Explain the difference between include directive and include action in JSP

Include directive and include action are both used for including content from another source in a JSP page, but they function differently:

Include Directive

The include directive is a static include mechanism in JSP that includes the content of another resource during the translation phase. This means that the included file is physically present in the main JSP page at the time of compilation, and the final combined output is sent to the client.

Include Action

On the other hand, the include action is a dynamic include mechanism in JSP that includes the content of another resource during the execution phase. This means that the included file is brought in dynamically during the processing of the JSP page and allows for more flexible and dynamic content inclusion.

While both mechanisms achieve a similar result of including content in a JSP page, the key difference lies in when and how the inclusion is carried out.