Getting started with Java EE8 MVC(4)-Handle PUT and DELETE request

Handle PUT and DELETE request

When you try to submit a PUT or DELETE http request via form submission, and you want to invoke the methods annotated with @PUT or @DELETE in the Controller to handle the request.
Unfortunately it does not work.
There is a simple solution which can help us to overcome this issue.
If you have used Spring MVC before and I think you could know there is a HiddenMethodFilter in the Spirng MVC to fix this issue. Java EE 8 MVC does not ship the similar Filter, we can create one.

Solution

1. Create a Filter to convert the request method to the target HTTP method.
   

   @WebFilter(filterName = "HiddenHttpMethodFilter", urlPatterns = {"/*"}, dispatcherTypes = {DispatcherType.REQUEST})
   public class HiddenHttpMethodFilter implements Filter {
   
       @Inject
       Logger log;
   
       /**
       * Default method parameter: {@code _method}
       */
       public static final String DEFAULT_METHOD_PARAM = "_method";
   
       private String methodParam = DEFAULT_METHOD_PARAM;
   
       /**
       * Set the parameter name to look for HTTP methods.
       *
       * @see #DEFAULT_METHOD_PARAM
       */
       public void setMethodParam(String methodParam) {
           this.methodParam = methodParam;
       }
   
       @Override
       public void doFilter(ServletRequest req, ServletResponse res, FilterChain filterChain)
               throws ServletException, IOException {
           log.log(Level.INFO, "entering HttpHiddenFilter...");
           HttpServletRequest request = (HttpServletRequest) req;
           HttpServletResponse response = (HttpServletResponse) res;
   
           String paramValue = request.getParameter(this.methodParam);
           log.log(Level.INFO, "paramValue @" + paramValue);
           log.log(Level.INFO, "request method @" + request.getMethod());
   
           if ("POST".equals(request.getMethod()) && paramValue != null && paramValue.trim().length() > 0) {
               String method = paramValue.toUpperCase(Locale.ENGLISH);
               HttpServletRequest wrapper = new HttpMethodRequestWrapper(request, method);
               filterChain.doFilter(wrapper, response);
           } else {
               filterChain.doFilter(request, response);
           }
       }
   
       @Override
       public void init(FilterConfig filterConfig) throws ServletException {
   
       }
   
       @Override
       public void destroy() {
   
       }
   
       /**
       * Simple {@link HttpServletRequest} wrapper that returns the supplied
       * method for {@link HttpServletRequest#getMethod()}.
       */
       private static class HttpMethodRequestWrapper extends HttpServletRequestWrapper {
   
           private final String method;
   
           public HttpMethodRequestWrapper(HttpServletRequest request, String method) {
               super(request);
               this.method = method;
           }
   
           @Override
           public String getMethod() {
               return this.method;
           }
       }
   
   }
   

2. Add a hidden field named _method in the form, which value is the target HTTP method.
   

   <form action="${markDoingUrl}" method="post">
       <input type="hidden" name="_method" value="PUT"><jsp:text /></input>
       <input type="hidden" name="status" value="DOING"><jsp:text /></input>
       <button type="submit" class="btn btn-sm btn-primary">
           <span class="glyphicon glyphicon-play" aria-hidden="true"><jsp:text /></span>
           START
       </button>
   </form>
   

3. The @PUT method in the TaskController.
   

   @PUT
   @Path("{id}/status")
   public Response updateStatus(@PathParam(value = "id") Long id, @NotNull @FormParam(value = "status") String status) {
       log.log(Level.INFO, "updating status of the existed task@id:{0}, status:{1}", new Object[]{id, status});
   
       Task task = taskRepository.findById(id);
   
       task.setStatus(Task.Status.valueOf(status));
   
       taskRepository.update(task);
   
       flashMessage.notify(Type.info, "Task status was updated successfully!");
   
       return Response.ok("redirect:tasks").build();
   }
   

Source codes

1. Clone the codes from my github.com account.
   https://github.com/hantsy/ee8-sandbox/
   
2. Open the mvc project in NetBeans IDE.
3. Run it on Glassfish.
4. After it is deployed and runging on Glassfish application server, navigate http://localhost:8080/ee8-mvc/mvc/tasks in browser.