Heh, the thing you want to ask yourself is, do you want to get it done or
done right?  I mean, you could just do the whole thing in servlets, but then
you'll have html, programming logic and sql in the same spots.  If you do it
in jsps only, then you basically have a bunch of code in your html (like
php).  Neither solution is very good, but even splitting them up into
jsp/servlet isn't very smart either since you'll be doing way too much
coding.  On the other hand, using a bunch of frameworks and things to make
your life easier will take more time, but the solution will be "right".

Now, if you don't know java (not javascript - that has nothing to do with
it), then you have to learn that first.  In the end, you should know the
following:
- java the language
- servlets, then jsp (since jsp's are basically servlets with a different
implementation focus - the view).  You'll find that servlets on their own
are just for controlling/briding your application to your jsps and not much
else.
- Springframework (www.springframework.org): an open source framework that
makes web stuff really nice, flexible and seperates concerns very well - but
learn only when you know the core stuff
- hibernate (www.hibernate.org): a framework that maps your objects to the
database for you and does so transparently with very little effort or
overhead - I'd still only recommend using this when you know sql and jdbc
(java's way of doing sql).
- an application server, like orion/resin/tomcat (you can't deploy your
software without an app server to put it on, so spend some time learnign
this).
- your database.  if you don't know databases, you can't store persistent
information.  To be honest, most web projects aren't worth doing unless you
are backed with a database.  Try mysql first since it's really lightweight
and easy, then move to postgres when you graduated from that.
- jakarta-commons: there are a lot of common programming tasks that you are
bound to do over and over eventually.  Look at apache jakarta commons for
some libraries to make these tasks easier.
- sitemesh: if you are going to be doing web things, you definately want
this.  It allows you to decorate html (or whatever) pages with a common
layout, thus making it a lot easier to code up specific pages since you
don't have to include the header and footer on every page and you can do
this on non-jsp pages as well.

If this isn't what you signed on for, then let them know.  Granted you don't
need some of the things on this list, but people with experience would just
dive into these things because they already know the concepts and it would
definately save them time.  If you have no idea of the core concepts that
make up these tools (which basically means you haven't done a lot of
programming), then you can try to rough it with the very basics (keep it
simple, just use what java gives you).

However, doing what should be simple is actually not that simple unless you
know what you are doing.  It's just how it is.  That's why people like PHP,
because it is easier getting the small projects going, but in the end, you
are just doing scripts that don't really mean anything, have poor reuse,
execute slower when they grow and generally are a mess when they get big.
That's the tradeoff.  Do it right (java) or do it fast (php).

Nothing you said requires JSP, Servlets or anything other than a
vanilla HTTP server.

Hi zenshade,

You could use a content management system like magnolia
(www.magnolia.info) - its the best i've seen for java, and the install comes
with tomcat ready to run.

Otherwise, if this does not suit your needs, i would get eclipse
(www.eclipse.org) and use plugins like hibernator, the tomcat plugin and the
spring network plugin to make your life a lot easier developing with
hibernate, spring and tomcat.

For example, in eclipse you just save the file and its compiled, and if you
use the tomcat plugin your file is updated automatically ready to roll.. a
lot easier and quicker than making a change, saving the file, running a
compile script and [restarting tomcat or reloading the context]!!

here is a good tutorial on hibernator -
http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/db2/library/techarticle/0306bhogal/0306bho
gal.html

and a good one on eclipse and tomcat -
http://www.3plus4software.de/eclipse/tomcat_en.html

all of these tools are open source and free.

hope this helps!

dave
realisation

It sounds a little like you're trying to stroke a kitten with a hammer:
overkill.
If you need a database backed site, consider looking at existing content
management systems rather than trying to write one from scratch in a
very short amount of time (when you're not experienced in the field
either)...

alex