Step 4: Create the Action Class

The FormExample portlet has its own action class, DisplayAction. The source code for DisplayAction follows. For more information, see Creating Action Classes.

/**Copyright (c) 2003 by SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC 27513.
 * All Rights Reserved.
 */
package com.sas.portal.portlets.formexample;

import java.util.Enumeration;
import java.util.HashMap;

import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;

import org.apache.commons.beanutils.BeanUtils;

import com.sas.portal.portlet.HTMLPortletAction;
import com.sas.portal.portlet.NavigationUtil;
import com.sas.portal.portlet.PortletContext;


/**Action for the Form Example Portlet. This prepares the URL
 * that will be assigned to the form's action within the portlet's 
 * JSP. It also populates a bean with the parameters from the JSP 
 * form.
 *
 * @author Todd.Folsom@sas.com
 * @version 1
 */
public final class DisplayAction extends HTMLPortletAction {

  /**
   * Prepare the URL for the form used in the portlet.
   * Returns the value of "FormExample.jsp".
   *
   * @param request  The HtppServletRequest associated with the 
   *                 method invocation
   * @param response HttpServletResponse associated with the 
   *                 method invocation
   * @param context  PortletContext mapped to the request path
   *
   * @return java.lang.String - representing a valid 
   *                 URL.
   */
  public String service(HttpServletRequest request,
       HttpServletResponse response, PortletContext context)
     throws Exception{

    super.service(request, response, context);

    //prepare the base URL for setting on the form in the JSP.
    // The "display" is the value used in portlet.xml for this 
    // action.	
    String baseURL = NavigationUtil.buildBaseURL(context, request,
        "display");
    context.setAttribute("formExample_baseURL", baseURL);

    //Make a new ExampleBean. Alternatively, this could be made 
    // once in the portlet initializer class, then you manage  
    // its properties in the action.
    ExampleBean bean = new ExampleBean();

    //The BeanUtils class will populate any bean with all the 
    // parameters from the form.
    HashMap map = new HashMap();
    Enumeration names = request.getParameterNames();
    while (names.hasMoreElements()) {
       String name = (String) names.nextElement();
       map.put(name, request.getParameterValues(name));
    }
    BeanUtils.populate(bean, map);

    //put the userInput into the portlet context so we can get it out
    // in the JSP.
    context.setAttribute("formExample_userInput", bean.getUserInput());

    return "FormExample.jsp";
  }
}