Can I do a POST with servlet without displaying form?

Question

Hello,
I currently have a page (page1.jsp) that requires user to enter some values and click button to submit (POST) the data. That brings up a second page (results.jsp)that displays data based on what was entered on the first page.
Now I need to be able to invoke the results.jsp page directly via a servlet and pass it the values that would have been entered on the form page (page1.jsp).
The simplest thing to do would be to just pass the data in a query string but I don't have that option in this case.
How can I simulate a POST in my servlet and pass the parameters to results.jsp as if the user had entered them on the page1.jsp page?
Thanks in advance for any help!

Answer 1

Greetings,
Now I need to be able to invoke the results.jsp page directly via a servlet and pass it the values that
would have been entered on the form page (page1.jsp).There are essentially two ways to invoke another resource from a servlet: via call to request.sendRedirect, and through a RequestDispatcher:
A 'redirect' sends a response back to the client instructing it initiate a new request to the specified resource. To send data through a redirect requires sending it as query parameters. Since the client is initiating a new request with this information, that means the query parameters, along with the rest of the new location request URL, shows up in the browser's 'location' bar.
A 'dispatch' involves the other resource within (or, as part of) the current request, and without the client's intervention or knowledge. ;) Passing along data in a dispatch provides the capability of adding the data to the request object as attributes - though, not as 'parameters' :( - which the other resource may then get. However, as implied, the data passed along this way will not be available to the other resource as 'parameters' (which, presumably, is how it is currently expecting them), but only as 'attributes'. Therefore, the other resource would require modification to also look for the data this way. However, as with a call to sendRedirect(String location), a call to servletContext.getRequestDispatcher(String path) allows sending the data as query parameters which, unlike in a 'redirect', do not show up in the client browser! ;)
Presuming that the other resource is in context with the servlet then, in most cases, using a RequestDispatcher is the recommended way.
The simplest thing to do would be to just pass the data in a query string but I don't have that option
in this case.Presuming that it is not an option because it should not be seen in the client browser, then it may still be passed this way using a 'dispatch' without worry. :) Otherwise, passing the data as request attributes in a 'dispatch' and modifying the other resource is required.
How can I simulate a POST in my servlet and pass the parameters to results.jsp as if the user had
entered them on the page1.jsp page?If it absolutely must be sent in a POST request, then the alternative to the above is to manually call the other resource using an HttpURLConnection (or, better, try the Jakarta Project's 'Commons HttpClient' package ;). A search of this forum will yield many examples (usually in relation to applet-servlet communication, but that fact is otherwise irrelevant ;).
Thanks in advance for any help!Regards,
Tony Cook