Focus Keyword: HttpServlet vs. GenericServlet in Java Servlets

In Java Servlets, the main difference between HttpServlet and GenericServlet is that HttpServlet is an abstract class that extends GenericServlet and provides HTTP protocol-specific functionality, while GenericServlet is an abstract class that provides general servlet functionality.

Since HttpServlet is specifically designed to handle HTTP protocol requests, it provides methods such as doGet(), doPost(), doPut(), doDelete(), etc., to handle different types of HTTP requests. On the other hand, GenericServlet does not have these specific methods and can be used for handling generic servlet requests.

Therefore, when developing a servlet that needs to handle HTTP protocol requests, HttpServlet is the preferred choice due to its built-in support for handling HTTP methods. On the other hand, GenericServlet can be used for servlets that do not require HTTP protocol-specific functionality.