PDF serving
Serving a file
I'm having trouble serving a PDF file from a server to the user.
I've used iText to generate a PDF file (by completing an AcroForm with info from a database) which now resides on an absolute path.
I've used BalusC's tutorial for fileserving.
Everything is working properly, except that clicking on downloading the file doesn't bring anything.
Here is my code:
The jsp from which you click to download the file has (and filename is valid and reading properly):
<h:outputLink value="file?name=#{ProjectsManager.filename}">
<h:outputText value="download #{ProjectsManager.filename}" />
</h:outputLink>
my web.xml mappings for the fileservlet:
<servlet>
<servlet-name>File Servlet</servlet-name>
<servlet-class>beans.FileServlet</servlet-class>
</servlet>
<servlet-mapping>
<servlet-name>File Servlet</servlet-name>
<url-pattern>/file/*</url-pattern>
</servlet-mapping>
I've left the web.xml as is besides the class reference.
Are there any other properties I should modify or no? What is the purpose of the url-pattern?
Here is the beginning of my FileServlet.java:
publicclass FileServletextends HttpServlet{
protectedvoid doGet(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response)
throws IOException
{
String filePath ="/Users/Alex/iText/PDF/gen/";
String fileName = request.getParameter("name");
The error I'm getting is:
type Status report
message /06_proj_01/pages/design/file
description The requested resource (/06_proj_01/pages/design/file) is not available.
Thanks
[2134 byte] By [
mon.goosea] at [2007-11-27 11:50:07]
# 1
The requested resource (/06_proj_01/pages/design/file) is not available.
Looking to the servlet mapping, the fileservlet is located at /06_proj_01/file. Fix the links.
# 2
I'm not sure I undestand how URLs are mapped in JSF applications.
Are you saying I should change the <url-pattern> property of the servlet mapping? What path should I specify?
My FileServlet.java is with the rest of the java files in the beans package.
I can't find much on the internet that explains the function of the deployment descriptor, I'm sorry if my questions are so elementary.
Thanks again
# 3
Where does the generated <a href> link from the h:outputLink point to? Is this URL correct?
The error message says it is not. The resource behind this URL cannot be found (say, it's an ordinary 404 page not found error).
# 4
It points to: file?name=FILE_NAME.pdf
As I understand it, this should link to the FileServlet class which will take the name parameter and set it as the filename. Since that class already knows the absolute path for the directory where the file sits it should be able to create a new File instance.
This means I'm not correctly accessing the FileServlet class. The trouble is I don't know the URL of the FileServlet or how this class sits within the JSF structure at all. Any insight? I don't know what the correct URL is for the class, or whatever it is I need to access. If it helps, the class I need is sitting in the “beans” package.
Thanks again for your help
# 5
Oh, you're saying that the FileServlet is not definied in the web.xml? But you've posted the servlet mapping which looks fine.
And:
> It points to: file?name=FILE_NAME.pdf
Actually this was not my question. What is the complete request URI of this link?
# 6
Sorry about that, where would I find the complete request URI?
That link points to:
http://localhost:8080/06_proj_01/faces/pages/design/
This is a more complete web.xml
<!-- servlet -->
<servlet>
<servlet-name>FacesServlet</servlet-name>
<servlet-class>javax.faces.webapp.FacesServlet</servlet-class>
<load-on-startup>1</load-on-startup>
</servlet>
<servlet>
<servlet-name>File Servlet</servlet-name>
<servlet-class>beans.FileServlet</servlet-class>
</servlet>
<!-- servlet-mapping -->
<servlet-mapping>
<servlet-name>FacesServlet</servlet-name>
<url-pattern>/faces/*</url-pattern>
</servlet-mapping>
<servlet-mapping>
<servlet-name>File Servlet</servlet-name>
<url-pattern>/file/*</url-pattern>
</servlet-mapping>
Thanks
# 7
sorry, I meant
http://localhost:8080/06_proj_01/faces/pages/design/file?name=FILE_NAME.pdf
# 8
I'll repeat myself:
> Looking to the servlet mapping, the fileservlet is
> located at /06_proj_01/file. Fix the links.
Try to manually invoke http://localhost:8080/06_proj_01/file?name=FILE_NAME.pdf
# 9
Ok, I've realised I need
http://localhost:8080/06_proj_01/faces/file?name=complRequestURI.pdf
Thanks for guiding me through this. Now I just need to set up the links correctly
# 11
This is posing more trouble than I thought it would.
How should I setup the link in the jsp,
no matter what I've tried setting it to, it won't point to the base /faces/ directory. It'll either use the /faces/pages/design/ path or just start file?name=after localhost:8080/
Thank you for your time
# 12
No, don't point to the /faces/. This invokes the FacesServlet, not the FileServlet.
Just point to "/06_proj_01/file?name=FILE_NAME.pdf".
# 13
Yes, but what should I set as the value of the outputLink?
So far nothing will produce the URL that I know works.
The only workaround I've found so far is to have it point to /faces/pages/design/file?name=
and this works if I have the servlet mapping as
/faces/pages/design/file
If I leave the web.xml as /file
the only URLs I can make appear from different values of the outputLink are
http://localhost:8080/06_proj_01/faces/pages/design/file?name=FILE.pdf -> doesn't work
http://localhost:8080/file?name=FILE.pdf -> doesn't work
I can never bring up the correct URL:
http://localhost:8080/06_proj_01/faces/file?name=FILE.pdf
