other servlet engines may require that you use administration tools, or update configuration files - if so, refer to the relevant documentation).
  • Restart your servlet engine.
More detailed instructions can be found here, concerning specific installation on Tomcat 5.x, 4.x, 3.3 or Enhydra 5.

To check if everything works, contact the expershop sample application with your web browser.

The URL looks like:
http://host[:port]/expershop
or (direct access to the servlet):
http://host[:port]/expershop/com.expershop.lite.ExperSHOP
For example, with a default installation of Tomcat on the local host:
http://localhost:8080/expershop
A welcome page should be displayed.

If it works now, you can leave this page !

Congratulations, the installation process is over.
If not, reading the next chapters may help...

Legacy installation (no web application archive support)

This chapter applies to legacy servlet engines, that do not support web application archive deployment.
It is also applicable to a servlet engine that supports .war files, but the process is more complex than simply deploying the .war file...

First, we suppose you have downloaded ExperSHOP.
If you don't have ExperSHOP, get it on ExperLog's Web Site. Then:

  • Create an expershop directory somewhere in your directory tree, then copy expershop.war file there.
    Advice: On Windows, copy it into a C:\expershop directory; On Unix, copy it into a /usr/local/expershop directory.
  • Extract the files: jar xvf expershop.war
  • On Windows: Make your CLASSPATH point to the following files: C:\expershop\WEB-INF\lib\expershop.jar, C:\expershop\WEB-INF\lib\openeas.jar, C:\expershop\WEB-INF\lib\xapool.jar, C:\expershop\WEB-INF\lib\log4j.jar, C:\expershop\WEB-INF\lib\hsqldb.jar. Example:
    set CLASSPATH=%CLASSPATH%;C:\expershop\WEB-INF\lib\expershop.jar;C:\expershop\WEB-INF\lib\openeas.jar;C:\expershop\WEB-INF\lib\xapool.jar;C:\expershop\WEB-INF\lib\log4j.jar;C:\expershop\WEB-INF\lib\hsqldb.jar
  • On Unix: Make your CLASSPATH point to the following files in /usr/local/expershop/WEB-INF/lib: /usr/local/expershop/WEB-INF/lib/expershop.jar, /usr/local/expershop/WEB-INF/lib/openeas.jar, /usr/local/expershop/WEB-INF/lib/xapool.jar, /usr/local/expershop/WEB-INF/lib/log4j.jar, /usr/local/expershop/WEB-INF/lib/hsqldb.jar file.
    Example in ksh syntax:
    export CLASSPATH=$CLASSPATH:/usr/local/expershop/WEB-INF/lib/expershop.jar:/usr/local/expershop/WEB-INF/lib/openeas.jar:/usr/local/expershop/WEB-INF/lib/xapool.jar:/usr/local/expershop/WEB-INF/lib/log4j.jar:/usr/local/expershop/WEB-INF/lib/hsqldb.jar

DynHtml pages

They are in the expershop/shops/lite/ESRootDir/ESTemplates/Shop directory: have a look at them, along with the DynHtml tutorial.

Running the sample shop

Running the sample shop with Enhydra

Enhydra is an open-source application server, formerly developed by Lutris technologies, and now maintained by ObjectWeb.
You can download Enhydra from enhydra.org.

Then, after you installed Enhydra on your server, check our Enhydra configuration for ExperShop release notes:

Running the sample shop with Tomcat

Tomcat is the reference implementation for java servlets, provided by Apache. It supersedes the old Apache JServ.

You can download Tomcat from Apache jakarta project pages.

Then, after you installed Tomcat on your server, check our Tomcat configuration for ExperShop release notes:

Running the sample shop with BEA Weblogic

Weblogic is the servlet and HTTP server provided by BEA systems.

You can evaluate and purchase Weblogic from BEA's web site.

Then, after you installed Weblogic on your server, check our Weblogic configuration for ExperShop release notes:

Troubleshooting

The demo shop may have "DEBUG" traces enabled - which corresponds to a high level of verbosity, not recommended in a production environment.
The trace file is /tmp/demoshop.trc (Unix) or c:\ExperSHOP\demoshop.trc (Windows).
Have a look there: if an exception occured, it should be traced at the end of the file.