jspService() method will be written by the container hence any methods which are not to be overridden by the end user are typically written starting with an ‘_’. This is the reason why we don’t override _jspService() method in any JSP page.
In JavaServer Pages (JSP), the _jspService()
method is a special method that handles the processing of the JSP page. Unlike other life cycle methods such as init()
, service()
, and destroy()
, which are part of the servlet life cycle, _jspService()
is specific to JSP technology.
The reason why _jspService()
starts with an underscore (‘_’) is a naming convention chosen by the JSP specification. It indicates that this method is not meant to be directly called by the JSP page author. Instead, it is generated by the JSP container during the translation phase. The container generates the servlet code from the JSP page, and _jspService()
is the method where the actual logic of the JSP page is placed.
JSP technology abstracts away many of the details of servlet programming for developers who may not be familiar with servlets. The use of _jspService()
is an implementation detail, and the JSP page author typically focuses on writing the markup and embedded Java code within the JSP file.
In summary, the leading underscore in _jspService()
is a naming convention to indicate that it is a generated method, and its presence is specific to JSP technology.