Use of Custom Tags

Custom tags are JSP tags you create that allow you to define new functionality for your JSPs.

While this is a simple example meant to illustrate what custom tags are, in reality, custom tags are useful for a number of reasons:

• They promote code reuse because they cut down duplication of code on your JSPs.
• They make your JSPs more maintainable, because you can avoid using scriptlets.
• Their usage simplifies the work of web designers, because they obviate the need for scriptlets, which are more difficult to write and use.
• They are a key tool used to promote a separation of concerns. Most, if not all, web application frameworks, including Struts and JavaServer Faces, utilize custom tags for this reason.