Ankit JSP

Scripting Elements in JavaServer Pages
(JSP)
This article explains the details of JavaServer Pages (JSP) scripting elements.
Scripting elements
Scripting elements are those that provide the ability to insert Java code inside JSP. In JSP the
scripting elements are written inside "< %.....% >" tags. The codes inside "<%....% >" tags are
processed by the JSP engine during the translation of the JSP pages. The text or code written in
JSP pages apart from the preceding tags is treated as HTML content.
Types of scripting elements
Basically scripting elements are of the following five types.
Comment tag
Directive tag
Scriptlet tag
Expression tag
Declaration tag
But mainly we have the following three types.
Scriptlet tag
Expression tag
Declaration tag
JSP Comment tag

A JSP comment tag is used in JSP pages when you are creating something. When you want to
explain how the procedure you are using to build the JSP pages, you can put your explanation in
comment tags. These comments are only seen in JSP pages and not included in the servlet source
code during the translation phase, they are not even in the HTTP response.
Note
A pure JSP comment is called a "hidden comment" that is not visible at the client site and the
syntax is given below.
Syntax
1. < %...comment lines..% >
Note
The HTML comment is known as an "output comment" and is visible at the client site and the
syntax is given below.
Syntax
1. <!.. comment lines ..>
The following is an example to illustrate this tag.
1. <html>
2. <head>
3. <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
4. <title>JSP Comment tag</title>
5. </head>
6. <%
7. int a=1;
8. int b=2;
9. int c=a+b;
10. %>
11.
12. <body>
13.
14. < %.. This will add the two numbers ..% >
15. <br>
16. <br>
17. The addition of two numbers is <% out.println(c);%>
18. </body>
19. </html>
Output
In the preceding output you can see the comment is shown because we have use a pure JSP
comment and if we use the HTML comment <!...comment> then the comment will not be
shown. Let's have a look at the next output with HTML comments.
Output
JSP Directive tag

Directive tags are used to provide the special instructions to the web container during the page
translation.
Syntax
1. <%@ directives %>
Directive tags are of the following three types:
page
include
taglib
Page directive
The page directive defines various types of page-independent properties (such as language,
session, errorPage, and so on) that communicate to the web container during the translation.
Syntax
1. <%@ page %>
Some of the "page directives" are as follows.
import attribute
The "import" attribute defines that the specified set of classes or packages must be imported in
the servlet class definition.
For example:
1. <%@ page import="java.util.Calendar" %>
2. Or
3. <%@ page import="java.util.Date" %>
language attribute
The "language" attribute defines which scripting language is to be used in the JSP page.
For example:
1. <%@ page language="java" %>
ErrorPage attribute
The "errorPage" attribute indicates another JSP page that will handle all the runtime exceptions
thrown by the current JSP page.
For example:
1. <%@ page errorPage="error.jsp" %>
isErrorPage attribute
The "isErrorPage" attribute declares whether the current page represents another JSP's page.
For example:
1. <%@ page isErrorPage="true" %>

2. Or
3. <%@ page isErrorPage ="true" %>
contentType attribute
The "contentType" attribute defines the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) type for
the JSP response.
For example:
1. <%@ page contentType="text/html" %>
Session attribute
The "session" attribute defines whether or not the JSP page is participating in an HTTP sesseion.
For example:
1. <%@ page session="true" %>
2. Or
3. <%@ page session="false" %>
isThreadSafe attribute
The "isThreadSafe" attribute defines whether the JP page is thread-safe or not.
For example:
1. <%@ page isThreadSafe= "true" %>
2. Or
3. <%@ page isThreadSafe= "false" %>
autoFlush attribute
The "autoFlush" attribute defines whether the buffered output is flushed automatically and it's
default value is true.
For example:
<%@ page autoFlush="true" %>
buffer attribute
The "buffer" attribute specifies buffering characteristics for the server output response object.
For example:
1. <%@ page buffer="none" %>
2. Or
3. <%@ page buffer="10kb" %>
info attribute
The "info" attribute provide a description of the JSP page.
For example:
1. <%@ page info="This page is built by Gopi" %>
extends attribute
The "extends" attribute defines a super class that the generated servlet must extend.
For example:
1. <%@ page extends="somePackage.SomeClass" %>
Include directives
The "include directives" indicates the web container to copy everything from the included file
and paste it in the current JSP page.
The syntax is as following:
1. <%@ include file="filename.jsp" %>
Example
include.jsp
1. <html>
2. <head>
4. <title>Include page</title>
5. </head>
6. <body>
7. <%@include file="add.jsp" %>
8. </body>
9. </html>
In the preceding example, <%@include file="add.jsp" %> says to insert the complete contents of
the "add.jsp" file into the "include.jsp" file.
add.jsp
1. <html>
2. <head>
4. <title>Addition Page</title>
5. </head>
6. <%
7. int a=2;
8. int b=3;
9. int c=a+b;
10. %>
11. <body>
12. The sum of two numbers is:
13. <%
14. out.println(c);
15. %>
16. </body>
17. </html>
Output
You can see in the output that by running "include.jsp" we get the content of "add.jsp" as the
output.
Taglib directives
The "taglib directives" is generally used to define the tag library that the current JSP page uses.
The syntax of the taglib directive is as follows:
1. <%@ taglib prefix="prefixOfTag" uri="uriOfTagLibrary"%>
2. Or
3. <%@ taglib prefix="mine" uri="randomName"%>
Each library used in a page needs its own taglib directive with a unique prefix and the prefix is
used to distinguish the custom tag from other library custom tags.
URI is the unique name for the tag library.
Example
The tag we are using in this example is userName.
1. <html>
2. <head>
4. <title>Taglib page</title>
5. </head>
6. <%@ taglib prefix="mine" uri="yourTags" %>
7. <body>
8. Hello..!! <mine:userName/>
9. </body>
10. </html>
JSP Scriptlet tag
A JSP scriptlet tag simply allows you to write the Java code in your JSP page.
The syntax is as follows:
1. <% Java code %>
Let's see a simple JSP scriptlet tag example.
1. <html>
2. <head>
4. <title>Sciptlet tag page</title>
5. </head>
6. <body>
7. <% out.println("This is Scriptlet tag");%>
8. </body>
9. </html>
Output
Now let's see another example.

In this example the username will be printed along with the page count. And for this we will
create two JSP files, one for the Graphical User Interface (GUI) and the other for the scripting.
Index.jsp
1. <html>
2. <head>
4. <title>JSP main Page</title>
5. </head>
6. <body>
7. <div id="Login" style="background-color: pink">
8. <form action="Scriptlet.jsp" method="post">
9. <strong>Username</strong>:<input type="text" name="uname"><br><br>
10. <input type="submit" name="Login">
11. </form>
12. </div>
13. </body>
14. </html>
Output
Scriptlet.jsp
1. <html>
2. <head>
4. <title>Sciptlet tag page</title>
5. <%
6. int count=0;
7. %>
8. </head>
9. <body>
10. <%
11. String name=request.getParameter("uname");
12. out.println("Hello..!!"+name);
13. %>
14. <br>
15. <br>
16. The page count is:
17. <% out.println(++count);%>
18. </body>
19. </html>
Output: After submitting
JSP Expression tag

The JSP expression tag is used to print out Java language that is put between the tags. So there is
no need to write " out.println() " to print the content and it is mainly used to print the values of
variables and methods.
The syntax is as follows:
1. <%= expression%>
Let's see a simple example of this.
1. <html>
2. <head>
4. <title>Expression tag Page</title>
5. </head>
6. <body>
7. <div style="background-color: pink">
8. <%= "Welcome to expresssion tag"%>
9. </div>
10. </body>
11. </html>
Output
Another example
In this example, the output will print the username along with the date and time.
Index.jsp
1. <html>
2. <head>
4. <title>JSP main Page</title>
5. </head>
6. <body>
7. <div id="Login" style="background-color:lightblue">
8. <form action="expression.jsp" method="post">
9. <strong>Username</strong>:<input type="text" name="uname"><br><br>
10. <input type="submit" name="Login">
11. </form>
12. </div>
13. </body>
14. </html>
Output
Expression.jsp
1. <html>
2. <head>
4. <title>Expression tag Page</title>
5. </head>
6. <body>
8. <%= "Hello..!!"+request.getParameter("uname")%>
9. <br>
10. <%="Current time is:"+java.util.Calendar.getInstance().getTime()%>
11. </div>
12. </body>
13. </html>
Output: After submitting
JSP Declaration tag

When we declare a variable or method in JSP inside a "declaration tag" the declaration is made
in the servlet class (because at the end a JSP page is translated into a servlet class) but outside the
service method. You can declare static member, instance variable and methods inside the
declaration tag.
Syntax of declaration tag
1. <%! Field or method declaration %>
Example that declares fields
1. <html>
2. <head>
4. <title>Declaration tag Page</title>
5. </head>
6. <body>
8. <%!
9. int a=4;
10. int b=2;
11. int c=a+b;
12. %>
13.
14. <%="The sum of two numbers:"+c%>
15. </div>
16. </body>
17. </html>
Output
Example that declares method

1. <html>
2. <head>
4. <title>Declaration tag Page</title>
5. </head>
6. <body>
8. <%!
9. int cube(int n){
10. return n*n*n;
11. }
12. %>
13.
14. <%="Cube of 4 is:"+cube(4)%>
15. </div>
16. </body>
17. </html>
Output

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Scripting Elements in JavaServer Pages

But mainly we have the following three types.

JSP Comment tag

JSP Directive tag

1. <%@ page isErrorPage="true" %>

Now let's see another example.

JSP Expression tag

JSP Declaration tag

Example that declares method

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