setting an attribute on the httprequest within a jsp

[John Gregory]

I have a servlet that looks up a user and sets an attribute on the request.
Next, it's forwarded to a jsp via a requestdispatcher.

In the ensuing jsp, I get the object I set in the servlet and display various
attributes of that object. On this jsp, there are 2 forms and 2 corresponding
buttons to process this user, depending on which button is depressed.

The question is, how can I get that user forwarded to a follow-on servlet?
I've tried using a hidden variable, no luck. I tried doing

 request.setAttribute("user", user)   

in a scriptlet, but that didn't work. I'm getting a big fat null pointer exception...which I eventually
found in the HFJSP book...

Any ideas??

Thanks,

John

[Ochi Elty]

Hi,

Instead of using request.setAttribute("user", user), you must use session.setAttribute("user", user) and on your next jsps and servlets, get the object via session.getAttribute("user").

Hope this helps.

[Bear Bibeault]

Once the response is sent to the browser, the old request is gone and with it your scoped variables (the correct term for what you are calling "attributes").

You will either need to use the session (be sure to clean up after yourself), or cause the value to be submitted as a request parameter with the form to the next request.

[John Gregory]

Bear,

Thanks, the using a session worked.

John