Difference forward and sendRedirect

1.  Forward

• Definition:  forward is a server-side process. When you use , the request is transferred to another resource (such as a servlet, JSP, or HTML file) within the same server without the client being aware of the change.
• URL Change:  The URL in the browser remains the same, as the client is not redirected.
• Performance:  Generally faster since it doesn’t involve an additional round trip between the client and server.
• Usage:  Often used for server-side navigation within an application, especially when the target resource is on the same server forward and sendRedirect.

2.  SendRedirect                         

•  Definition:  sendRedirect is a client-side process. When you use sendRedirect, the client is instructed to make a new request to a different URL. This can be on the same server or a different server.
• URL Change:  The URL in the browser changes to the new resource URL.
• Performance:  Generally slower due to the extra round trip required for the client to make a new request.
• Usage:  Often used to redirect to a resource on a different server, or when a complete new request is needed (for example, after form submission) forward and sendRedirect.

java
import javax.servlet.*;
import javax.servlet.http.*;
import java.io.IOException;
	
public class ForwardExampleServlet extends HttpServlet {
    protected void doGet(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException, IOException {
        RequestDispatcher dispatcher = request.getRequestDispatcher("targetPage.jsp");
        dispatcher.forward(request, response);
    }
}

java
import javax.servlet.*;
import javax.servlet.http.*;
import java.io.IOException;

public class SendRedirectExampleServlet extends HttpServlet {
    protected void doGet(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException, IOException {
        response.sendRedirect("http://www.example.com");
    }
}

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