What difference between app-inf and web-inf folder

Question

Can you give me understanding of main difference between APP-INF and WEB-INF folders in javaEE applications.

Thanks

Answer 1

APP-INF

In an enterprise application (EAR application) which contains many war and jars (eg.WebApp1.war, WebApp2.war, EJB1.jar and EJB2.jar.) and suppose all these Modules want to use some classes which is available as part of a Jar (common.jar). So in this case it is better to Place this jar file inside under “APP-INF” directory,that why we don't need to put the same Jar 4 times inside each and every Modules.

WEB-INF

WEB-INF is a directory that is a private area of the web application, any files under WEB-INF directory cannot be accessed directly from browser by specifying the URL.

See EAR application structure;

Answer 2

Can you give me understanding of main difference between APP-INF and WEB-INF folders in java EE applications.

APP-INF is specific for WebLogic. In the Java EE standard it does not exist, hence for Java EE applications there is nothing to compare. Java EE does have an [EAR]/lib directory that takes the place of the non-standard APP-INF/lib. Optionally another directory can be configured in [EAR]/META-INF/application.xml"

<application>
   <library-directory>APP-INF/lib</library-directory>
</application>

There is no direct replacement for APP-INF/classes in standard Java EE. You'll have to jar these up as well and put them in [EAR]/lib as well.