Setting a cookie via Struts

**Cadallic** · 25-10-2008

Hi all

How do I go about setting a cookie via Struts? I've tried this within the perform() of an Action, and it doesn't seem to work:

Code:

Cookie cookie = null;
cookie = new Cookie("u", LoginForm.getUsername());
response.addCookie(cookie);
cookie = new Cookie("p", LoginForm.getPassword());
response.addCookie(cookie);
cookie = new Cookie("g", LoginForm.getGroup());
response.addCookie(cookie);

return mapping.findForward(forward);

Any help would be appreciated.

**Katty** · 25-10-2008

The perform method? Are you using Struts 1.0? Not that it matters, cookies don't have anything to do with Struts.

The following works for me:

Code:

cookie.setValue( newCookieValue );
cookie.setMaxAge( 2592000 );///one month?
log.debug( "adding cookie with value: " + cookie.getValue() );
response.addCookie( cookie );

What do you mean by it doesn't work? You don't see the value stored in your browser? IIRC you have to set an age, otherwise the cookie goes away after that browser session.

**Cadallic** · 25-10-2008

Yes, I am using 1.0 actually.

What I meant by it not working was that I didn't see a cookie file in my Temporary Internet Files. I'll add a max age and see if that helps.

**Zecho** · 25-10-2008

Okay, so I'm going out on a limb here but Struts in involved so I have to ask this: where are you looking for the cookies?

Let me explain. If I have an Action in which I add some cookies to the HttpServletResponse and then forward to a JSP (return an ActionForward from the execute method), the JSP will not be able to see the cookies. That's because the cookies haven't yet been sent to the browser. Only on subsequent requests will the cookies be sent. A way to get around that is to specify redirect="true" in your struts-config.xml file, but then you lose your request parameters and it won't work if you "hide" your JSPs in the WEB-INF heirarchy. You have to carefully consider the various interactions in these cases. Weird things can happen if you don't.