Question

Possible Duplicate:
ServletContext and Session object

I am finding it strange that

session.getAttribute("someString");

works while

session.getServletContext().getAttribute("someString");

does not always work.

I am adding objects to session by getting HttpSession object from HttpServletRequest request with

request.getSession().setAttribute("someString")

Answer 1

Simple: the session is not the same thing as the servlet context. They are quite different concepts, and have different uses.

Cletus sums it up nicely:

Sessions are user specific.

Servlet contexts are essentially global (within the context of that servlet), meaning all users who hit that servlet will share the same servlet context.