getServletConfig

getServletConfig is a method defined by the Servlet interface in the Java Servlet API. It returns the ServletConfig object associated with the current servlet, which the container creates during servlet initialization. The ServletConfig provides access to per-servlet configuration data and a link to the hosting web application's context.

A servlet uses ServletConfig to access initialization parameters that are defined for that servlet, as well as to obtain the ServletContext. Specifically, you can call getInitParameter(String name) and getInitParameterNames() on the returned object to read per-servlet init parameters. You can also call getServletContext() on the ServletConfig to obtain the ServletContext, which holds context-wide parameters and attributes shared across the application.

Usage commonly appears in or after init, service, or doGet/doPost methods. For example, getServletConfig().getInitParameter("paramName") retrieves a parameter configured for the servlet in web.xml or via annotations such as @WebInitParam. Context parameters are accessed via getServletContext().getInitParameter("name"), which are shared across the web application.

Lifecycle notes indicate that the container assigns a ServletConfig to a servlet during initialization and it remains associated for the servlet’s lifetime. Accessing getServletConfig() before init has completed or after the servlet is destroyed is not reliable, so code typically uses it only after initialization.

In summary, getServletConfig provides per-servlet configuration data and a gateway to the servlet’s context, enabling access to init parameters and shared application context from within a servlet.