Newbie wrestles with scope and includes

the problem that I can't seem to solve at the moment is passing a variable to includes that are dynamically compiled at runtime.
the main file is index.jsp
the example include is 03.jsp (one in a series of about 50 includes, all identified by number and all having the same template as this one).
the problem I'm having is at lines 97-120 in index.jsp. I'm testing to see if there are any more rows in the iteration because the last row is formatted differently than all the rows preceding it. so I assign a variable to that condition and then, I hoped, it would get passed on to the include. that is, I assumed that the include was in the same scope as the variable since they are in the same section of the loop.
index.jsp:

<%@ page import="java.util.*" %>
<% String section = "Support"; %>
<% String title = "Online Troubleshooter"; %>
<% String referenceName = "support"; %>

<%@ include file="../inc/header.jsp"%>

<TR> 
        <TD ROWSPAN="4" VALIGN="top"></TD>
        <TD ROWSPAN="4" VALIGN="TOP">

<% //out.print(request.getQueryString()); %>
<% //out.print(request.getParameter("id")); %>

<TABLE>
<% String testid = request.getQueryString(); %>
<% String idString = request.getParameter("id");%>
<% if (testid != null)
{ %>
<% if (testid.startsWith("id"))
{ %>

 <% //out.println(testid);
StringBuffer testidBuffer = new StringBuffer(testid); %>

<% //out.println(idString);
StringBuffer idStringBuffer = new StringBuffer(idString); %>

<% while (idStringBuffer.length() > 0)
{ %>

<% //read first two digits
String s = idStringBuffer.substring(0,2);
// out.println(s); %>

<% //include that file %>
<% StringBuffer sURL = new StringBuffer(s); %>
<% sURL.append(".jsp"); %>
<% // out.print(sURL); %>
<% String stringURL = sURL.toString(); %>

<% //strip first 3 charcters from that string
idStringBuffer.delete(0,3); %>

<% if (idStringBuffer.length() > 0)
{
StringBuffer isHighlight = new StringBuffer("no");
//out.println("low");%>

<% }
}
String emailYes = request.getParameter("email");
if (emailYes != null)
{
pageContext.include("email.jsp");
}
}
else
{ 
// String startInclude = new String("start.jsp");
pageContext.include("start.jsp"); 
}
%>
</TABLE>
</TD>
        <TD><IMG NAME="master_r5_c5" SRC="images/spacer.gif" WIDTH="1" HEIGHT="1" BORDER="0"></TD>
        <TD>  </TD>
        
  <TD ROWSPAN="4"><IMG NAME="master_r5_c7" SRC="../images/master_r5_c7.gif" WIDTH="5" HEIGHT="414" BORDER="0"></TD>
        <TD><IMG SRC="images/spacer.gif" WIDTH="1" HEIGHT="66" BORDER="0"></TD>
    </TR>

<%@ include file="../inc/footer.jsp"%>

03.jsp:

TIA, On behalf of a JSP newbie.

Bryan,
Since you are using pageContext.include() to include the other jsp, isHighlight will not be visible. Remember, a JSP runs as a servlet and your scriptlets become code in the service() method of that servlet. That means that pageContext.include() is simply a method call to eventually executes another servlet (the one for 03.jsp) isHighlight is a local variable visible only in the enclosing if {} block in the index jsp-servlet.
What you will need to do is to put the isHighlight flag in one of the collections. Try using request.setAttribute() in index.jsp and then request.getAttribute() in the included jsp.
Also, I noticed that you use StringBuffer a lot but the way you use it doesn't buy you anything over using a String. Another thing: isHighlight == "yes" is wrong. Always use equals() method to test for String equality.
HTH,
Junilu

Very helpful. Thanks always.