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 Basics of JSP in Java: An Introduction for Aspiring Web Developers

Michel July 2, 2025

 

 Basics of JSP in Java: An Introduction for Aspiring Web Developers

In the world of dynamic web applications, JavaServer Pages (JSP) is a powerful technology that allows developers to create interactive, server-side Java web pages with ease. JSP makes it possible to embed Java code directly into HTML pages, making it ideal for building dynamic websites and enterprise-level applications.

For students and professionals aiming to become full-stack developers, learning JSP is a must. Leading and top-rated java training institute in Pune offer dedicated modules on JSP to help learners build robust, dynamic web apps.

In this blog, you’ll learn everything about the basics of JSP in Java—its features, syntax, lifecycle, types of tags, and practical examples to get started.

📌 What is JSP in Java?

JavaServer Pages (JSP) is a server-side technology used to create dynamic, platform-independent web content. JSP is built on top of the Servlet API and enables developers to write Java code inside HTML using special JSP tags.

Unlike servlets that require a lot of Java code to generate HTML, JSP allows developers to write HTML first and embed small snippets of Java where needed—making it a developer-friendly alternative for UI rendering.

✅ Why Use JSP?

JSP combines the power of Java with the flexibility of HTML. Here’s why it’s widely used:

  • Enables dynamic content generation

  • Easier to maintain than servlets

  • Supports JavaBeans, custom tags, and JSTL

  • Allows embedding of business logic into UI

  • Ideal for MVC-based Java web applications

You’ll learn to integrate JSP with Servlets, JDBC, and MVC patterns during hands-on sessions in Java classes in Pune.

🧱 JSP vs Servlet

Feature JSP Servlet
Code Focus HTML with embedded Java Java with embedded HTML
Ease of Use Easier for web designers Better for backend logic
Compilation Compiled to servlet on server Written as Java class manually
Ideal Use View Layer Controller Layer

⚙️ How JSP Works (Behind the Scenes)

When a user requests a .jsp page, the following happens:

  1. The JSP page is converted into a servlet by the server.

  2. That servlet is compiled into a class.

  3. The class is loaded and executed.

  4. Output is sent back to the client browser.

This compilation happens automatically and only once unless the JSP page is modified.

📥 JSP Syntax and Directives

JSP uses different types of tags to embed Java code within HTML.

🔹 1. Scriptlet Tag

Used to write Java code.

jsp
<%
int x = 10;
out.println(x);
%>

🔹 2. Expression Tag

Outputs value to client.

jsp
<%= "Welcome to JSP!" %>

🔹 3. Declaration Tag

Declares variables or methods.

jsp
<%! int square(int n) { return n * n; } %>

🔹 4. Directive Tag

Provides instructions to JSP container.

jsp
<%@ page language="java" contentType="text/html" %>

🔹 5. Action Tag

Used to perform actions like including files or forwarding.

jsp
<jsp:include page="header.jsp" />

🔁 JSP Lifecycle Methods

Just like servlets, JSP pages go through a lifecycle managed by the container:

Phase Method Purpose
Translation jspInit() Initializes servlet created from JSP
Execution _jspService() Handles requests (like doGet() in servlets)
Destruction jspDestroy() Called when JSP is removed from memory

🌐 A Simple JSP Example

HTML + JSP:

jsp
<html>
<body>
<h1>Welcome</h1>
<% String name = "John"; %>
<p>Hello, <%= name %>!</p>
</body>
</html>

Output:

nginx
Welcome
Hello, John!

You’ll start with such examples in beginner modules during your training at a java training institute in Pune.

🔌 Connecting JSP with JDBC

You can also use JSP to interact with databases:

jsp
<%
Class.forName("com.mysql.jdbc.Driver");
Connection con = DriverManager.getConnection("jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/mydb", "root", "pass");
Statement stmt = con.createStatement();
ResultSet rs = stmt.executeQuery("SELECT * FROM students");

while(rs.next()) {
out.println(rs.getString("name") + "<br>");
}

con.close();
%>

🧰 Using JSP with MVC Architecture

Most real-world web apps are built using the Model-View-Controller architecture:

  • Model (JavaBeans or DB layer) – Handles business logic

  • View (JSP) – Displays data

  • Controller (Servlet) – Controls data flow

📦 JSTL and EL in JSP (Advanced Basics)

✅ JSTL (JavaServer Pages Standard Tag Library)

A set of custom tags for common tasks:

jsp
<%@ taglib prefix="c" uri="http://java.sun.com/jsp/jstl/core" %>
<c:forEach var="item" items="${list}">
<p>${item}</p>
</c:forEach>

✅ EL (Expression Language)

Simplifies data access from JavaBeans:

jsp
${student.name}

Both JSTL and EL help reduce Java code in JSP pages and are essential for clean, maintainable code.

🔐 Form Handling in JSP

Form:

html
<form action="register.jsp" method="post">
Name: <input type="text" name="name" />
<input type="submit" value="Submit" />
</form>

JSP (register.jsp):

jsp
<%
String name = request.getParameter("name");
out.println("Welcome, " + name);
%>

🔍 Advantages of JSP

  • Easier integration of Java with HTML

  • Automatic compilation into servlets

  • Reusable components using includes and taglibs

  • Ideal for dynamic content creation

  • Supports MVC design

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