Overview of Java Servlets
A servlet is a Java program that is run by a Web server.
Servlets follow a standard servlet API defining the interface between the server and the servlet, and are designed to work within a request/response model. The servlet API is part of the standard extensions of JDK.
Servlets can provide all the services of standard CGI, but are platform-independent and can have lifetimes spanning many transactions.
More generally, servlets play the role of providing middle-tier services between clients and back-end applications.
References:
- http://www.javasoft.com/products/servlet
- “Fundamentals of Java Servlets”, a tutorial from the MageLang Institute
- Java Servlet Programming, Jason Hunter, O’Reilly, 1998.