Servlets as defined by sun are
"... objects which conform to a specific interface that can be plugged into a Java-based server. Servlets are similar to applets in that they are object byte codes that can be dynamically loaded off the net, but differ from applets in that they are faceless objects (without any graphics). They serve as platform independent dynamically load able plug able helper byte code objects on the server side. Servlets are a first step towards
agents, but they differ from agents in that they need to be explicitly invoked on and moved.."
In short, a servlet is to the server what an applet is to the client browser; a servlet is a Java class that can be used to dynamically extend the function of the server. Servlets have a standard interface defined in the package java.servlet. More servlet-related information can be found here.
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