Can you explain the lifecycle of a Servlet and the methods that are called during each stage?

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Understanding the Lifecycle of a Servlet

When a servlet is initialized and called to handle a request, it goes through several stages in its lifecycle. These stages are crucial for the proper functioning of the servlet and the application. Let's delve into the methods that are called during each stage of the servlet lifecycle:

1. Initialization: The init() method is called by the container to initialize the servlet. This method is executed only once during the lifecycle of a servlet.
2. Request Handling: Once the servlet is initialized, the service() method is invoked for each incoming request. This method handles the request, processes it, and sends back the response to the client.
3. Destroy: When a servlet is being taken out of service by the container, the destroy() method is called. This is the final stage of the servlet lifecycle where resources used by the servlet are released.

In summary, the lifecycle of a servlet consists of initialization, request handling, and destruction stages, with corresponding methods init(), service(), and destroy() being called at each stage, respectively.

Understanding the lifecycle of a servlet is essential for developers to create efficient and responsive web applications. By optimizing the servlet methods and ensuring proper handling at each stage, developers can enhance the performance and reliability of their applications.

keywords: Servlet lifecycle, servlet methods, servlet initialization, servlet request handling, servlet destruction.