Servlet | Java Servlet Programming (Java Series)

Java Servlet Programming, 2nd Edition > A. Servlet API Quick Reference > Servlet

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Servlet

Synopsis

Interface Name: javax.servlet.Servlet

Superinterface: None

Immediate Subinterfaces: None

Implemented By: javax.servlet.GenericServlet

Availability: Servlet API 1.0 and later

Description

All servlets implement the Servlet interface, either directly or by subclassing the GenericServlet or HttpServlet class. Most servlet developers find it easier to subclass one of the two existing servlet classes than to implement this interface directly. The interface declares the basic servlet functionality initializing a servlet, handling a client request, and destroying a servlet.

Interface Declaration

public interface Servlet {   // Methods   public abstract void destroy();   public abstract ServletConfig getServletConfig();   public abstract String getServletInfo();   public abstract void init(ServletConfig config) throws ServletException;   public abstract void service(ServletRequest req, ServletResponse res)     throws ServletException, IOException; }

Methods

destroy()

public abstract void destroy()

Description: Called by the servlet container to indicate to a servlet that the servlet has been taken out of service. See the full description under GenericServlet.

getServletConfig()

public abstract ServletConfig getServletConfig()

Description: Returns the ServletConfig object saved by the init( ) method.

getServletInfo()

public abstract String getServletInfo()

Description: Returns a programmer-defined String that describes the servlet.

init()

public abstract void init(ServletConfig config) throws ServletException

Description: Called by the servlet container after the servlet is first loaded and before the servlet's service( ) method is called. See the full description under GenericServlet.

service()

public abstract void service(ServletRequest req, ServletResponse res)   throws ServletException, IOException

Description: Called to handle a single client request. A servlet receives request information via the ServletRequest object and sends data back to the client via the ServletResponse object.

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