Menu

How to use JSTL with Spring MVC?

How to use JSTL with Spring MVC?

 JSTL is a library of custom tags used in JavaServer Pages (JSP) to simplify common tasks such as iteration, conditionals, and formatting. It provides a standard set of tags that help developers avoid scripting in JSP.

Usage:

JSTL tags are used to perform common tasks directly within JSP pages, improving readability and maintainability of the code.

Steps to Use JSTL with Spring MVC:

1. Add JSTL Dependency: Include JSTL in your project’s dependencies.

2. Configure JSTL in JSP: Import JSTL tags into your JSP pages.

3. Use JSTL Tags: Utilize JSTL tags in your JSP to perform various tasks.

JSTL with Spring MVC

Example of JSTL with Spring MVC

1. Add JSTL Dependency

To use JSTL in your Spring MVC project, you need to add the JSTL library to your project. If you are using Maven, add the following dependency to your `pom.xml`:

Example
pom.xml
```xml
<dependencies>
    <!-- Other dependencies -->

    <!-- JSTL dependency -->
    <dependency>
        <groupId>javax.servlet</groupId>
        <artifactId>jstl</artifactId>
        <version>1.2</version>
    </dependency>
</dependencies>
```

2. Configure JSTL in JSP

    Include JSTL tag libraries in your JSP pages. The most common JSTL tags are found in the c (core) and fmt (format) libraries.

    Example
    example.jsp
```jsp
<%@ taglib uri="http://java.sun.com/jsp/jstl/core" prefix="c" %>
<%@ taglib uri="http://java.sun.com/jsp/jstl/fmt" prefix="fmt" %>

<html>
<head>
    <title>JSTL Example</title>
</head>
<body>
    <h2>JSTL Core Tags Example</h2>
    
    <!-- JSTL Core Tag: c:out -->
    <p>Hello, <c:out value="${userName}" />!</p>
    
    <!-- JSTL Core Tag: c:if -->
    <c:if test="${userLoggedIn}">
        <p>Welcome back, <c:out value="${userName}" />!</p>
    </c:if>
    
    <!-- JSTL Core Tag: c:forEach -->
    <h3>Item List:</h3>
    <ul>
        <c:forEach var="item" items="${items}">
            <li><c:out value="${item}" /></li>
        </c:forEach>
    </ul>
    
    <!-- JSTL Formatting Tag: fmt:formatDate -->
    <fmt:formatDate value="${currentDate}" pattern="yyyy-MM-dd" />
</body>
</html>
```

    In this example:

    • <c:out>: Outputs the value of the userName variable.
    • <c:if>: Displays content if the userLoggedIn variable evaluates to true.
    • <c:forEach>: Iterates over the items list and displays each item.
    • <fmt:formatDate>: Formats the currentDate variable according to the specified pattern.

    3. Pass Data to JSP from Controller

      Ensure that your Spring MVC controller sets the required model attributes for use in the JSP.

      Example
      UserController.java
```java
import org.springframework.stereotype.Controller;
import org.springframework.ui.Model;
import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.GetMapping;

import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.Date;
import java.util.List;

@Controller
public class UserController {

    @GetMapping("/example")
    public String example(Model model) {
        model.addAttribute("userName", "John Doe");
        model.addAttribute("userLoggedIn", true);
        
        List<String> items = Arrays.asList("Item 1", "Item 2", "Item 3");
        model.addAttribute("items", items);
        
        model.addAttribute("currentDate", new Date());
        
        return "example";
    }
}
```

      In this example:

      • model.addAttribute: Adds attributes (userName, userLoggedIn, items, and currentDate) to the model, which can be accessed in the JSP page.

      Summary

      • JSTL: Provides standard tags to simplify JSP development.

      Steps

      1. Add Dependency: Include JSTL library in your project.
      2. Configure JSP: Import JSTL tag libraries in JSP pages.
      3. Use Tags: Utilize JSTL tags for common tasks like iteration and conditionals.

      • Example:
        • Demonstrates usage of JSTL tags (c:out, c:if, c:forEach, fmt:formatDate) in JSP, and passing data from a Spring MVC controller.

      Homepage

      Readmore