JavaServer Pages Standard Tag Library
The JavaServer Pages Standard Tag Library (JSTL) encapsulates, as simple tags, core functionality common to many JSP applications. For example, instead of suggesting that you iterate over lists using a scriptlet or different iteration tags from numerous vendors, JSTL defines a standard tag that works the same everywhere. This standardization lets you learn a single tag and use it on multiple JSP containers. Also, when tags are standard, containers can recognize them and optimize their implementations.
JSTL has support for common, structural tasks such as iteration and conditionals, tags for manipulating XML documents, internationalization and locale-sensitive formatting tags, and SQL tags. It also introduces a new expression language to simplify page development, and it provides an API for developers to simplify the configuration of JSTL tags and the development of custom tags that conform to JSTL conventions.