The purpose of web.xml is to define the parts of a web application so clearly that it can be packaged up and installed on another web server with no problem. The first servlet APIs were pretty sloppy about this but Sun has progressively nailed things down as the API has been refined. You can still turn on the "invoker" servlet to run servlets that are not defined in web.xml but I don't think it is a good idea. Bill
Post by:autobot
Alas, poor Yorick, he knew this tiny ad:
a bit of art, as a gift, that will fit in a stocking