The underlying issue is transmitting the input by HTTP. Everything is passed by HTTP as a String. The problem with binary properties in ActionForms is what happens if the input doesn't convert to a String? There is no place to store the string that didn't convert and return it to the user, so the property comes up null.
The BeanUtils will convert the standard types, but that doesn't help much when the conversion fails. In the end, you need some type of String property buffer for all the binary properties, or else the input cannot be returned to the user for correction. I can appreciate not wanting to replicate the properties, but it's important to note that these are not input, but prospective input, that needs to be scrubbed and validated before it can be passed along to the business beans. You are not so much re-creating the bean properties, but creating a String buffer for the HTML controls, which, as a convenience, may share the same name with a property on your beans. For more see, http://www.mail-archive.com/struts-user@jakarta.apache.org/msg08070.html http://www.mail-archive.com/struts-user@jakarta.apache.org/msg20833.html http://www.mail-archive.com/struts-user@jakarta.apache.org/msg19338.html "John M. Corro" wrote: > > The particular base bean's (the bean that is an instance variable of the > ActionForm) accessor/mutator methods handle very specialized data types > (custom written classes). Assuming the ActionServlet is unable to do the > conversion, would I have to alter the source code? Is it possible to extend > the ActionServlet to provide for this custom conversion and then modify the > web.xml file so that it references the updated ActionServlet? > > <servlet> > > <servlet-name>action</servlet-name> > > <servlet-class>com.ExtendedActionServlet</servlet-class> > > ... > > </servlet> > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Louis Leung" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Struts Users Mailing List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Friday, February 15, 2002 3:47 PM > Subject: Re: Form -> Bean conversion > > > yeah, but on your <html:text> tag, your property should look something > like > > > > property="someBean.someProperty" > > > > then, what struts will do is ActionForm.getSomeBean().getSomeProperty(). > > > > Regarding to the actually bean's property something that is not string, I > think > > the ActionServlet does the convertion for you. Check out the > ActionServlet > > source, processPopulate() method, and ConvertUtil.java in util package of > struts > > source. > > > > "John M. Corro" wrote: > > > > > Unless I'm misunderstanding, I'm not sure if that will do what we're > hoping > > > for.... > > > > > > When you use the html:form tag (and corresponding input tags from the > html > > > tag lib) on a JSP page there's error checking to make sure you have a > > > corresponding get/set method in the ActionForm. If we have the original > > > bean as an instance variable in the ActionForm and have no other > > > getters/setters hardcoded into the ActionForm, won't that cause a > > > compile-time error on the JSP? > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "MacKellar, Kimberly" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > To: "'Struts Users Mailing List'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Sent: Friday, February 15, 2002 2:54 PM > > > Subject: RE: Form -> Bean conversion > > > > > > > I have instances of beans within the ActionForm and then access them > with > > > > the name of the bean and the name of the property in the bean when > using > > > > them in the JSP. The only problem is having non-Strings in the bean. > You > > > > need to do some sort of conversion within the ActionForm to get around > > > this. > > > > > > > > Kimberly MacKellar > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: John M. Corro [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > > > Sent: Friday, February 15, 2002 2:53 PM > > > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Subject: Form -> Bean conversion > > > > > > > > > > > > We have a bunch of existing beans that we'd like to use w/ > ActionForms. > > > For > > > > each bean we'll need to obviously expose the getters/setters in the > > > > corresponding ActionForm. The ideal scenario we'd like to see happen > is > > > > prevent the ActionForms from having all the corresponding > getters/setters > > > > hardcoded into it. We're ok w/ coding the validate() method for each > > > class > > > > by hand, but we'd like to avoid having to code each ActionForm w/ a > > > > getter/setter (even if it is templated out for us by a Struts plug in > or > > > > even a custom written batch file). > > > > > > > > Has anyone implemented something like this? > > > > > > > > -- > > > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: > > > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > For additional commands, e-mail: > > > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > For additional commands, e-mail: > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > > -- > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > For additional commands, e-mail: > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > > > > -- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > For additional commands, e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> -- Ted Husted, Husted dot Com, Fairport NY USA. -- Java Web Development with Struts. -- Tel +1 585 737-3463. -- Web http://www.husted.com/struts/ -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For additional commands, e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
