A servlet is a Java programming language class used to extend the capabilities of servers that host applications accessed by means of a request-response programming model. It is a server-side technology that allows the creation of web-based applications. Servlets are capable of handling requests obtained from web clients, typically through HTTP, the HyperText Transfer Protocol, and responding with either a textual response, such as HTML, or other binary formats like images and documents.
Servlets operate within a servlet container which is a part of a web server or an application server that provides the network services over which requests and responses are sent, decodes MIME-based messages, and manages the servlets' lifecycle. The lifecycle of a servlet includes its creation, initialization, handling requests, and destruction which are managed by the container.
Servlets are preferred over other server-side technologies like CGI (Common Gateway Interface) because they provide a way to generate dynamic content with higher performance due to benefits like thread-based request handling, and lower memory overhead. They are also platform-independent due to Java's portability, can access the entire family of Java APIs, and are secured by Java's security manager.
In essence, servlets are powerful and efficient server-side components that enhance the functionality of web servers by allowing dynamic interaction with we...
