DispatchAction No action instance for path ...

Hi there,
after a form is sent to a DispatchAction (which should works as CRUD) returns me the following error:

09:45:28,474 ERROR [RequestProcessor] No action instance for path /userManagement could be created
java.lang.NullPointerException
at xx.xxxxxxx.struts.action.user.UserDispatchAction.<init>(UserDispatchAction.java:54)
at sun.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.java:39)

The struts-config.xml

and the class

from the logger I can see that the UserService is correctly instancied but the code doesn't get to the [create] start! line.
It seems that this error could be related to different reasons, but the majority complains that the class doesn't extends the Action.

DispatchAction extends Action...
so what's the problem?

Thanks in advance

check whether you are passing the value 'create' for the parameter 'method' in the request?

I also tried with an hidden input form, but nothing changed.

<html:form action="/userManagement?method=create" method="post" styleClass="f-wrap-1">

can you provide the full jsp code?

Also provide your full web.xml,struts-config.xml

the jsp (it's a tile) and the validation works fine

<%@ taglib uri="http://jakarta.apache.org/struts/tags-html" prefix="html" %>
<%@ taglib uri="http://jakarta.apache.org/struts/tags-bean" prefix="bean" %>
 
<div id="breadcrumb">
    <html:link action="/start">
        <bean:message key="nav.link.homeTxt"/></html:link> / 
    <strong>
        <bean:message key="user.selfRegistration.title" arg0="Customers"/>
    </strong>
</div>
 
 
<h2><bean:message key="user.selfRegistration.title" arg0="Customers"/></h2>
<div>
    <bean:message key="user.selfRegistration.body"/>
</div>
 
 
<h3><img src="<html:rewrite page='/images/important.png'/>" alt="" style="padding-right:5px; vertical-align : middle;" /> <bean:message key="common.msg.important"/></h3>
<div style="margin-left:44px;">
    <p>
        <bean:message key="user.selfRegistration.identityConfirmation"/>
    </p>
    <p>
        <bean:message key="user.selfRegistration.passwordAutoGeneration"/>
    </p>
</div>
 
<div>
    <html:form action="/userManagement?method=create" method="post" styleClass="f-wrap-1">
        <div class="req"><b>*</b> <bean:message key="form.requiredField"/></div>
        <fieldset>
            <h3><bean:message key="form.selfRegistration" /></h3>
            <html:hidden property="id" value="0"/>
            
            <label for="username">
                <b>
                <span class="req">* </span>Username:</b>
                <html:text property="username" styleClass="f-name" tabindex="1" />
                <span class="error"><html:errors property="username"/></span>
                <br />
            </label>
            
            <label for="password">
                <b>Password:</b>
                <html :-P	 assword property="password" styleClass="f-name" tabindex="2" />
                <br />
            </label>
            
            <label for="email">
                <b>
                <span class="req">* </span>Email:</b>
                <html:text property="email" styleClass="f-name" tabindex="3" />
                <span class="error"><html:errors property="email"/></span>
                <br />
            </label>
            
            <hr/>
            
            <h4><bean:message key="form.selfRegistration.additionalInfo"/></h4>
            
            
            <label for="companyName">
                <b><bean:message key="form.selfRegistration.address.companyName"/>:</b>
                <html:text property="companyName" styleClass="f-name" tabindex="4" />
                <br />
            </label>
            
            <label for="title">
                <b><bean:message key="form.selfRegistration.address.title"/>:</b>
                <html:text property="title" styleClass="f-name" tabindex="5" />
                <br />
            </label>
            
            <label for="firstName">
                <b><bean:message key="form.selfRegistration.address.firstName"/>:</b>
                <html:text property="firstName" styleClass="f-name" tabindex="6" />
                <br />
            </label>
            
            <label for="lastName">
                <b><bean:message key="form.selfRegistration.address.lastName"/>:</b>
                <html:text property="lastName" styleClass="f-name" tabindex="7" />
                <br />
            </label>
            
            <label for="address">
                <b><bean:message key="form.selfRegistration.address.address"/>:</b>
                <html:text property="address" styleClass="f-name" tabindex="8" />
                <br />
            </label>
            
            <label for="city">
                <b><bean:message key="form.selfRegistration.address.city"/>:</b>
                <html:text property="city" styleClass="f-name" tabindex="9" />
                <br />
            </label>
            
            <label for="postalCode">
                <b><bean:message key="form.selfRegistration.address.postalCode"/>:</b>
                <html:text property="postalCode" styleClass="f-name" tabindex="10" />
                <br />
            </label>
            
            <label for="stateOrProvince">
                <b><bean:message key="form.selfRegistration.address.stateOrProvince"/>:</b>
                <html:text property="stateOrProvince" styleClass="f-name" tabindex="11" />
                <br />
            </label>
            
            <label for="countryOrRegion">
                <b><bean:message key="form.selfRegistration.address.countryOrRegion"/>:</b>
                <html:text property="countryOrRegion" styleClass="f-name" tabindex="12" />
                <br />
            </label>
            
            <label for="phoneNumber">
                <b><bean:message key="form.selfRegistration.address.phoneNumber"/>:</b>
                <html:text property="phoneNumber" styleClass="f-name" tabindex="13" />
                <br />
            </label>
            
            <label for="faxNumber">
                <b><bean:message key="form.selfRegistration.address.faxNumber"/>:</b>
                <html:text property="faxNumber" styleClass="f-name" tabindex="14" />
                <br />
            </label>
            
            <label for="mobileNumber">
                <b><bean:message key="form.selfRegistration.address.mobileNumber"/>:</b>
                <html:text property="mobileNumber" styleClass="f-name" tabindex="15" />
                <br />
            </label>
            
            <label for="vat">
                <b><bean:message key="form.selfRegistration.address.vat"/>:</b>
                <html:text property="vat" styleClass="f-name" tabindex="16" />
                <br />
            </label>
            
            <label for="website">
                <b><bean:message key="form.selfRegistration.address.website"/>:</b>
                <html:text property="website" styleClass="f-name" tabindex="17" />
                <br />
            </label>
            
            <div class="f-submit-wrap">
                <input type="submit" value="<bean:message key="form.submit"/>" class="f-submit" tabindex="18" />
                <br />
            </div>
        </fieldset>
    </html:form>
</div>
 
<div id="breadcrumb">
    <html:link action="/start">
        <bean:message key="nav.link.homeTxt"/></html:link> / 
    <strong>
        <bean:message key="user.selfRegistration.title" arg0="Customers"/>
    </strong>
</div>

web.xml
I don't know if this may be the cause, but I wanted to implement the annotations and so the version is 2.5

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<web-app xmlns="http://java.sun.com/xml/ns/javaee"
         xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
         xsi:schemaLocation="http://java.sun.com/xml/ns/javaee web-app_2_5.xsd"
         version="2.5" metadata-complete="false">
    <servlet>
        <servlet-name>action</servlet-name>
        <servlet-class>org.apache.struts.action.ActionServlet</servlet-class>
        <init-param>
            <param-name>config</param-name>
            <param-value>/WEB-INF/struts-config.xml</param-value>
        </init-param>
        <init-param>
            <param-name>chainConfig</param-name>
            <param-value>org/apache/struts/tiles/chain-config.xml</param-value>
        </init-param>
        <init-param>
            <param-name>debug</param-name>
            <param-value>2</param-value>
        </init-param>
        <init-param>
            <param-name>detail</param-name>
            <param-value>2</param-value>
        </init-param>
        <load-on-startup>2</load-on-startup>
    </servlet>
    <servlet-mapping>
        <servlet-name>action</servlet-name>
        <url-pattern>/do/*</url-pattern>
    </servlet-mapping>
    <session-config>
        <session-timeout>
            30
        </session-timeout>
    </session-config>
    <welcome-file-list>
        <welcome-file>index.jsp</welcome-file>
        
    </welcome-file-list>
    <jsp-config>
        <taglib>
            <taglib-uri>/WEB-INF/struts-bean.tld</taglib-uri>
            <taglib-location>/WEB-INF/struts-bean.tld</taglib-location>
        </taglib>
        <taglib>
            <taglib-uri>/WEB-INF/struts-html.tld</taglib-uri>
            <taglib-location>/WEB-INF/struts-html.tld</taglib-location>
        </taglib>
        <taglib>
            <taglib-uri>/WEB-INF/struts-logic.tld</taglib-uri>
            <taglib-location>/WEB-INF/struts-logic.tld</taglib-location>
        </taglib>
        <taglib>
            <taglib-uri>/WEB-INF/struts-nested.tld</taglib-uri>
            <taglib-location>/WEB-INF/struts-nested.tld</taglib-location>
        </taglib>
        <taglib>
            <taglib-uri>/WEB-INF/struts-tiles.tld</taglib-uri>
            <taglib-location>/WEB-INF/struts-tiles.tld</taglib-location>
        </taglib>
        <taglib>
            <taglib-uri>/WEB-INF/taglibs-request.tld</taglib-uri>
            <taglib-location>/WEB-INF/taglibs-request.tld</taglib-location>
        </taglib>
    </jsp-config>
    <security-constraint>
        <display-name>xxxxxxxxx</display-name>
        <web-resource-collection>
            <web-resource-name>xxxxxxxxxxx</web-resource-name>
            <description>entry point for protected resources</description>
            <url-pattern>/do/loginRedirect</url-pattern>
            <http-method>GET</http-method>
            <http-method>POST</http-method>
            <http-method>HEAD</http-method>
            <http-method>PUT</http-method>
            <http-method>OPTIONS</http-method>
            <http-method>TRACE</http-method>
            <http-method>DELETE</http-method>
        </web-resource-collection>
        <auth-constraint>
            <description/>
            <role-name>xxxxx</role-name>
            <role-name>xxxx</role-name>
            <role-name>xxxxxxx</role-name>
            <role-name>xxxxxx</role-name>
        </auth-constraint>
    </security-constraint>
    <login-config>
        <auth-method>FORM</auth-method>
        <realm-name>xxxxxxxx</realm-name>
        <form-login-config>
            <form-login-page>/do/xxxxxxx</form-login-page>
            <form-error-page>/do/xxxxx</form-error-page>
        </form-login-config>
    </login-config>
    <security-role>
        <description>administration purposes</description>
        <role-name>xxxxx</role-name>
    </security-role>
    <security-role>
        <description/>
        <role-name>xxxxxxx</role-name>
    </security-role>
    <security-role>
        <description/>
        <role-name>xxxxxx</role-name>
    </security-role>
    <security-role>
        <description/>
        <role-name>xxxxxx</role-name>
    </security-role>
    </web-app>

struts-config

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
 
<!DOCTYPE struts-config PUBLIC
"-//Apache Software Foundation//DTD Struts Configuration 1.2//EN"
"http://jakarta.apache.org/struts/dtds/struts-config_1_2.dtd">
 
 
<struts-config>
    <form-beans>
       
        <form-bean name="userDataForm" type="org.apache.struts.validator.DynaValidatorActionForm">
            <form-property name="id" type="java.lang.Long"/>
            <form-property name="username" type="java.lang.String"/>
            <form-property name="password" type="java.lang.String"/>
            <form-property name="email" type="java.lang.String"/>
            <form-property name="companyName" type="java.lang.String"/>
            <form-property name="title" type="java.lang.String"/>
            <form-property name="firstName" type="java.lang.String"/>
            <form-property name="lastName" type="java.lang.String"/>
            <form-property name="address" type="java.lang.String"/>
            <form-property name="city" type="java.lang.String"/>
            <form-property name="postalCode" type="java.lang.String"/>
            <form-property name="stateOrProvince" type="java.lang.String"/>
            <form-property name="countryOrRegion" type="java.lang.String"/>
            <form-property name="phoneNumber" type="java.lang.String"/>
            <form-property name="faxNumber" type="java.lang.String"/>
            <form-property name="mobileNumber" type="java.lang.String"/>
            <form-property name="notes" type="java.lang.String"/>
            <form-property name="vat" type="java.lang.String"/>
            <form-property name="website" type="java.lang.String"/>
        </form-bean>
    </form-beans>
    
    <global-exceptions>
        <exception key="errors.runtime" path="/SysError" scope="request" type="java.lang.RuntimeException"/>
        
    </global-exceptions>
    
    <global-forwards>
        
        <forward name="start" path="/do/start"/>    
    </global-forwards>
    
    <action-mappings>
        
        <action parameter="base.home" path="/start" type="org.apache.struts.actions.ForwardAction"/>
        
        <action parameter="login.xxxx" path="/xxxxx" type="org.apache.struts.actions.ForwardAction"/>
        <action parameter="login.xxxxx" path="/xxxxx" type="org.apache.struts.actions.ForwardAction"/>
        <action parameter="login.xxxxx" path="/xxxxx" type="org.apache.struts.actions.ForwardAction"/>
        <action path="/logout" type="xxx.xxxxxxx.xxxx.struts.action.xxxx.xxxx.InvalidateSessionAction">
            <forward name="success" path="base.message"/>
        </action>
        
        <action parameter="user.selfRegistration.customer" path="/selfRegistration/customer" type="org.apache.struts.actions.ForwardAction"/>
        <action parameter="user.selfRegistration.xxxxxx" path="/selfRegistration/xxxx" type="org.apache.struts.actions.ForwardAction"/>
        <action input="user.selfRegistration.customer" name="userDataForm" parameter="method" 
        path="/userManagement" scope="session" type="xxx.xxxxxxx.xxxx.struts.action.user.UserDispatchAction">
            <forward name="success" path="base.message"/>
            <forward name="failure" path="base.message"/>
            </action>
        
        <action parameter="base.error.sys" path="/SysError" type="org.apache.struts.actions.ForwardAction"/>
        
    </action-mappings>
    
    <controller processorClass="org.apache.struts.tiles.TilesRequestProcessor"/>
    
    <message-resources parameter="xxx/xxxxxxx/xxxx/struts/ApplicationResource"/>
    <plug-in className="org.apache.struts.tiles.TilesPlugin" >
        <set-property property="definitions-config" value="/WEB-INF/tiles-defs.xml" />      
        <set-property property="moduleAware" value="true" />
    </plug-in>
    
    
    <plug-in className="org.apache.struts.validator.ValidatorPlugIn">
        <set-property
            property="pathnames"
            value="/WEB-INF/validator-rules.xml,/WEB-INF/validation.xml"/>
    </plug-in>
    
    
    <plug-in className="xxx.xxxxxxx.xxxx.struts.plugin.RolesPlugin">
        
        <set-property
            property="xxxxxx"
            value="xxxxxx"/>
    </plug-in>
    <plug-in className="xxx.xxxxxxx.xxxx.plugin.EjbUsrPlugin" />

there's somthing which I'm not really sure of, and maybe is related to this issue. On startup there's a plugin which should store my facade bean, belowe the code

[ May 10, 2007: Message edited by: Alessandro Ilardo ]

As I look at the error message you're getting, it appears that your UserDispatchAction class may be throwing a NPE in the constructor. The message tells you what line number the error is on: 54. Look at line 54 of your UserDispatchAction class and try to determine why some object being dereferenced is null when you're not expecting it to be.

hi Alessandro,

-can you show us what's in the init()-method of your UserDispatchAction?
(especially line 54).
-do you extend the org.apache.struts.actions.DispatchAction?

Herman

hi guys,
thanks for reply

belowe line 54

private UserEntityLocal UserBean = (UsrEntityLocal)servlet.getServletContext().getAttribute(Constants.USER);

I'm trying to store the ejb in the servlet context (see code belowe) in order to keep it available to my classes without make everytime a look up for it.

note that at startup time the log message above is correctly shown without any error message.

It seems to me that the most likely possibility is that the servlet variable is null. This variable is declared by the superclass, but I'm wondering if you override it or set it to null in your class. A safer way of coding it would be:

Don't keep the parameter name as method.

change the parameter name from method to something else you want.
<action ... parameter="method"...> in struts-config.xml

Also correspondingly change in the jsp/html where you pass the value for the parameter.

Because method='post' is there and it will only be taken.You should not use the name 'method' for the action mapping parameter.