asked on

RequestDispatcher exception?

Hello,

In the servlet below we are posting some data from a html form. And complete some validation checks, including a check to see if the email entered already exists.

When the email entered is found this if statement would be run. Though when the addcontact.jsp page is being called tomcat throws this exception. Could anyone possibly see a reason for the exception? Thank you

if(found){
req.setAttribute("bean",contact);
req.setAttribute("errmsg", "Please enter new email");
dispatch("addcontact.jsp",req,res);
}

HTTP Status 500 -

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

type Exception report

message

description The server encountered an internal error () that prevented it from fulfilling this request.

exception

java.lang.IllegalStateException: Cannot forward after response has been committed
      at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.doForward(ApplicationDispatcher.java:368)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.forward(ApplicationDispatcher.java:356)
      at com.servlet.Search.dispatch(Search.java:117)
      at com.servlet.Search.doPost(Search.java:91)
      at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:760)
      at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:853)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:247)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:256)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:643)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:480)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.invoke(ContainerBase.java:995)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:191)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:643)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:480)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.invoke(ContainerBase.java:995)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.invoke(StandardContext.java:2422)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:180)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:643)
      at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorDispatcherValve.invoke(ErrorDispatcherValve.java:171)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:641)
      at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:163)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:641)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:480)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.invoke(ContainerBase.java:995)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:174)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:643)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:480)
      at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.invoke(ContainerBase.java:995)
      at org.apache.coyote.tomcat4.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:199)
      at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(Http11Processor.java:828)
      at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Protocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.processConnection(Http11Protocol.java:700)
      at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.TcpWorkerThread.runIt(PoolTcpEndpoint.java:584)
      at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.ThreadPool$ControlRunnable.run(ThreadPool.java:683)
      at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:534)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Apache Tomcat/4.1.30

public void doPost(HttpServletRequest req, HttpServletResponse res)
throws ServletException, IOException{

String action = req.getParameter(ACTION_TOKEN);

if(NEW_ACCOUNT.equals(action)){
ContactRecord contact = setObject(req);
boolean valid = vaildateForm(contact.getEmail());

if(!valid){
req.setAttribute("bean",contact);
req.setAttribute("errmsg", "A valid email addess must be entered");
dispatch("addcontact.jsp",req,res);
}

boolean found = emailSearch(contact.getEmail());

if(found){
req.setAttribute("bean",contact);
req.setAttribute("errmsg", "Please enter new email");
dispatch("addcontact.jsp",req,res);
}
}
}

public void dispatch(String jsp, HttpServletRequest req, HttpServletResponse res)
throws ServletException, IOException{

RequestDispatcher disp = req.getRequestDispatcher("/"+jsp);
disp.forward(req, res);
}

fargo

actually both the conditions of !valid and found are getting executed. First !valid is executed, and then the dispatcher is forwarded to given jsp. But the loop doesn't end there and found condition returns true and then dispatcher forwards to addcontatct.jsp (here the response is already committed with !valid condition).

solution: keep the found condition inside the else of !valid. (but it all depends upon your requirement)

AntoniRyszard656

ASKER

Thanks

In the servlet when we meet the conditions of !valid. I thought the servlet would call/display the addcontact.jsp and break/exist the servlet execution.

When we use the RequestDispatcher object does the servlet not end?

Thanks again

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

fargo

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AntoniRyszard656

ASKER

Thanks

The examples in my text mostly used this method to forward javabeans/errormessages to the jsp.

Would you say its best to avoid the use of return, from a design/servlet correctness point of view. And use if/else statements to avoid my orginal error? Or is the use of return in this way also correct?

Thanks

public void dispatch(String jsp, HttpServletRequest req, HttpServletResponse res)
throws ServletException, IOException{

RequestDispatcher disp = req.getRequestDispatcher("/"+jsp);
disp.forward(req, res);
}

AntoniRyszard656

ASKER

I just wondered if these was a disadvantage of using the return.

AntoniRyszard656

ASKER

Sorry I meant

I just wondered if there was any disadvantage of using return.

fargo

IMO, return in any way is correct.