Spring - Command Controllers and Forms

<form:password path="--" value="--" showPassword="--"/>

 Where "path" atribute will take reference name to the password field, it must be same as the property defined in the respective Command class having setter and getter methods.

 Where "value" atrribute will take default password value to display while creating password field.

 Where "showPassword" property will take either true/false value to show or not to show password data in password field while providing password data.

EX:

<form:form -----> User Password<form:password name="upwd" showPassword="false"/> </form:form>

public class User{ private String upwd; ---- public void setUpwd(String upwd){

this.upwd = upwd; } public String getUpwd(){ return upwd; } --- }

Note: "showPassword" attribute is not working in Applications as part of my testing, but, Spring Framework has provided "showPassword" attribute in documentation.

• <form:checkbox>

It will provide checkbox in user form, it is same as Html <input type="checkbox"> tag and it will submit a boolean value to the Server side application on the basis of the selection. If we select checkbox then it will send "true" value , if we are not selecting checkbox then it will send false value to server side application.

Syntax:

<form:checkbox path="--" value="--"/>

 Where "path" attribute will take reference name to the checkbox, it must be same as the boolean property existed in Command class having setXXX() and isXXX() method.  Where "value" will take a value to send to the Server side application, where at Server side

Command class we need a property of String or xxx data type with setXXX() and getXXX() method.

Ex:

<form:form ----> R U Married?<form:checkbox path="Married"/>

</form:form>

public class User{

private boolean married; ---- public void setMarried(boolean married){

this.married = married; } public boolean isMarried(){

return married; } }

EX:

<form:form --- > R u Married? <form:checkbox path="maritalStatus" value="Married"/>

</form:form>

public class User{

private String maritalStatus; ---- public void setMaritalStatus(String maritalStatus) {

this.maritalStatus = maritalStatus; } public String getMaritalStatus() {

if(maritalStatus == null || maritalStatus.equals("")) { maritalStatus="Not Married";

} return maritalStatus; } ---- }

• <form:checkboxes>

It will provide collection of checkboxes to select items.

Syntax:

<form:checkboxes path="--" items="--"/>

 Where "path" attribute will take reference value of all checkboxes , it must have a property of String[] in the respective command class having setXXX() and getXXX() methods.

 Where "items" attribute will take an expression including a property from Command class providing checkbox labels and values or a Property data which is generated by overriding referenceData() method in controller class.

EX:

<form:form ---- > User Quaqlifications<form:checkboxes path="uqual" items="{qual_List}"/>

</form:form>

public class RegistrationController extends SimpleFormController{

@Override protected Map referenceData(HttpServletRequest request) throws Exception {

Map<String, Object> map = new HashMap<>(); List<String> qual_List = new ArrayList<>(); qual_List.add("BSC"); qual_List.add("BTech"); qual_List.add("MCA"); qual_List.add("MTech"); qual_List.add("PHD"); map.put("qual_List", qual_List); return map; }

@Override protected ModelAndView onSubmit(Object command) throws Exception {

User user = (User)command; return new ModelAndView("status", "user", user); } }

public class User{ private String[] uqual; ---- public void setUqual(String[] uqual){

this.uqual = uqual; } public String getUqual(){ return uqual; } }

• <form:radiobutton>

It will display a radio button to select an item, it is same as html <input type="radio"> tag.

Syntax:

<form:radiobutton path="--" value="--"/>

 Where "path" attribute will take a reference name , it must be same as the property in Command class having setXXX() method and getXXX() method.

 Where "value" attribute will take radio button value inorder to send to Server side application.

EX:

<form:radiobutton path="ugender" value="Male"/>Male <form:radiobutton path="ugender" value="Female"/>Female

public class User{ private String ugender; ---- public void setUgender(String ugender){ this.ugender = ugender; } public String getUgender(){ return ugender; } --- }

• <formradiobuttons>

It will provide multiple radio buttons as a group to select one item.

Syntax:

<form:radiobuttons path="--" items="--"/>

 Where "path" attribute will take reference name to the radio buttons which same as the property name in command class inorder to store the seleted radio button value.

 Where "items" attribute will take the property name of the List or String[] which contains all the names of the Radio Buttons which is generated from referencedData() method from the respective controller class.

EX:

<form:radiobuttons path="uworkLocation" items="${uworkLocation}"/>

public class User{ private String uworkLocation; ---- public void setUworkLocation(String uworkLocation){

this.uworkLocation = uworkLocation; } public String getUworkLocation(){

return uworkLocation; } }

public class UserController extends SimpleFormController{ protected Map referenceData(HttpServletRequest request) throws Exception { Map<String, Object> map = new HashMap<>();

List<String> uworkLocation = new ArrayList<>(); uworkLocation.add("Hyderabad"); uworkLocation.add("Chennai"); uworkLocation.add("Pune"); uworkLocation.add("Mumbai"); map.put("uworkLocation", uworkLocation);

return map; }

• <form:select>

<form:select> tag can be used to create select box, it is same as html <select> tag, it will display list of items to select either multiple or single depending on our option.

Syntax:

<form:select path="--" multiple="--" items="--"> ------

</form:select>

 Where "path" attribute will take reference value to the Select box , it must be same as the respecitve property name in command class inorder to store the selected values.

 Where "multiple" attribute will take either "true" or "false" value inorder make "multiple" selections or "single" selection in the select box.

 Where "items" attribute will take a property name of Map type contains the Item values and itemLabels which is generated from referenceddata() method of the contoller class.

Note: If we want to provide items to the select box individually , not as a Map from controller class then we have to use <form:option> tag as chaild tag to <form:select> tag.

Syntax:

<form:option value="--"> Label </form:option> Where "value" attribute will take item Value which we want to send to Server side application. Where "Label" is item Label to display in select box.

Note: If we want to get all the Item Values and Item Labels from referencesData() method in Controller class then we have to use <form:options> tag.

Syntax:

<form:options items="---" itemValue="--" itemLabel="---"/>

Where "items" attribute will take a property representing Map object contains item values and item Labels from referencedData() method in Controiller class.

EX:

<form:select path=‖uskillSet‖ multiple=‖true‖> <form:option value=‖C‖>C</form:option> <form:option value=‖C++‖>C++</form:option> <form:option value=‖Java‖>Java</form:option> <form:option value=‖.Net‖>.Net</form:option> <form:option value=‖Oracle‖>Oracle</form:option> </form:select>

public class User{ private String[] uskillSet; ---- public void setUskillSet(String[] uskillSet){ this.uskillSet = uskillSet; } public String[] getUskillSet(){ return uskeillSet; } }

EX:

<form:select path="uhobbies" items="${uhobbies}" multiple="true"/>

public class User{ private String[] uhobbies; ---- public void setUhobbies(String[] uhobbies){ this.uhobbies = uhobbies; } public String[] getUhobbies(){ return uhobbies; } }

public class UserController extends SimpleFormController{ protected Map referenceData(HttpServletRequest request) throws Exception { Map<String, Object> map = new HashMap<>();

Map<String, String> uhobbies = new HashMap<>(); uhobbies.put(―Playing Cricket‖, ―Playing Cricket‖); uhobbies.put(―Listening Music‖, ―Listening Music‖); uhobbies.put(―Chatting with Friends‖, ―Chatting with Friends‖); map.put(―uhobbies‖, uhobbies);

map.put(―uhobbies‖, uhobbies);

return map; }

EX:

<form:select path="uprofession" multiple="false"> <form:options items="${uprofession}"/>

</form:select>

public class User{ private String uprofession; ---- public void setUprofession(String uprofession){ this.uprofession = profession; } public String getUprofession(){ return uprofession; } }

• <form:textarea>

It will provide text area to take multiple lines of data from Users, it is same as <textarea> tag in Html.

Syntax:

<form:textarea path="--"/> Where "path" attribute will take reference name to the textarea which is same as a property in Command class.

EX:

<form:textarea path="uaddr"/>

public class User{ private String uaddr; ---- public void setUaddr(String uaddr){ this.uaddr = uaddr;

} public String getUaddr(){ return uaddr; } }

• <form:hidden>

It will prepare Hidden field in user forms, it is same as <input type="hidden"/> in Html.

Syntax:

<form:hidden path="--" value="--"/> Where "path" attribute will take a reference name to the hidden field, it must be same as a property in Command class having setXXX() method and getXXX() method.

EX:

<form:hidden path="sid" value="S-111"/>

public class Student{ private String sid; public void setSid(String sid){ this.sid = sid; } public String getSid(){ return sid; } }