JSP interview questions and answers

Here are the top 60 JSP (JavaServer Pages) interview questions with answers:

Other Technical Interview Questions and Answers

👉 Top 50 most asked interview questions and answers with examples

Basic JSP Concepts:

1. What is JSP?

   - JSP stands for JavaServer Pages. It is a technology for developing web applications using Java. JSP pages contain a mix of HTML and Java code.

2. Explain the difference between servlets and JSP.

   - Servlets are Java programs that handle HTTP requests and generate responses programmatically, while JSPs are text-based templates with embedded Java code.

3. What is the JSP life cycle?

   - The JSP life cycle consists of three phases: translation, compilation, and execution. During translation, the JSP is converted to a servlet. In the compilation phase, the servlet is compiled, and in the execution phase, it handles requests and generates responses.

4. What are the different JSP directives?

   - JSP directives include page, include, and taglib. They provide instructions for the JSP container during translation.

5. Explain the JSP Page Directive.

   - The page directive is used to provide instructions about the page, such as error handling, content type, and language. Example:

  <%@ page language="java" contentType="text/html" pageEncoding="UTF-8" %>

 

JSP Scripting Elements:

6. What are scriptlet tags in JSP?

   - Scriptlet tags (

<% %>

) are used to include Java code within JSP pages for dynamic content generation.

7. Explain JSP Expression Language (EL).

   - EL is used to evaluate expressions within JSP pages. It simplifies the retrieval of data from Java objects. Example:

  <p>${user.name}</p>

 

8. What is the purpose of JSP declarations?

   - Declarations (

<%! %>

) are used to define variables, methods, and classes within a JSP page.

9. What are JSP comments, and how do you write them?

   - JSP comments are used to add comments to the JSP code, and they are not sent to the client. They are written as

<%-- comment --%>

.

JSP Actions and Directives:

10. What is the purpose of the

<jsp:include>

action?

-

<jsp:include>

is used to include another resource (JSP or HTML) within a JSP page.

11. Explain the

<jsp:forward>

action.

-

<jsp:forward>

is used to forward a request to another resource (JSP or servlet) on the server.

12. What is the

<jsp:useBean>

action, and how is it used?

-

<jsp:useBean>

is used to create or locate a JavaBean component and store it in a specified scope (e.g., session or request).

13. How do you include external files using the

<%@ include %>

directive?

- The

<%@ include %>

directive is used to include external files (typically other JSP files) at the translation phase. Example:

 

   <%@ include file="header.jsp" %>

  

14. Explain the purpose of the

<%@ taglib %>

directive.

- The

<%@ taglib %>

directive is used to declare and configure custom tag libraries in JSP pages.

15. What is the

<jsp:useBean>

action, and how is it used?

-

<jsp:useBean>

is used to create or locate a JavaBean component and store it in a specified scope (e.g., session or request).

JSP Custom Tags:

16. What are custom tags in JSP, and why are they used?

- Custom tags are user-defined tags that encapsulate reusable functionality. They help separate code and presentation in JSP applications.

17. Explain the difference between custom tags and standard actions in JSP.

- Custom tags are user-defined and extend the functionality of JSP, while standard actions are predefined and provide basic functionality.

18. How do you create and use custom tags in JSP?

- Custom tags are defined in tag libraries (TLD files). They can be used in JSP pages by declaring the taglib and using the custom tag.

JSP Standard Actions:

19. What is the

<jsp:param>

standard action used for?

-

<jsp:param>

is used to pass parameters to other actions like

<jsp:include>

and

<jsp:forward>

.

20. Explain the

<jsp:plugin>

action and its use.

-

<jsp:plugin>

is used to embed an applet or object in a JSP page to provide additional functionality, such as multimedia content.

20. Explain the

<jsp:plugin>

action and its use.
    -

<jsp:plugin>

is used to embed an applet or object in a JSP page to provide additional functionality, such as multimedia content.