A: The javax.servlet.Servlet interface defines the three methods known as life-cycle method.
public void init(ServletConfig config) throws ServletException
public void service( ServletRequest req, ServletResponse res) throws ServletException, IOException
public void destroy()
First the servlet is constructed, then initialized with the init() method.
Any request from client are handled initially by the service() method before delegating to the doXxx() methods in the case of HttpServlet.
The servlet is removed from service, destroyed with the destroy() methid, then garbaged collected and finalized.
Q: What is the difference between the getRequestDispatcher(String path) method of javax.servlet.ServletRequest interface and javax.servlet.ServletContext interface?
A: The getRequestDispatcher(String path) method of javax.servlet.ServletRequest interface accepts parameter the path to the resource to be included or forwarded to, which can be relative to the request of the calling servlet. If the path begins with a "/" it is interpreted as relative to the current context root.
The getRequestDispatcher(String path) method of javax.servlet.ServletContext interface cannot accepts relative paths. All path must sart with a "/" and are interpreted as relative to curent context root.
Q: Explain the directory structure of a web application.
A: The directory structure of a web application consists of two parts.
A private directory called WEB-INF
A public resource directory which contains public resource folder.
WEB-INF folder consists of
2. classes directory
3. lib directory
Q: What are the common mechanisms used for session tracking?
Q: Explain ServletContext.
A: ServletContext interface is a window for a servlet to view it's environment. A servlet can use this interface to get information such as initialization parameters for the web applicationor servlet container's version. Every web application has one and only one ServletContext and is accessible to all active resource of that application.
Q: What is preinitialization of a servlet?
A: A container doesnot initialize the servlets ass soon as it starts up, it initializes a servlet when it receives a request for that servlet first time. This is called lazy loading. The servlet specification defines the
Q: What is the difference between Difference between doGet() and doPost()?
A: A doGet() method is limited with 2k of data to be sent, and doPost() method doesn't have this limitation. A request string for doGet() looks like the following:
doPost() method call doesn't need a long text tail after a servlet name in a request. All parameters are stored in a request itself, not in a request string, and it's impossible to guess the data transmitted to a servlet only looking at a request string.
Q: What is the difference between HttpServlet and GenericServlet?
Generic Servlet calls the service() method when any request is made. Whereas HttpServlet calls doGet() or doPost() method depends upon the "GET" or "POST" method
To get Init Parameter value :
Creating the Cookie :
Cookie cook = new Cookie(name, value);
name & value shouldn't have any spl characters
to Add Cookie to the response header:
Cookie attributes :
a) Comment --- set the comment
b) Domain --- setDomain(".xxx.com") means this cookie is valid to abc.xxx.com and xyz.xxx.com
-ve value (default) means last only for the current session
0 means delete the cookies
To get Cookies from request Header :
if request.getCookies() is null then cookie is diabled by the client
Servlet Filters :
1) Write a class that implements 'Filter' class and override 'doFilter()' method
2) Create a 'filter' tag representing 'filter-name' and 'filter-Class' in web.xml
3) Create a 'filter-mapping' tag representing 'filter-name' and 'url-pattern' in web.xml