Tomcat is unable to read my context.xml file

Issue

I have the following issue: I have context.xml file which can not be read by the server either by adding through @Resource() injection or by using class (check below). I'm using eclipse, Tomcat 9.0. I have .war file exported by eclipse and put in the target folder within my project. Here goes the code.

Context.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE xml>
<Context path="jdbc/ParkingSystem">
    <Resource name="sql2226123" 
        auth="Container" type="javax.sql.DataSource"
        maxActive="20" maxIdle="5" maxWait="10000"
        username="sql2226123" password="abcdefgh" 
        driverClassName="com.mysql.jdbc.Driver"
        url="jdbc:mysql://sql2.freemysqlhosting.net:3306/sql2226123"/>
</Context>

https://pastebin.com/fSZG2bJR

and I have following class to set connection with MySQL DB here goes the constructor: https://pastebin.com/XKmBRAZX

here is constructor used in servlet: https://pastebin.com/EmSzL5Y1

here is my pom.xml: https://pastebin.com/umU6R2KF

my context.xml is located: C:\Users\lukas\eclipse-workspace\ParkingBookSystem\src\main\resources\META-INF\context.xml

my .war file (exported by eclipse) is located: C:\Users\userName\eclipse-workspace\ProjectName\ProjectName.war

and this is my error:

I've lost all ideas :(

Ok so I've made updates according to apache.org/tomcat-9.0 Now my web.xml looks like this:

<web-app xmlns="http://java.sun.com/xml/ns/j2ee"
         xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
         xsi:schemaLocation="http://java.sun.com/xml/ns/j2ee
                             http://java.sun.com/xml/ns/j2ee/web-app_2_4.xsd"
         version="2.4">
    <description>ParkingBookSystem</description>
    <resource-ref>
        <description>DB Connection</description>
        <res-ref-name>/ParkingBookSystem</res-ref-name>
        <res-type>javax.sql.DataSource</res-type>
        <res-auth>Container</res-auth>
    </resource-ref>
    <welcome-file-list>
        <welcome-file>index.html</welcome-file>
    </welcome-file-list>
</web-app>

and my context.xml looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE xml>
<Context>
    <Resource 
        name="/ParkingBookSystem" 
        auth="Container"
        type="javax.sql.DataSource"
        maxTotal="20"
        maxIdle="5"
        maxWaitMillis="10000"
        username="sql2226123"
        password="xxxxxxxx"
        driverClassName="com.mysql.jdbc.Driver"
        url="jdbc:mysql://sql2.freemysqlhosting.net:3306/sql2226123"
    />
</Context>

Now the error is gone but there is only white screen displayed as if there was no connection to the MySQL DB although I'm 100% sure those:

username="sql2226123" password="abcdefgh" 
url="jdbc:mysql://sql2.freemysqlhosting.net:3306/sql2226123"

are correct I logged in to the DB as admin right now with it (I've changed the password in the question on stack).

Ok so since HTTP 500 error is gone and on web-browser now I have just white screen and Tomcat server is throwing following error so I'am adding the most acutal error:

java.sql.SQLException: Cannot create JDBC driver of class '' for connect URL 'null'
    at org.apache.tomcat.dbcp.dbcp2.BasicDataSource.createConnectionFactory(BasicDataSource.java:2224)
    at org.apache.tomcat.dbcp.dbcp2.BasicDataSource.createDataSource(BasicDataSource.java:2104)
    at org.apache.tomcat.dbcp.dbcp2.BasicDataSource.getConnection(BasicDataSource.java:1563)
    at com.pbs.web.jdbc.ParkingBookSystem.BookDbUtil.doesBookExist(BookDbUtil.java:91)
    at com.pbs.web.jdbc.ParkingBookSystem.BookControllerServlet.addBook(BookControllerServlet.java:117)
    at com.pbs.web.jdbc.ParkingBookSystem.BookControllerServlet.doGet(BookControllerServlet.java:70)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:634)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:741)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:231)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166)
    at org.apache.tomcat.websocket.server.WsFilter.doFilter(WsFilter.java:53)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:199)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:96)
    at org.apache.catalina.authenticator.AuthenticatorBase.invoke(AuthenticatorBase.java:490)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:139)
    at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:92)
    at org.apache.catalina.valves.AbstractAccessLogValve.invoke(AbstractAccessLogValve.java:668)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:74)
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:343)
    at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.service(Http11Processor.java:408)
    at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProcessorLight.process(AbstractProcessorLight.java:66)
    at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProtocol$ConnectionHandler.process(AbstractProtocol.java:770)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.NioEndpoint$SocketProcessor.doRun(NioEndpoint.java:1415)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.SocketProcessorBase.run(SocketProcessorBase.java:49)
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(Unknown Source)
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(Unknown Source)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.TaskThread$WrappingRunnable.run(TaskThread.java:61)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)
Caused by: java.sql.SQLException: No suitable driver
    at java.sql.DriverManager.getDriver(Unknown Source)
    at org.apache.tomcat.dbcp.dbcp2.BasicDataSource.createConnectionFactory(BasicDataSource.java:2209)
    ... 29 more

Solution

Seems JNDI name is not on the correct place as it should be inside Resource element but it's instead on Context one

<Context>
    <Resource 
        name="jdbc/ParkingSystem" 
        auth="Container"
        type="javax.sql.DataSource"
        maxActive="20"
        maxIdle="5"
        maxWait="10000"
        username="sql2226123"
        password="abcdefgh" 
        driverClassName="com.mysql.jdbc.Driver"
        url="jdbc:mysql://sql2.freemysqlhosting.net:3306/sql2226123"
    />
</Context>

path attribute on Context element is meant to define context root of your app, in other words, the URL starting path, e.g.: if path="/ParkingLot", your app will be found under http://localhost:8080/ParkingLot.

Answered By - LMC