What is the difference between JSP and Servlets in Java J2EE development?

What is the difference between JSP and Servlets in Java J2EE development?

Java Servlets and JavaServer Pages (JSP) are key components in Java J2EE development. While they both serve similar purposes in web application development, there are significant differences between them:

• Execution: Servlets are Java classes that execute on the server side in response to a client request. They handle the business logic and interact with the database. JSP, on the other hand, is a technology that allows embedding Java code within HTML pages, where the Java code is executed on the server side to dynamically generate the content.
• Development: Servlets require writing Java code to handle the request and response processing, making them more suitable for developers with a strong Java background. JSP, on the other hand, simplifies the process by allowing developers to embed Java code directly into the HTML, making it easier for web developers to work on the presentation layer.
• Maintenance: Servlets are considered more maintainable in the long run as they promote the separation of concerns by keeping the business logic separate from presentation. In contrast, JSP files often mix Java code with HTML, which can make maintenance and debugging more complex in larger projects.
• Performance: Servlets are generally faster in processing requests compared to JSP, as they directly handle the client request without the overhead of compiling JSP pages into servlets at runtime.

In conclusion, while both Servlets and JSP are integral parts of Java J2EE development, understanding their differences and choosing the appropriate technology for specific tasks can greatly improve the efficiency and maintainability of web applications.