Part 1 covers basic concepts that are required knowledge for even the simplest of WebObjects programs. It describes what a WebObjects application is and what pieces a WebObjects application contains. It describes how to debug applications and provides a checklist of hard-to-find errors. The final chapter in Part 1, "WebObjects Viewed Through Its Classes," provides an in-depth description of the classes used in all WebObjects applications and explains how those classes process HTTP requests.

Part 2 provides information that you can ignore until you understand the basic WebObjects concepts explained in Part 1. It describes how you can design components for reuse inside of other components, how a WebObjects application manages and stores state, how to create client-side Java components that behave like dynamic elements, and how to design an application for deployment and improved performance.

WebScript is a scripting language provided with WebObjects for rapid application development. Use of WebScript is entirely voluntary-you can write applications using Java or Objective-C if you prefer. Part 3 describes WebScript's syntax and also describes how to use the Foundation framework when writing an application using WebScript.