Which one is better JSP or servlet
Before starting out and making any assumptions on which one is better between JSP and Servlet, let’s find out more about them first.
So, what is a Servlet?
A servlet is basically a type of Java class that is used in extending the potential of servers hosting applications, which are accessed as a means of a request-response model. They are used mainly in scaling applications which are being hosted by web servers, but, can respond to other types of requests as well. For such kind of application, the HTTP-specific servlet classes have been defined by the Java Servlet technology.
So, now that you have a well understanding of Servlet, let’s move on to JSP so that we get a clearer picture of Servlet vs. JSP.
What is JSP?
Now, a JSP is a type of text document containing two kinds of text, that are static data and dynamic data. As we already know, the static data can be expressed using any of the text-based formats like HTML, XML, SVG, and WML. On the other hand, dynamic text data content can be communicated via JSP elements.
So, reading the definition of JSP Servlet might have brought some clarity as to what they are, let’s move onto the differences between JSP and Servlet to make things even more apparent.
| Servlet | JSP |
|---|---|
| This is a java based code | This is an HTML based code. |
| Writing code for servlet is harder. | JSP is more comfortable to code in comparison to Servlet. |
| It plays a controller role in the MVC approach. | This is the view in the MVC approach for showing the output. |
| This is faster than JSP. | JSP is actually slower than Servlet. |
| Servlet is able to accept all protocol requests. | JSP can only accept HTTP requests. |
| Here, we can easily override the service() method. | Here, we can not override the service() method. |
| In this, by default, the session management is not enabled, and the user has to allow it to explicitly. | Here session management is automatically enabled by default. |
| Here, we have to execute all the code in business logic and presentation logic within one servlet file. | Here, the business logic file is separated from the presentation logic by using JavaBeans. |
| Any modification/changes in Servlet is a time-consuming task due to reloading, recompiling, and restarting of the server. | In JSP, modifications and changes are fast, and everything is done with the click of the refresh button. |
Conclusion
So, if you are confused about whether JSP or Servlet is the better option, the answer is no one is better, and at the same time, both are better. This is because each is designed for specific purposes.
Servlet consists of controller layers intercepting HTTP requests(by methods matching request types like GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.). Whereas, JSP uses Sets attributes as a model object which is populated by the data from a service or database.
JSP uses a view layer and JSTL/EL for accessing, displaying, and manipulating attributes that have been the Servlet. Hence, servlets and JSPs are actually intended to very different concerns, making a comparison moot.