What Is a Servlet?

A servlet is a Java programming language class that is used to extend the capabilities of servers
that host applications access via a request-response programming model. Although servlets can respond to any type of request, they are commonly used to extend the applications hosted by web servers. For such applications, Java Servlet technology defines HTTP-specific servlet classes.

Servlet Life Cycle

The life cycle of a servlet is controlled by the container in which the servlet has been deployed. When a request is mapped to a servlet, the container performs the following steps.

If an instance of the servlet does not exist, the web container
Loads the servlet class.
Creates an instance of the servlet class.
Initializes the servlet instance by calling the init method. Initialization is covered in Initializing a Servlet.
Invokes the service method, passing request and response objects. Service methods are discussed in Writing Service Methods.

If the container needs to remove the servlet, it finalizes the servlet by calling the servlet's destroy method. Finalization is discussed in Finalizing a Servlet.