[Opensource] Using the html:select tag

[Peter A. J. Pilgrim]

Wolf Thompson wrote:
> There has to be a reasonably simple answer to this one ? I just haven?t 
> found it.
> 
>  
> 
> I want to create a dropdown selection via the html:select tag.  The 
> contents of the dropdown box will be dynamically generated from one 
> field of a searchAndRetrieveList ? i.e., names of cities stored in a 
> database table.
> 
>  
> 
> Even a **clue** as to how I can accomplish this would be greatly 
> appreciated.
> 
>  
> 
> So far, every Input I?ve used with the html:select tag has given me a 
> different Controller error ? either it doesn?t have valid values or I?m 
> getting a cast exception.
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> 
> Wolf Thompson
> 


You need to use the LabelValueBean in Struts. I think you can get it
from the Struts Example in the value 1.0.2. In fact it is a very
simple JavaBean.


class LabelValueBean {
	String label, value;
		...
	public String getLabel();
	public String getValue();
}


You create a Java Collection with LabelValueBean object as element.
Each `LabelValueBean' is set up with label and the actual value
you want to see in a your down menu.

	List el = new java.util.ArrayList();
		
	el.add(
		new LabelValueBean(
			"Nelson Mandela", "nmandel" ));
		...

Once you created a Java Collection put in one of JSP scopes
and then forward to JSP view.

	request.setAttribute( AppGlobal.EMPLOYEE_NAME_LIST, el );
					

Or if you have an Struts ActionForm class you can store the
menu list as an attribute. For example

class EmployeeEntryActionForm {

	List   employeeNameList = new java.util.ArrayList();

	public List getEmployeeNameValues() ;
	...
}

Then in a JSP you need to define a page attribute to refer the
Java Collection inside the action form

            <bean:define id="employeeNameValues"
                     name="employeeEntryForm"
			property="employeeNameValue"
                     type="java.util.List" />


You need to embed <html:options> inside the <html:select>. Admitted
the java doc for HTML Options is really confusing and it take me
a long time to figure it out 12 months ago.


             <html:select property="employeeName" size="1" >
                <html:options collection="employeeNameValues"
			property="value" labelProperty="label" />
             </html:select>


HTHEWNI -- Hope This Helps Everybody Who Needs It

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