spring webmvc mapping the jsp (without controllers) - spring-mvc

Question

I am trying to get my hands on Spring 3 web-mvc. I have a simple page link (you know.. <a href="xyz"> thing.
Somehow spring mvc doesn't like that.. eer.. well, my spring config is not working how i would like it to be.
I tried with DefaultRequestToViewNameTranslator but that didn't help. I think its something to do with what "Handler" spring dispatcher servlet chooses.. but I am not able to grasp those things yet. Log output did not help much either.
Can someone help?
Here is web.xml
<context-param>
<param-name>contextConfigLocation</param-name>
<param-value>classpath:spring/applicationContext.xml</param-value>
</context-param>
<session-config>
<session-timeout>30</session-timeout>
</session-config>
<listener>
<listener-class>org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoaderListener</listener-class>
</listener>
<!-- Reads request input using UTF-8 encoding -->
<filter>
<filter-name>characterEncodingFilter</filter-name>
<filter-class>org.springframework.web.filter.CharacterEncodingFilter</filter-class>
<init-param>
<param-name>encoding</param-name>
<param-value>UTF-8</param-value>
</init-param>
<init-param>
<param-name>forceEncoding</param-name>
<param-value>true</param-value>
</init-param>
</filter>
<filter-mapping>
<filter-name>characterEncodingFilter</filter-name>
<url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
</filter-mapping>
<!-- Handles all requests into the application -->
<servlet>
<servlet-name>Spring MVC Dispatcher Servlet</servlet-name>
<servlet-class>org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet</servlet-class>
<init-param>
<param-name>contextConfigLocation</param-name>
<param-value>
classpath:spring/appServlet/servlet-context.xml
</param-value>
</init-param>
<load-on-startup>1</load-on-startup>
</servlet>
<servlet-mapping>
<servlet-name>Spring MVC Dispatcher Servlet</servlet-name>
<url-pattern>/</url-pattern>
</servlet-mapping>
And spring config:
<!-- Scans the classpath of this application for #Components to deploy as beans -->
<context:component-scan base-package="com.mycompany.mvc" />
<!-- Configures the #Controller programming model -->
<mvc:annotation-driven />
<!-- Forwards requests to the "/" resource to the "welcome" view -->
<mvc:view-controller path="/" view-name="index"/>
<!-- Configures Handler Interceptors -->
<mvc:interceptors>
<!-- Changes the locale when a 'locale' request parameter is sent; e.g. /?locale=de -->
<bean class="org.springframework.web.servlet.i18n.LocaleChangeInterceptor" />
</mvc:interceptors>
<!-- Handles HTTP GET requests for /resources/** by efficiently serving up static resources in the ${webappRoot}/resources/ directory -->
<mvc:resources mapping="/css/**" location="/css/" />
<mvc:resources mapping="/js/**" location="/js/" />
<mvc:resources mapping="/images/**" location="/images/" />
<!-- Saves a locale change using a cookie -->
<bean id="localeResolver" class="org.springframework.web.servlet.i18n.CookieLocaleResolver" />
<!-- Application Message Bundle -->
<bean id="messageSource" class="org.springframework.context.support.ReloadableResourceBundleMessageSource">
<property name="basename" value="/WEB-INF/messages/messages" />
<property name="cacheSeconds" value="0" />
</bean>
<!-- Automatic resolution of the view names.. Convention over configuration -->
<bean id="viewNameTranslator" class="org.springframework.web.servlet.view.DefaultRequestToViewNameTranslator"/>
<!-- Resolves view names to protected .jsp resources within the /WEB-INF/views directory -->
<bean class="org.springframework.web.servlet.view.InternalResourceViewResolver">
<property name="prefix" value="/WEB-INF/content/"/>
<property name="suffix" value=".jsp"/>
</bean>
And jsp where link is defined:
<li>flot integration</li>
And the log file output:
DEBUG o.s.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet:693 - DispatcherServlet with name 'Spring MVC Dispatcher Servlet' processing GET request for [/demo/flot]
WARN o.s.web.servlet.PageNotFound:947 - No mapping found for HTTP request with URI [/demo/flot] in DispatcherServlet with name 'Spring MVC Dispatcher Servlet'
DEBUG o.s.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet:674 - Successfully completed request

Answer 1

Controller should handle user's request and in your case no controller which mapped to this URL. When controller found, it performs some logic and returns view name which will be used to represent server's response. So, view name translator called only after controller and only for deduce full path to particular JSP file.
Try to add
<mvc:view-controller path="demo/flot" view-name="demo/flot"/>
(Also, you probably may try to omit view-name attribute, but I don't sure.)

Answer 2

Currently.. following worked..
Though the property /** might be an issue for me later when I add the controllers too.
But I can customize the .jsp file url
<bean id="handlerMapping"
class="org.springframework.web.servlet.handler.SimpleUrlHandlerMapping">
<property name="mappings">
<props>
<prop key="/**">urlFilenameViewController</prop>
</props>
</property>
</bean>
<bean id="urlFilenameViewController" class="org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.UrlFilenameViewController" />

Answer 3

Using spring-webmvc 3.0.6.RELEASE this worked for me:
<!-- Enables the Spring MVC #Controller programming model -->
<annotation-driven />
<view-controller path="secure/*" view-name="secure/index"/>
<view-controller path="secure/extreme/*" view-name="secure/extreme/index"/>
<!-- Resolves views selected for rendering by #Controllers to .jsp resources
in the /WEB-INF/views directory -->
<beans:bean
class="org.springframework.web.servlet.view.InternalResourceViewResolver">
<beans:property name="prefix" value="/WEB-INF/views/" />
<beans:property name="suffix" value=".jsp" />
</beans:bean>
Beans annotated with #Controller and #RequestMapping are called on the appropriate url, any url like secure/* and secure/extreme/* is handled by WEB-INF/views/secure/index.jsp and WEB-INF/views/secure/extreme/index.jsp respectively

Answer 4

I am using spring web 3.2.1 and I have only internal resolver and annotations based config. The jsp files view are accessible by default without using controller i.e not coded in any controller at return value of the mapped controller method. I guess there is some implicit rule.

Answer 5

Putting
<bean id="messageSource" class="org.springframework.context.support.ReloadableResourceBundleMessageSource">
<property name="basename" value="/WEB-INF/messages/messages" />
<property name="cacheSeconds" value="0" />
</bean>
in application-context.xml resolved the issue for me. The view which does not have a controller(request mapping) will not load if we put these things in servlet.xml. I tried putting these things in application-context.xml and it worked for me. Thanks!!!

Answer 6

After version 3.1 there is WebMvcConfigurerAdapter, so you can put the mapping in configuration like this:
#Configuration
#EnableWebMvc
public class WebConfig extends WebMvcConfigurerAdapter {
#Override
public void addViewControllers(ViewControllerRegistry registry) {
registry.addViewController("/").setViewName("/index");
}
}