What is the Difference Between Tomcat 7.0 and Tomcat 6.0?

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The main differences between Tomcat 7.0 and Tomcat 6.0 include:

  1. Java Support: Tomcat 7.0 supports Java 6, while Tomcat 6.0 supports only Java 5.
  2. Servlet API: Tomcat 7.0 includes the Servlet 3.0 API, which is an improved version over the previous version used by Tomcat 6.0.
  3. Performance: Tomcat 7.0 starts faster and runs web applications more quickly than Tomcat 6.0.
  4. Security: Tomcat 7.0 has enhanced security due to several code fixes and additions.
  5. Code Modernization: Tomcat 7.0 features cleaner and modernized code that uses generics in necessary places, while Tomcat 6.0's code is not as modernized and clean.

In addition to these differences, Tomcat 7.0 implements several new features not found in Tomcat 6.0, such as Java Servlet 3.0, JavaServer Pages 2.2, Expression Language 2.2, and WebSocket 1.1 specifications.

Comparative Table: Tomcat 7.0 vs Tomcat 6.0

Here is a table comparing the differences between Tomcat 7.0 and Tomcat 6.0:

Feature Tomcat 7.0 Tomcat 6.0
Java Support Java 6 or later required Java 5 or later required
Servlet API Servlet 3.0 API Servlet 2.5 API
JSP JSP 2.2 JSP 2.1
EL EL 2.2 EL 2.1
WebSocket WebSocket 1.1 Not supported
Security Improved security due to several security code fixes Security not as robust as Tomcat 7.0

Tomcat 7.0 was built upon the improvements introduced in the earlier version and implements Servlet 3.0 API, JSP 2.2, EL 2.2, and WebSocket 1.1 specifications. It requires Java 6 or later, while Tomcat 6.0 requires Java 5 or later. Tomcat 7.0 has improved security over Tomcat 6.0 due to several security code fixes. Additionally, Tomcat 7.0 has faster startup and performance than Tomcat 6.0.