Why even install it?

[tom boshell]

Before everybody flames me, let me explain. I have been programming in Java for a while. At work they gave me W95 to develop in. So, I downloaded the JDK and all the api that I need, set my class path, and put a whole mess of jars into my lib/ext file. I have been able to work with servlets, jsp, xml, jdbc, and javamail. I have installed/configured TomCat 3.20 and it works. It would appear to me that I have effectively built the environment up develop Enterprise level programs. But, I could very well be mistaken. So, that is my question.
What is the big deal? Java is flexible and it appears that such a situation could be futher built upon by a programmer with limited resources. I haven't gotten into beans yet (still researching and reading) but I would bet it would also work in this manner.
Another reason for asking this question is to get some good arguements to convince them to give me a better system. A convincing arguement would be if there is some capability only available in the download of J2EE that requires a more robust system to run in. (Even though it is known that if it is truely platform 'independant' such a topic would not matter.)
thank you,
Tom

[Geoff Tate]

How about automated transaction and persistence services? Rersource management? Yes things aren't all rosy with EJB however the things I mention can all be handled by the application server, freeing the programmer from having to code them.
If you are doing any sort of serious enterprise programming at all you will soon find that putting jdbc calls (or a lot of java code for that matter) in JSP/Servlets becomes an unmanagable nightmare
[This message has been edited by Geoff Tate (edited September 11, 2001).]