Two "Post"s on the same html page valid?

[Jenna Thomas]

Servlets newbie alert.

I am trying to invoke 2 different servlets from my HTML page based on the Submit button pressed. My html page -

<form method="POST" action="DownloadJar.do">Download at your own risk!
<br>
<center><input type="SUBMIT"></center>


<form method="POST" action="GetInitParams.do">Support Information just in case!
<br><br>
<center><input type="SUBMIT"></center>


And my web.xml -
<servlet>
<servlet-name>Download My Jar Now</servlet-name>
<servlet-class>com.examples.web.downloadJar</servlet-class>
</servlet>
<servlet-mapping>
<servlet-name>Download My Jar Now</servlet-name>
<url-pattern>/DownloadJar.do</url-pattern>
</servlet-mapping>
<servlet>
<servlet-name>Those people have asked for it this time</servlet-name>
<servlet-class>com.examples.web.getInitParams</servlet-class>
<init-param>
<param-name>adminEmail</param-name>
<param-value>[email protected]</param-value>
<param-name>mainEmail</param-name>
<param-value>[email protected]</param-value>
</init-param>
</servlet>
<servlet-mapping>
<servlet-name>Those people have asked for it this time</servlet-name>
<url-pattern>/GetInitParams.do</url-pattern>
</servlet-mapping>

Pressing either Submit button always invokes the first servlet. Are we allowed to have 2 Post requests on the same html page at all? Or is something else the matter.

Thanks!

[David O'Meara]

You can, but you need to have a single form and use each button to change the form.action to the right value before submitting. Then everything should be OK.

Dave

[Jenna Thomas]

Thanks for your answer Dave, but I cant find any sample code for that, how do I go about invoking 2 different servlets from the same form? Skeleton code would do. Thanks again!

[David O'Meara]

Well firstly the simple answer may be to create valid HTML - you haven't closed your tags. Therefore it could be as simple as closing the first form:

<form method="POST" action="DownloadJar.do">Download at your own risk!
<br>
<center><input type="SUBMIT"></center>
</form>
 
<form method="POST" action="GetInitParams.do">Support Information just in case!
<br><br>
<center><input type="SUBMIT"></center></form>

[ July 23, 2006: Message edited by: David O'Meara ]

[Jenna Thomas]

Thanks David, it worked!

[Ben Souther]

Another approach, worth looking in to, is the "Front Controller" or "Command" pattern.

In your HTML form:

 
<form action="controller.do" method="post">
  <input type="hidden" name="form_action" value="getInitParams" />
  <input type="submit" name="enter_button" value="Get Init Params" />
</form>
 
<form action="controller.do" method="post">
  <input type="hidden" name="form_action" value="downloadJar" />
  <input type="hidden" name="enter_button" value="Download Jar" />
</form>

In your controller servelet:

String formAction = request.getParameter("form_action");
 
if("downloadJar".equals(formAction)){
  //forward to DownloadJar servlet or action class
}else if("getInitParams".equals(formAction)){
  //forward to GetInitParams servlet or action class
}else{
  // use default action
}

By loading your actions into a Map, you can avoid the long if/else statement.
I have a working example of this on my site: http://simple.souther.us
See: SimpleCommand
[ July 23, 2006: Message edited by: Ben Souther ]

[Bear Bibeault]

The problem with the code in your first point is that you have the forms embedded in each other (no </form> for the first form). That cannot be.

But you can have as many indepenendent forms with disparate actions on your page as you would like.

[Jenna Thomas]

Thanks Bear.

Will check this approach Ben. Thanks for your time!