javax.servlet.jsp.tagext
public class VariableInfo extends Object
Scripting variables generated by a custom action have an associated scope of either AT_BEGIN, NESTED, or AT_END.
The class name (VariableInfo.getClassName) in the returned objects
is used to determine the types of the scripting variables.
Note that because scripting variables are assigned their values
from scoped attributes which cannot be of primitive types,
"boxed" types such as java.lang.Integer
must
be used instead of primitives.
The class name may be a Fully Qualified Class Name, or a short class name.
If a Fully Qualified Class Name is provided, it should refer to a class that should be in the CLASSPATH for the Web Application (see Servlet 2.4 specification - essentially it is WEB-INF/lib and WEB-INF/classes). Failure to be so will lead to a translation-time error.
If a short class name is given in the VariableInfo objects, then the class name must be that of a public class in the context of the import directives of the page where the custom action appears. The class must also be in the CLASSPATH for the Web Application (see Servlet 2.4 specification - essentially it is WEB-INF/lib and WEB-INF/classes). Failure to be so will lead to a translation-time error.
Usage Comments
Frequently a fully qualified class name will refer to a class that is known to the tag library and thus, delivered in the same JAR file as the tag handlers. In most other remaining cases it will refer to a class that is in the platform on which the JSP processor is built (like J2EE). Using fully qualified class names in this manner makes the usage relatively resistant to configuration errors.
A short name is usually generated by the tag library based on some attributes passed through from the custom action user (the author), and it is thus less robust: for instance a missing import directive in the referring JSP page will lead to an invalid short name class and a translation error.
Synchronization Protocol
The result of the invocation on getVariableInfo is an array of VariableInfo objects. Each such object describes a scripting variable by providing its name, its type, whether the variable is new or not, and what its scope is. Scope is best described through a picture:
The JSP 2.0 specification defines the interpretation of 3 values:
1 Called after
Variable Synchronization Points
doStartTag() doInitBody() doAfterBody() doEndTag() doTag() Tag
AT_BEGIN, NESTED
AT_BEGIN, AT_END
IterationTag
AT_BEGIN, NESTED
AT_BEGIN, NESTED
AT_BEGIN, AT_END
BodyTag
AT_BEGIN, NESTED1
AT_BEGIN, NESTED1
AT_BEGIN, NESTED
AT_BEGIN, AT_END
SimpleTag
AT_BEGIN, AT_END
doStartTag()
ifEVAL_BODY_INCLUDE
is returned, or afterdoInitBody()
otherwise.
Variable Information in the TLD
Scripting variable information can also be encoded directly for most cases into the Tag Library Descriptor using the <variable> subelement of the <tag> element. See the JSP specification.
Field Summary | |
---|---|
static int | AT_BEGIN
Scope information that scripting variable is visible after start tag. |
static int | AT_END
Scope information that scripting variable is visible after end tag. |
static int | NESTED
Scope information that scripting variable is visible only within the
start/end tags. |
Constructor Summary | |
---|---|
VariableInfo(String varName, String className, boolean declare, int scope)
Constructor
These objects can be created (at translation time) by the TagExtraInfo
instances.
|
Method Summary | |
---|---|
String | getClassName()
Returns the type of this variable.
|
boolean | getDeclare()
Returns whether this is a new variable.
|
int | getScope()
Returns the lexical scope of the variable.
|
String | getVarName()
Returns the name of the scripting variable.
|
Parameters: varName The name of the scripting variable className The type of this variable declare If true, it is a new variable (in some languages this will require a declaration) scope Indication on the lexical scope of the variable
Returns: the type of this variable
Returns: whether this is a new variable.
Returns: the lexical scope of the variable, either AT_BEGIN, AT_END, or NESTED.
Returns: the name of the scripting variable