Controllers with Forms

Sending Form Data - Video

Note

The starter code for this video is found in the path-variables branch of the hello-spring repo. The final code presented in this video is found on the forms branch . As always, code along to the videos on your own hello-spring project.

Sending Form Data - Text

What if we want to send over some form data? To send data via a simple form in Spring Boot, we’ll set things up like this:

We have a controller method that generates a form at index.

@GetMapping
@ResponseBody
public String helloForm() {
   String html = 
      "<html>" +
         "<body>" +
            "<form method = 'get' action = '/hello'>" +
               "<input type = 'text' name = 'coder' />" +
               "<input type = 'submit' value = 'Greet Me!' />" +
            "</form>" +
         "</body>" +
      "</html>";
   return html;
}

Remember, without an argument, @GetMapping maps to /. On form submission, the data is sent to another path, /hello. We need a controller for that.

@GetMapping("hello")
@ResponseBody
public String hello(@RequestParam String coder) {
   return "Hello, " + coder + "!";
}

Now, you have a controller that can handle the form submission. When the form submits, the input entered in the text box will be passed to the URL via a query string. This is why the controller method above passes in @RequestParam to handle the coder key.

To be able to submit the form via POST, we’ll need to modify the hello() controller to use @RequestMapping. Remember, @RequestMapping can annotate a method that responds to both GET and POST.

// Responds to get and post requests at /hello?coder=LaunchCoder
@RequestMapping(value = "hello", method = {RequestMethod.GET, RequestMethod.POST})
@ResponseBody
public String hello(@RequestParam String coder) {        
   return "Hello, " + coder + "!";
}

@GetMapping
@ResponseBody
public String helloForm() {
   String html = 
      "<html>" +
         "<body>" +
            "<form method = 'post' action = '/hello'>" +
               "<input type = 'text' name = 'coder' />" +
               "<input type = 'submit' value = 'Greet Me!' />" +
            "</form>" +
         "</body>" +
      "</html>";
   return html;
}

Check Your Understanding

Question

Which annotation is applied above a controller class?

@Controller
@GetMapping
@PostMapping
@RequestMapping
@ResponseBody
@RequestParam
@PathVariable

Question

Select all the annotations applied above a controller method from the list below.

@Controller
@GetMapping
@PostMapping
@RequestMapping
@ResponseBody
@RequestParam
@PathVariable