Difference between Servlet and JSP in Java

1. Introduction

Servlets and JavaServer Pages (JSP) are two technologies used to create web applications in Java. A Servlet is a Java class that handles HTTP requests and generates responses. JSP allows you to write dynamic content in HTML pages with Java code embedded into it, which is easier to write than a Servlet.

2. Key Points

1. Servlets are Java programs that run on a server and are used for handling request-response handling.

2. JSPs are text-based documents that execute as servlets but allow a more natural way to create static and dynamic content.

3. Servlets are best for processing data and controlling the business logic.

4. JSPs are best suited for creating the view and presenting the front end.

3. Differences

Servlet JSP
Servlet is a Java class that handles HTTP requests and responses. JSP is an HTML-like document (a mix of HTML and Java code) that the server compiles into a servlet.
Written entirely in Java, which can make them more complex to write and read when HTML is heavily involved. Allows embedding Java code directly into HTML pages using JSP tags, which can be easier to write and manage for pages heavily involving HTML.
Provides more control over the content since it is Java code throughout. It's more suited for processing data, like form input. Suited for creating dynamically generated web content and can be more convenient for designing web pages.
Configured in the web.xml file or using annotations. Automatically recognized and compiled by the server without explicit servlet mapping (though manual configuration is possible).
Servlets are more efficient for large projects requiring a lot of processing and complex business logic. JSP is generally more efficient for creating and maintaining the view layer or presentation code.
Ideal for controlling the web application's workflow, handling complex processing, and generating dynamic content. Ideal for creating web page templates and displaying content with less Java code mixed with HTML.

4. Example

// Example of a Servlet
@WebServlet("/hello")
public class HelloServlet extends HttpServlet {
    protected void doGet(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException, IOException {
        response.setContentType("text/html");
        PrintWriter out = response.getWriter();
        out.println("<html><body>");
        out.println("<h1>Hello, World!</h1>");
        out.println("</body></html>");
    }
}

// Example of a JSP
// hello.jsp
<%@ page contentType="text/html;charset=UTF-8" language="java" %>
<html>
<body>
<h1>Hello, World from JSP!</h1>
</body>
</html>

Output:

// Output from HelloServlet
Hello, World!
// Output from hello.jsp
Hello, World from JSP!

Explanation:

1. HelloServlet is a Java class extending HttpServlet that overrides the doGet method to produce an HTML page with a message.

2. hello.jsp is a JSP file that contains HTML and could contain Java code snippets for dynamic content generation.

5. When to use?

- Use Servlets when you have complex Java code that interacts with a database and performs some processing, and you need complete control over the content generation.

- Use JSP to separate the presentation from the business logic and have web designers work on the application without understanding Java code.

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