Servlets sit at bottom end of the API stack for web developers using Java technologies. If you have used JSP, JSF, Struts, Web Work, Velocity, or any of the other frameworks out there you have more than likely used the Servlet API.

What do I like about the Servlet API? As a developer I like being as close to possible to HTTP as possible and Servlets lets me do that well. The Servlet API has adapted to fit the needs of scripting languages by being the base for JSP, re-usable component models such as JSF, frameworks like Struts, and Portlets. Servlets are even good for providing the server side processing for AJAX clients.

• ServletContext.getContextPath() - Ever wonder what the context root was for your web application? This API is a long need addition.
• Annotations - Added annotations for Java persistence, web service, declaring roles, run as, and EJBs. We did not add annotations for decarling servlets, filters, and listeners in this release though this will be a topic of discussion in the next servlet release.
• Resource Injection - Resource injection is a way of injecting references of container managed resources such as data sources, environment entries, or web services into container managed components such as servlets, filters and listeners. Support for resource injection was added for Java Enterprise Edition containers.
• web.xml Changes- Removed the need to have a web.xml in web applications without servlets, filters or listeners. Some conveniences for declaring components in the web.xml were added.

Jason Hunter, a long time member of the Servlet EG, has detailed the changes in the article New features added to Servlet 2.5 on Java World.

Download the updated Servlet 2.5 specification from here.

If you want to try out the Servlet 2.5 features today the Glassfish container provided by Sun just released a beta containing support for the new changes.

If you would like to see some of the things we are thinking about for the next servlet release, or if you would like to propose an addition please see my blog entry titled Got Servlets.