servlets - How do I call a specific Java method on a click/submit event of a specific button in JSP?

Question

My Java file is:

public class MyClass {

    public void method1() {    
        // some code
    }

    public void method2() {
        //some code
    }

    public void method3() {
        //some code
    }
}

In my JSP page I have three HTML buttons.

If I click on button1, then only method1 will be called, if I click on button2 then only method2 will execute, and if button3, then only method3, and so on.

How can I achieve this?

Answer 1

Just give the individual button elements a unique name. When pressed, the button's name is available as a request parameter the usual way like as with input elements.

You only need to make sure that the button inputs have type="submit" as in <input type="submit"> and <button type="submit"> and not type="button", which only renders a "dead" button purely for onclick stuff and all.

E.g.

<form action="${pageContext.request.contextPath}/myservlet" method="post">
    <input type="submit" name="button1" value="Button 1" />
    <input type="submit" name="button2" value="Button 2" />
    <input type="submit" name="button3" value="Button 3" />
</form>

with

@WebServlet("/myservlet")
public class MyServlet extends HttpServlet {

    @Override
    protected void doPost(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException, IOException {
        MyClass myClass = new MyClass();

        if (request.getParameter("button1") != null) {
            myClass.method1();
        } else if (request.getParameter("button2") != null) {
            myClass.method2();
        } else if (request.getParameter("button3") != null) {
            myClass.method3();
        } else {
            // ???
        }

        request.getRequestDispatcher("/WEB-INF/some-result.jsp").forward(request, response);
    }

}

Alternatively, use <button type="submit"> instead of <input type="submit">, then you can give them all the same name, but an unique value. The value of the <button> won't be used as label, you can just specify that yourself as child.

E.g.

<form action="${pageContext.request.contextPath}/myservlet" method="post">
    <button type="submit" name="button" value="button1">Button 1</button>
    <button type="submit" name="button" value="button2">Button 2</button>
    <button type="submit" name="button" value="button3">Button 3</button>
</form>

with

@WebServlet("/myservlet")
public class MyServlet extends HttpServlet {

    @Override
    protected void doPost(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException, IOException {
        MyClass myClass = new MyClass();
        String button = request.getParameter("button");

        if ("button1".equals(button)) {
            myClass.method1();
        } else if ("button2".equals(button)) {
            myClass.method2();
        } else if ("button3".equals(button)) {
            myClass.method3();
        } else {
            // ???
        }

        request.getRequestDispatcher("/WEB-INF/some-result.jsp").forward(request, response);
    }

}

See also:

• Servlet returns "HTTP Status 404 The requested resource (/servlet) is not available"
• How do I pass current item to Java method by clicking a hyperlink or button in JSP page?