Réf. : Re: [Opensource] Struts Validation in Expresso

[Peter A. Pilgrim]

Raul DAVIDOVICH wrote:
> 
> Peter,
> 
> 
> 
>>>I presume you are allowing the Struts MVC to automatically the validate
>>>the action form bean in the struts-config.xml file.
> 
> 
> Exactly
> 
> 
> 
>>>Have you tried making it work manually inside an Expresso Controller?
>>>Get the ActionForm from the `ServletControllerRequest'. I believe the
> 
> method
> 
>>>is:
>>>org.apache.struts.action.ActionForm getForm()
>>>           Gets the action form as a convenience for pure Struts writer.
> 
> 
>>>then call validate() on the form bean.
> 
> 
>>>ActionErrors errors =  formBean.validate( httpServletRequest,
> 
> actionMapping );
> 
> 
>>>See also
> 
> 
>>>HttpServletRequest  getHttpServletRequest()
>>>           Gets the http servlet response object Important: A Controller
> 
> should only use this
> 
>>>method if strictly necessary, and not write output that is otherwise able
> 
> to be handled with
> 
>>>inputs, outputs and transitions.
> 
> 
>>>org.apache.struts.action.ActionMapping getMapping()
>>>           Gets the action mapping as a convenience for pure Struts
> 
> writer.
> 
> Yes. it works.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> In fact, I have the validation working correctly. I modified
> ExpressoRequestProcessor overriding the processValidate() method so custom
> logic can be performed there.
> Normally, in pure Struts, the mapping is done one input -> one action. This
> input is either a JSP or an action mapping (/something.do), and
> RequestProcessor forwards back to it if the validation fails.
> 
> In Expresso an action mapping maps to a controller, with many states, so we
> have many inputs -> many states, and the input comes usually from a prompt
> state.
> 
> So my problem is: how to get the prompt state in the processValidate()
> method so we can forward back to it if validation fails, and keep it as
> transparent as possible to the developer.
> 
> 1) is it cached somewhere? if it is, how could I retrieve it?
>   if not,

I am not sure if this is cached anywhere.

>    2)would it be clean to cache it somewhere? (like the session for
> instance)

The place to look would be
`com.jcorporate.expresso.core.controller.Controller.java'

If you can store the original state in the request or session scope to
jump back to, then it would help in the reconstruction of a URL forward.


>    3)would it be better to define the input parameter in struts-config.xml
> as input="promptState, controller.of.prompState, processState;
> promptOtherState, OtherController, anotherProcessState", somewhat similar
> to workflow definitions in controllers
>    4)can a different option be to define it in a separate XML config file?
> or customizing config.xml or validation.xml?
> 
> 
> this is the original code where it forwards back to the input:
> ...
>         if (moduleConfig.getControllerConfig().getInputForward()) {
>             ForwardConfig forward = mapping.findForward(input);
>             processForwardConfig( request, response, forward);
>         } else {
>             internalModuleRelativeForward(input, request, response);
>         }
> ...
> 

Yes this would not work for Expresso and neither for Struts if you
used the `DispatchAction' or `LookupDispatch'. The only way I think
it can be down cleverly without modification of the frameworks
would be to :


1) Add an "originalPromptState" parameter to the HTML Form
use that to store the invocation to the promptX state method.

<form action="someUrl" >
<input type="hidden" name="originalInvocationState"  value="promptSellDvd" />
</form>

2) Dont really on Struts framework auto invalidate form entry mode

3) Write Expresso Framework controller utility to handle
invalid Struts forms. A method that will retrieve the
"originalInvocationState" from request scope
and construct the forward dispatch URL. e.g

     "acme/salesController.do?state=promptSellDvd"

displays the sales DVD order form again.

-- 
Peter Pilgrim
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