Re: [Webwork-devel] Access to the view location

[<Jim...@do...>]

Ugh...HTML email...sorry about the formatting.

We do invoke the actions in the right directory, most of the time. This=20
need arose when we would forward to other actions that were in different=20
directory structures. The web resource urls (images, stylesheets, etc.)=20
would resolve to the action's URL. Also, if two actions in different=20
directory hierarchies use the same view, the same problem occurs.

We are not using JSP, but we are using the <base href=3D""> tag to=20
accomplish what we need. It appears to be working fine for the time being. =

We set the <base> tag to the URL of the *view*. This is constructed in our =

BaseAction class by appending the full URI of the web context with the=20
path to the view. Hence, the view path must be accessible to the action.

- jim






Rickard <ri...@mi...>
01/15/2002 10:37 AM

=20
        To:     Jim...@do...
        cc:     web...@li...
        Subject:        Re: [Webwork-devel] Access to the view location


Jim...@do... wrote:

> We have run into a problem, however, with relative pathing in our web=20
> pages. In the early stages we successfully used relative pathing to=20
access=20
> stylesheets and images from our views. Given the simple structure:
>=20
>     index.html
>     css/default.css
>     cat/index.html
>     dog/index.html
>=20
> We invoke the actions with a URL like http://host/myapp/dog/myaction.acti=
on
>=20
> The view.properties file contains:
>     myaction.action.success=3Dindex.html
>=20
> The file /dog/index.html references the stylesheet as=20
../css/default.css.=20
> All is well. Our HTML tools like it, and all works fine.
>=20
> The problems begin when an action can map to more than one view that may =


> be in different directory hierarchies. In this case, an action that is=20
in=20
> the "root" directory, (ie: http://host/myapp/myaction.action), that forwa=
rds to /dog/myaction.action, will end up displaying=20
> incorrectly because the stylesheet could not be located. The problem is=20
> that the paths in the resulting view are relative to the browser's URL,=20
in=20
> this case the action's path.


Why don't you invoke the action in the right directory then?


> I have seen some attempts to circumvent this problem by using a redirect =


> page or an action. I find this a little cumbersome, especially when form =


> parameters need to be passed.


You could also reference the CSS by using absolute filenames, but=20
generated with the <url> tag so that the context is included.


> We are trying to circumvent the problem by using the <base href=3D""/> ta=
g=20

> in all of our views. This tag is also auto-generated by our action. The=20
> trick is setting the <base> tag to the URL of the *view*. Unfortunately, =


> the action does not currently have any knowledge of the view. To=20
alleviate=20
> this problem, we added a request property setting to the=20
> DispatcherServlet:
>=20
>     aRequest.setAttribute("webwork.view=5Furi", view);
>=20
> Will it be possible to add this as a patch to WebWork?

Hm.. maybe, but I want to make sure that this problem cannot be solved=20
through other means first.

/Rickard

--=20
Rickard =D6berg
Author of "Mastering RMI"
Chief Architect, TheServerSide.com
   The Middleware Company - We Build Experts!