Wildcard servlet mappings in web.xml - how to get the part behind the * ?

[Anonymous]

Hi there,

I have a question about wildcard mappings for servlets.
I have a servlet that is mapped to /resource
It create dynamic images. To get an image I call:
/resource?skin=summer&scope=full
For a test I have put Apache HTTP in front of the J2EE container and use a mapping, so I can call
/resource/summer/full
Can I "move" the mapping from the HTTP configuration into the web.xml file? How would I do that?
Thx for helping!
-------
Clarification:
I know, that i can map the servlet to resource/*
How can I retrieve the part that represents the * ?
-------
:-) stw
[ October 01, 2004: Message edited by: Stephan H. Wissel ]

[Adeel Ansari]

dont know whether i got you or not. sorry if I got wrong.

<servlet-mapping>
<servlet-name>servlet1</servlet-name>
<url-pattern>/test/test/*</url-pattern>
</servlet-mapping>
<servlet-mapping>
<servlet-name>servlet2</servlet-name>
<url-pattern>/next </url-pattern>
</servlet-mapping>
<servlet-mapping>
<servlet-name>servlet3</servlet-name>
<url-pattern>*.jsp </url-pattern>
</servlet-mapping>

these are some examples with different URL patterns. <servlet-mapping> is a direct child of <web-app>

[Anonymous]

Hi Adeel,

thx for the reply. My question was not(?) regarding the web.xml (I suspect) buth rather about retrieving the wildcard value.
My mapping looks like

<servlet-mapping>
<servlet-name>myImageLoader</servlet-name>
<url-pattern>/resource/*</url-pattern>
</servlet-mapping>

So the servlet gets invokes by all of the following
/resource/summer/holidaycontinents
/resource/winter/airlines
/resource/logo
/resource/company/ceo
... etc
What I want to know is how to get hand on the part that is represented by summer/holidaycontinents
winter/airlines
logo
company/ceo
in my servlet?
:-) stw

[Adeel Ansari]

If none of the rules (mapping)results in a servlet match, the container will attempt to serve content appropriate for the resource requested.

If a "default" servlet is defined for the application, it will be used. But dont know how to specify a servlet as default
[ October 02, 2004: Message edited by: adeel ansari ]

[Anonymous]

Hi Adeel,

thx for the reply. Unfortunatly this is not the answer I'm looking for. My servlet get's invoked as planned, so my web.xml uri-pattern works perfectly. What I need to know: how do I get to know INSIDE my servlet code what the URL was that triggered the servlet. AND I'm looking for a way to make that rather dynamic than hardcode it. So...
what would I code in Java code if I want to know what the * part of the URL was that actually loaded my servlet!
stw

[Richard Bradford]

Have a look at the HttpServletRequest api, in particluar getContextPath()

[Anonymous]

Hi Richard, hi Adeel,

problem solved! Thx for helping! This are my findings:

1) getContextPath() returns the Application Context. That is the (user visible) path in a browser the whole web application has been deployed. When e.g. your URL is:
/TestCollection[/b]/test1/winter/bla]http://localhost:8080/TestCollection/test1/winter/bla
the bold part is what getContextPath() returns.
2) The function getPathInfo() does the trick!
My servlet description in the web.xml loos like that:

<servlet>
    <description>Find out how getPathInfo works</description>
    <display-name>PathInfoInfo</display-name>
    <servlet-name>Explorer</servlet-name>
    <servlet-class>test.Explorer</servlet-class>
  </servlet>
 
  <servlet-mapping>
    <servlet-name>Explorer</servlet-name>
    <url-pattern>/test1/*</url-pattern>
  </servlet-mapping>

Given again the URL
/winter/bla[/b]]http://localhost:8080/TestCollection/test1/winter/bla
the bold part is what getPathInfo() returns.

Important Detail!!!
The mapping in web.xml is /test1/*
Nevertheless you can call the servlet both with .../test1 and test1/ !!
In the first cast getpathInfo is null, so you need to test for it!

Some more insights:
URL: http://localhost:8080/TestCollection/test1
getPathInfo(): null

URL: http://localhost:8080/TestCollection/test1/
getPathInfo(): /

<servlet-mapping>
    <servlet-name>Explorer</servlet-name>
    <url-pattern>/test2</url-pattern>
</servlet-mapping>
<servlet-mapping>
    <servlet-name>Explorer</servlet-name>
    <url-pattern>/test3/</url-pattern>
</servlet-mapping>

URL: http://localhost:8080/TestCollection/test2
getPathInfo(): null

URL: http://localhost:8080/TestCollection/test2/
Resource not available error

URL: http://localhost:8080/TestCollection/test3
Resource not available error

URL: http://localhost:8080/TestCollection/test3/
getPathInfo(): null


URL: http://localhost:8080/TestCollection/test3/anything
Resource not available error

Hope this is helpful if someone is searching...
:-) stw
[ October 02, 2004: Message edited by: Stephan H. Wissel ]

[Adeel Ansari]

sorry didn't get your actual question.