Passing ArrayList from servlet to JSP

Question

I am trying to pass ArrayList which contains object from servlet to JSP. But

Servlet file:

request.setAttribute("servletName", categoryList); //categorylist is an arraylist      contains object of class category  
getServletConfig().getServletContext().getRequestDispatcher("/GetCategory.jsp").forward(request,response);

JSP file:

//category class    
<% Category category = new Category();
//creating arraylist object of type category class
ArrayList<Category> list = ArrayList<Category>();
//storing passed value from jsp
list = request.getAttribute("servletName");

for(int i = 0; i < list.size(); i++) {

category = list.get(i);

out.println( category.getId());

out.println(category.getName());

out.println(category.getMainCategoryId() );
}
%>

Why not use JSP-EL+JSTL to deal with the objects? Secondly, how are you getting from the Servlet to the JSP? using a redirect or a forward? — Dave G, Nov 04 '13 at 11:42
@DaveG i am a beginner and am not aware of JSP-EL+JSTL ... i am using following code to pass value in servlet .... getServletConfig().getServletContext().getRequestDispatcher("/GetCategory.jsp").forward(request,response); — Pravin, Nov 04 '13 at 11:52
@user2952188 try to get the dispatcher with `request` as `request.getRequestDispatcher('/jspFile.jsp').forward(request,response)`, and make sure servlet will DO NOTHING after it forwarded the request. in other word you are now allowed to use a request/response one it has redirected or forwarded. — , Nov 04 '13 at 11:55
@user2511414 actually it works well for passing string from servlet to jsp ..Is it needed to change to pass object ?? — Pravin, Nov 04 '13 at 12:17
@user2952188 yes buddy it works, but the better(simple) way is using request. the `setAttribute()` method accepts `Object`, it means you would set anything. — , Nov 04 '13 at 12:20

score 22 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 05 '13 at 04:45

In the servlet code, with the instruction request.setAttribute("servletName", categoryList), you save your list in the request object, and use the name "servletName" for refering it.
By the way, using then name "servletName" for a list is quite confusing, maybe it's better call it "list" or something similar: request.setAttribute("list", categoryList)
Anyway, suppose you don't change your serlvet code, and store the list using the name "servletName". When you arrive to your JSP, it's necessary to retrieve the list from the request, and for that you just need the request.getAttribute(...) method.

<%  
// retrieve your list from the request, with casting 
ArrayList<Category> list = (ArrayList<Category>) request.getAttribute("servletName");

// print the information about every category of the list
for(Category category : list) {
    out.println(category.getId());
    out.println(category.getName());
    out.println(category.getMainCategoryId());
}
%>

Prabhakaran Ramaswamy · Answer 2 · 2013-11-04T11:53:06.800

6

request.getAttribute("servletName") method will return Object that you need to cast to ArrayList

ArrayList<Category> list =new ArrayList<Category>();
//storing passed value from jsp
list = (ArrayList<Category>)request.getAttribute("servletName");

edited Nov 04 '13 at 11:53

answered Nov 04 '13 at 11:43

Prabhakaran Ramaswamy

25,706
10
57
64

1

you have forgot `new` before constructor `new ArrayList()` :) – Nov 04 '13 at 11:52

score 1 · Answer 3 · edited Sep 09 '18 at 02:42

<html>
    <%

        ArrayList<Actor> list = new ArrayList<Actor>();
        list = (ArrayList<Actor>) request.getAttribute("actors");
    %>
<head>
    <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="style.css">
    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
    <title>Actor</title>
</head>

<body>

    <h2>This is Actor Class</h2>
    <table>
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Id</th>
                <th>First Name</th>
                <th>Last Name</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <% for(int i = 0; i < list.size(); i++) {
                Actor actor = new Actor();
                actor = list.get(i);
                //out.println(actor.getId());
                //out.println(actor.getFirstname());
                //out.println(actor.getLastname());
            %>


            <tr>
                <td><%=actor.getId()%></td>
                <td><%=actor.getFirstname()%></td>
                <td><%=actor.getLastname()%></td>
               </tr>
            <%
            };
            %>
        </tbody>
    </table>

</body>

score 1 · Answer 4 · edited Sep 09 '18 at 02:45

public class myActorServlet extends HttpServlet {

    private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
    private String name;
    private String user;
    private String pass;
    private String given_table;
    private String tid;
    private String firstname;
    private String lastname;
    private String action;

    @Override
    public void doPost(HttpServletRequest request,
            HttpServletResponse response)
            throws IOException, ServletException {

        response.setContentType("text/html");

        // connecting to database
        Connection con = null;
        Statement stmt = null;
        ResultSet rs = null;

        PrintWriter out = response.getWriter();
        name = request.getParameter("screenName");
        user = request.getParameter("username");
        pass = request.getParameter("password");
        tid = request.getParameter("tid");
        firstname = request.getParameter("firstname");
        lastname = request.getParameter("lastname");
        action = request.getParameter("action");
        given_table = request.getParameter("tableName");

        out.println("<html>");
        out.println("<head>");
        out.println("<title>Servlet JDBC</title>");
        out.println("<link rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text/css\" href=\"style.css\">");
        out.println("</head>");
        out.println("<body>");
        out.println("<h1>Hello, " + name + " </h1>");
        out.println("<h1>Servlet JDBC</h1>");

        /////////////////////////
        // init connection object
        String sqlSelect = "SELECT * FROM `" + given_table + "`";
        String sqlInsert = "INSERT INTO `" + given_table + "`(`firstName`, `lastName`) VALUES ('" + firstname + "', '" + lastname + "')";
        String sqlUpdate = "UPDATE `" + given_table + "` SET `firstName`='" + firstname + "',`lastName`='" + lastname + "' WHERE `id`=" + tid + "";
        String sqlDelete = "DELETE FROM `" + given_table + "` WHERE `id` = '" + tid + "'";

        //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
        out.println(
                "<p>Reading Table Data...Pass to JSP File...Okay<p>");

        ArrayList<Actor> list = new ArrayList<Actor>();
        // connecting to database
        try {
            Class.forName("com.mysql.jdbc.Driver");
            con = DriverManager.getConnection("jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/javabase", user, pass);
            stmt = con.createStatement();
            rs = stmt.executeQuery(sqlSelect);
            // displaying records

            while (rs.next()) {
                Actor actor = new Actor();
                actor.setId(rs.getInt("id"));
                actor.setLastname(rs.getString("lastname"));
                actor.setFirstname(rs.getString("firstname"));
                list.add(actor);
            }
            request.setAttribute("actors", list);
            RequestDispatcher view = request.getRequestDispatcher("myActors_1.jsp");
            view.forward(request, response);

        } catch (SQLException e) {
            throw new ServletException("Servlet Could not display records.", e);
        } catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
            throw new ServletException("JDBC Driver not found.", e);
        } finally {
            try {
                if (rs != null) {
                    rs.close();
                    rs = null;
                }
                if (stmt != null) {
                    stmt.close();
                    stmt = null;
                }
                if (con != null) {
                    con.close();
                    con = null;
                }
            } catch (SQLException e) {
            }
        }
        out.println("</body></html>");

        out.close();
    }

}

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Nov 04 '13 at 11:47

the possible errors would be...
1.you set the array list from the servelt in the session, not the in the request.
2.the array you set is null.
3.you redirect the page instead of forward it.

also you should not initialize the list and the category in jsp. try this.

for(Category cx: ((ArrayList<Category>)request.getAttribute("servletName"))) {

out.println( cx.getId());

out.println(cx.getName());

out.println(cx.getMainCategoryId() );
}

score -2 · Answer 6 · edited Sep 06 '15 at 07:55

-2

here list attribute name set in request request.setAttribute("List",list); and ArrayList list=new ArrayList();

<%

ArrayList<Category> a=(ArrayList<Category>)request.getAttribute("List");

out.print(a);

for(int i=0;i<a.size();i++)

{
    out.println(a.get(i));

}


%>

edited Sep 06 '15 at 07:55

Sruit A.Suk

7,073
7
61
71

answered Sep 06 '15 at 07:15

Pradeep Angre

1

How does the jsp know about the class Category? – user3217883 Jun 15 '19 at 01:49

Passing ArrayList from servlet to JSP

6 Answers6

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