在实际开发中,我们一般不必去理会attribute属性的设置。
在一般情况下,actionForm是被存储在一定的scope中(request或session,通过action的scope属性来配置),当我们在配置时,指定name而不指定attribute,那么指定的name值就作为actionForm存储在scope中的key值,我们可以在action中通过httpServletRequest.getAttribute("指定的name属性值")来获得这个actionForm;当我们既配置了name又配置了attribute,那么actionForm存储在scope中的key值就采用attribute属性指定的值了,这时要通过httpServletRequest.getAttribute("指定的attribute属性值")来获得actionForm,此时通过httpServletRequest.getAttribute("指定的name属性值")是不能获得actionForm的。
所以,是否配置attribute属性就决定了actionForm存储在scope中的key值是采用name,还是采用attribute
在《Programming Jakarta Struts》这本书中的第四章“Configuring the Struts Application”中这样一段说明来分别阐述这两个属性:(102页)
++++++++++++++++++++++++
atribute:
++++++++++++++++++++++++
The name of the request or session scope attribute under which the form bean for this action can be accessed.
A value is only allowed here if there is a form bean specified in the name attribute. This attribute is
optional and has no default value.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
name:
++++++++++++++++++++++++
The name of the form bean, if any, that is associated with this action. This value must be the name attribute
from one of the form-bean elements defined earlier. This attribute is optional and has no default value.
最初看这些真的还是不好区分这两者。不过在仔细看过struts的源代码以后,豁然开朗。下面主要对attribute进行解释,应为没有人会对name属性不了解的(呵呵。。。)
解释:在struts实例化actionform的时候,有两种情况:如果已经存在,那么从内存中取回;如果第一次实例化,那么创建,并放入内存。这样就有一个问题了,struts是根据什么来取回并创建actionform的呢,答案就是attribute的值。让我们进入struts的源代码:
- /**
- *创建或者取回formbean方法
- *该方法在:org.apache.struts.util.RequestUtils中
- */
- public static Actionform createActionform(HttpServletRequest request, ActionMapping mapping, ModuleConfig moduleConfig, ActionServlet servlet) {
- //Is there a form bean associated with this mapping?
- //得到action mapping中attribute的值
- String attribute = mapping.getAttribute();
- Actionform instance = null;
- HttpSession session = null;
- //yes!!就在这里了,把创建以后的actionform放在request或者session里,看到放入的名字了么,就是mapping.getAttribute();
- if ("request".equals(mapping.getScope())) {
- instance = (Actionform) request.getAttribute(attribute);
- } else {
- session = request.getSession();
- instance = (Actionform) session.getAttribute(attribute);
- }
- }
下面又有一个问题浮出水面:如果我没有在action mapping中指定attribute呢,那struts 是如何解决的?答案很简单,如果单从结果上看,此时struts使用的name的值,为什么呢,看struts源代码:
- /**
- * The request-scope or session-scope attribute name under which our
- * form bean is accessed, if it is different from the form bean's
- * specified <code>name</code>.
- * 该代码在:org.apache.struts.config.ActionConfig中
- */
- protected String attribute = null;
- public String getAttribute() {
- //yes!!!!就在这里,看到了吧,如果你没有设定attribute,那么struts 会把name的值拿过来用。呵呵。。。
- if (this.attribute == null) {
- return (this.name);
- } else {
- return (this.attribute);
- }
- public void setAttribute(String attribute) {
- if (configured) {
- throw new IllegalStateException("Configuration is frozen");
- }
- this.attribute = attribute;
- }
举个例子:当我们不再需要存储在request或session中的actionForm时,我们就应该把这个actionForm从request或session中删除掉,而不应该再让actionForm随request或session传递到页面中去,这时就要用到这个key值了。
- //示例代码(action.execute中):
- // remove unused form
- if("request".equals(actionMapping.getScope())) {
- httpServletRequest.removeAttribute(actionMapping.getName());
- }
- else if("session".equals(actionMapping.getScope())) {
- httpServletRequest.getSession().removeAttribute(actionMapping.getName());
- }
当然,当你配置了attribute属性时,上面示例代码中的actionMapping.getName()就要用actionMapping.getAttribute()替代了。