How to set value in html:text using bean:write

[Usera User]

I try to set the value in <html:text> using the <bean:write>, but it doesn't work.

<html:text property="code" size="60" maxlength="60" value="<bean:write
name='countryForm' property='countryview.code'/>"/>

And then I try to use <bean efine> to set the variable and using the jsp code to set the value in <html:text>.
<bean efine id="codev" name="countryForm"
property="countryview.code" />
<html:text property="code" size="20" maxlength="15"
value="<%=codev.toString()%>"/>

It works but when the code is null, it throws an exception.

Have any good method to set the value in <html:text> ?

[Merrill Higginson]

The whole point of using an <html:text> tag as opposed to <input type="text"> is so that it will be populated with the value in the form bean. If you just code: <html:text property="countryView.code" maxlength="15" /> Struts will populate the value when the page is renedered. It will also transfer the value from the html parameters to the form bean when the form is submitted.

[Usera User]

Thanks Merrill Higginson reply.

When using property="countryView.code", will struts render to the text field with name countryView.code ? When I want to retrieve the updated value on the code field in the backend action class, Is it I need to use (DynaActionForm)form).get("countryView.code") rather than (DynaActionForm)form).get("code") ? And do I need to create another validation on field countryView.code ?

Virtually, I want to use <html:text property="code" ....> in the update page same as the insert page so that I retrieve and validate the same "code" field.

Can I use the JSTL to set the value? What tag I can use and how to make my page can use the JSTL tag ? Because the countryForm is the form bean defined in strut-config file, how to access the countryForm attribute from JSTL ? Thanks
[ July 15, 2005: Message edited by: Calvin Wong ]