How To Code When Work With DynaValidatorForm

[JiaPei Jen]

Please help me in learning how to code when I am working with DynaValidatorForm.
1. in my struts-config.xml, I have:

     <form-bean
        name="postForm" 
          type="org.apache.struts.validator.DynaValidatorForm">
          <form-property
            name="receiver"
            type="java.lang.String"/>
          <form-property
            name="sender"
            type="java.lang.String"/>
          .....
          .....
        </form-bean>

2. My PostForm.java is like:

import org.apache.struts.validator.DynaValidatorForm;
import org.apache.struts.action.ActionMapping;
 
public class PostForm extends DynaValidatorForm  {
 
    private String receiver;
    private String sender;
    ......
    
    public void setReceiver( String receiver )
    {
        this.receiver = receiver;
    }
    public void setSender( String sender ) 
    {
        this.sender = sender;
    }
    ......
    ......
    public String getReceiver() 
    {
        return receiver;
    }
    public String getSender() 
    {
        return sender;
    }
    .....
    .....
}

3. in my action class (see the code below)
3.1. do I cast the form to DynaActionForm? or I should cast the form to DynaValidatorForm?
3.2. Can I use the copyProperties() method of the BeanUtils to convert the form to a bean?
BeanUtils.copyProperties( threadBean, postForm );

.......
import org.apache.struts.action.Action;
import org.apache.struts.action.ActionForward;
import org.apache.struts.action.ActionMapping;
import org.apache.struts.action.ActionForm;
import org.apache.struts.action.DynaActionForm;
import org.apache.commons.beanutils.BeanUtils;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
import org.apache.artimus.message.PostForm;
import org.apache.artimus.message.PostBean;
import org.apache.artimus.message.ThreadBean;
import org.apache.artimus.message.utility.DateUtil;
public final class StoreMessage extends Action
{
   public ActionForward execute(ActionMapping mapping,
                                ActionForm form,
                                HttpServletRequest request,
                                HttpServletResponse response)
        throws Exception 
   {
      int parentPostID;
      int threadID;
      String memberName = request.getRemoteUser();
      Timestamp now = DateUtil.getCurrentGMTTimestamp();
      parentPostID = Integer.parseInt( request.getParameter( "parent" ) );
      DynaActionForm postForm = ( DynaActionForm )form;
      ThreadHandler thandler = new ThreadHandler();
      ThreadBean threadBean = new ThreadBean();
      BeanUtils.copyProperties( threadBean, postForm );
      if (parentPostID == 0 ) // new topic
      {
         threadBean.setLastPostMemberName( memberName );
         threadBean.setThreadCreationDate( now );
         .........
         .........
 
         threadID = thandler.insertThread( threadBean );
      }
   .......
   .......
   }
}

4. the action mapping in my struts-config.xml is like:

    <action
        roles="administrator,editor,contributor"
        path="/message/NewTopic"
        type="org.apache.artimus.message.StoreMessage"
        name="postForm"
        scope="request"
        validate="true"
        input=".message.Form">
       <forward
            name="success"
            path=".article.View"/>
    </action>

Thank you.

[Rick Hightower]

It seems like you are mixing your metaphors. Why are you redefining the property in both the Java class version of the ActionForm and the properties file.
You either want to do one or the other.
If you are using DynaActionForms or DynaValidatorForms you do not need a class that subclasses DynaValidatorForm.

[JiaPei Jen]

I do not quite get the idea. Please help with the drafted code for the PostForm, which is of type="org.apache.struts.validator.DynaValidatorForm"
1. which class should be imported?
2. how do I code the reset( ... )?

// WHICH CLASS SHOULD BE IMPORTED HERE?
public class PostForm extends BaseDynaForm 
{
   public void reset(ActionMapping actionMapping, HttpServletRequest 
httpServletRequest) 
   {
      // WHAT SHOULD I DO HERE?
   }
   public PostForm () {}
}

Thank you.

[Rick Hightower]

Do this:

import org.apache.struts.validator.DynaValidatorForm;import org.apache.struts.action.ActionMapping; public class PostForm extends ValidatorForm  {
... Same as Before

(Notice form not dynamic)
With this:
<form-bean
name="postForm"
type="yourpackage.PostForm"/>

OR THIS:

<form-bean        name="postForm"           type="org.apache.struts.validator.DynaValidatorForm"> 
.... same as before

BUT.... Not both

[JiaPei Jen]

Allow me to ask three more questions:
1. If I want to reset some specific text fields when the JSP is re-displayed, do I code the PostForm.java like this (please confirm):

import org.apache.struts.validator.DynaValidatorForm;
import org.apache.struts.action.ActionMapping; 
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
public class PostForm extends DynaValidatorForm  
{
   public void reset(ActionMapping mapping, HttpServletRequest request)    
   { 
      super.reset( mapping, request );
      set( "receiver", new String("") );
      set( "sender", new String("") );
   } 
   public PostForm () {}
}

2. if I want to reset all the text fields when the JSP is re-displayed, do I code like this (please confirm):

import org.apache.struts.validator.DynaValidatorForm;
import org.apache.struts.action.ActionMapping;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest; 
public class PostForm extends DynaValidatorForm  
{
   public void reset(ActionMapping mapping, HttpServletRequest request)    
   { 
      initialize( mapping );
   } 
   public PostForm () {}
}

3. What is the difference between

     <form-bean 
        name="postForm" 
        type="package.package.package.PostForm">
          <form-property
            name="receiver"
            type="java.lang.String"/>
          <form-property
            name="sender"
            type="java.lang.String"/>
     </form-bean>

AND

     <form-bean
        name="postForm"
           type="org.apache.struts.validator.DynaValidatorForm">
          <form-property
            name="receiver"
            type="java.lang.String"/>
          <form-property
            name="sender"
            type="java.lang.String"/>
        </form-bean>

[Rick Hightower]

Hey.... I answered this in a lot of detail (same question from the same person) in detail on the Struts mailing list.
I'll add a link to the archive as I hate doing....UBB