The fundamental concepts related to servlets and Java server pages(JSP) are quite confusing for beginners as well as Java web developers. This article aims to highlight the main points about servlet Vs. JSP while also covering the definitions of servlet and JSP, JSP servlet features, the need for JSP and servlets, and so on. Let us discuss the difference between Servlet and JSP with the help of the comparison given below.
What is a Servlet?
A web application is built using Servlet technology. A servlet is a Java class that extends the capabilities of servers that host applications that are accessed via a request-response model. Servlets are typically used to extend web-hosted applications.
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What is JSP?
JSP (Java server pages) is an important Java view technology that is designed to run on server machines. JSP, like servlet technology, is used to create web applications. A JSP is a text document that contains both static and dynamic text data. Static data can be expressed in any text-based format (such as HTML, XML, SVG, and WML), while dynamic content is expressed using JSP elements.
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Servlet Vs JSP | Difference between Servlet and JSP:
- A servlet is a Java program. JSP is an HTML basec code.
- Servlets are directly executed on the web server as soon as a web browser request arrives. On the other hand, to respond to the request arriving from the web browser JSP file is translated to the servlet, and then it executes on the webserver to generate the required response.
- Because servlets run directly on a web server, they are faster. On the contrary, the JSP requires before the execution they are comparatively slower.
- Servlets can handle all types of protocol requests, including HTTP, whereas JSP can only handle HTTP requests.
- Servlets come in handy when there is a lot of data to process. JSPs are useful when little or no data processing is required.
- In servlets, a developer can override the service method, whereas in JSP developer can not override the service method.
- Because java instructions encapsulate the HTML code several times, servlets are quite difficult to code. JSP are easy to code as there is a kind of separation between HTML code and java code.
- Servlets serve as java programs that have been complying and are responsible for producing dynamic web content. JSP is a webpage scripting language that can be used to generate dynamic content.
- Servlets do not allow us to create custom tags, whereas JSP allows us to do so via the JSP API.
- JSP code can be compiled into Java servlets.
- JSP is less difficult to code than Java servlets.
- There is no way to separate business logic from presentation logic in servlets. JSP uses JavaBeans to separate business and presentation logic.
- There is no way to execute JavaScript on the client side in a servlet; however, JavaScript can be executed on the client side in a JSP using client validation.
- The life cycle method of servlets is inited (), service(), and destroy(). On the other hand, the lifecycle methods of JSP are jsplnit(), _jspService(), jspdestroy().
- In MVC architecture, servlets play the role of controller, whereas JSP plays the role of view to display the output.
- When it comes to servlets, the packages must be imported at the beginning of the servlet program. In the case of the JSP, the packages can be imported at any moment in the program. top, bottom, and end.
- Session management is disabled by default in servlets, and it is the responsibility of the JS user to enable it during the session. Session management is enabled by default in JSP.
- Implementing modification in servlets is quite time-consuming because it involves reloading, recompiling, and restarting the server. On the other hand, implementing modification in JSP is not as time-consuming as the see modification, the user just has to click on the refresh button of the browser.
- JSP gets converted into a servlet and continues to look like PHP files wherein Java can be embedded into HTML.
- Servlets are best used when additional processing or manipulation is required. While JSP is generally preferred in low case processing of data is required.
- Servlets are similar to other Java classes. HTML can be applied to print statements just as system .outis used or how javascript would use document .write.
- JSP functionality can be achieved on the client side upon running JavaScript. No such method is available for servlets.
- An essential advantage of JSP programming over servlets is that capable of building custom stages that can be used for calling Java beans directly. No such facility exists in the case of servlets.