What is the lifecycle of a Servlet and explain the methods that are used in each stage?

Lifecycle of a Servlet in Java

A Servlet in Java goes through a series of stages during its lifecycle. These stages are as follows:

1. Initialization: During this stage, the Servlet is initialized by invoking the `init()` method. This method is executed only once when the Servlet is loaded into memory.
2. Request Handling: Once the Servlet is initialized, it can handle client requests. The `service()` method is called for each request, and it determines whether the request is a `GET`, `POST`, `PUT`, or `DELETE` request.
3. Response Generation: The `service()` method generates the response for the client request. It may include processing the request, interacting with databases, and generating dynamic content.
4. Destroying: When the server shuts down or decides to remove the Servlet from memory, the `destroy()` method is called. This method performs cleanup tasks such as closing database connections or releasing resources.

In summary, the lifecycle of a Servlet includes initialization, request handling, response generation, and destroying stages, with corresponding methods such as `init()`, `service()`, and `destroy()` being used in each stage.