Short answer:
Putting it inside the useBean tag sets the property only when the the bean is first created.
Longer answer:
The best way to find out about things like this is to create a JSP that does both, run it, and then look at the generated
servlet code.
[corrected pre-caffine wording error. Thanks, ramprasad]
[ July 29, 2005: Message edited by: Ben Souther ]