[jsp] How to use relative paths without including the context root name?

To working my static file (CSS, JS) I have to write absolute path like /AppName/templates/style/main.css. Is there any solution, that I could write relative path like style/main.css?

This could be done simpler:

<base href="${pageContext.request.contextPath}/"/>

All URL will be formed without unnecessary domain:port but with application context.

Instead using entire link we can make as below (solution concerns jsp files)

With JSTL we can make it like: To link resource like css, js:

     <link rel="stylesheet" href="${pageContext.request.contextPath}/style/sample.css" />
     <script src="${pageContext.request.contextPath}/js/sample.js"></script>   

To simply make a link:

     <a id=".." class=".." href="${pageContext.request.contextPath}/jsp/sample.jsp">....</a>

It's worth to get familiar with tags

   <%@ taglib prefix="c" uri="http://java.sun.com/jsp/jstl/core"%>

There is also jsp method to do it like below, but better way like above:

   <link rel="stylesheet" href="<%=request.getContextPath()%>/style/sample.css" />
   <script type="text/javascript" src="<%=request.getContextPath()%>/js/sample.js"></script>

To simply make a link:

   <a id=".." class=".." href="<%=request.getContextPath()%>/jsp/sample.jsp">....</a>

You start tomcat from some directory - which is the $cwd for tomcat. You can specify any path relative to this $cwd.

suppose you have

home
- tomcat
 |_bin
- cssStore
 |_file.css

And suppose you start tomcat from ~/tomcat, using the command "bin/startup.sh".

~/tomcat becomes the home directory ($cwd) for tomcat

You can access "../cssStore/file.css" from class files in your servlet now

Hope that helps, - M.S.

This is a derivative of @Ralph suggestion that I've been using. Add the c:url to the top of your JSP.

<%@ taglib prefix="c" uri="http://java.sun.com/jsp/jstl/core" %>
<c:url value="/" var="root" />

Then just reference the root variable in your page:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="${root}templates/style/main.css">

Just use <c:url>-tag with an application context relative path.

When the value parameter starts with an /, then the tag will treat it as an application relative url, and will add the application-name to the url. Example:

jsp:

<c:url value="/templates/style/main.css" var="mainCssUrl" />`
<link rel="stylesheet" href="${mainCssUrl}" />
...
<c:url value="/home" var="homeUrl" />`
<a href="${homeUrl}">home link</a>

will become this html, with an domain relative url:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="/AppName/templates/style/main.css" />
...
<a href="/AppName/home">home link</a>