Java.io.File - pathnames on tomcat

Question

Hi,
I am trying to implement a file upload feature on my website using Flash 8 and jakarta commons FileUpload.
I'm running into problems with the java.io.File class. I want to save uploaded files in a folder not relative to the calling page's context.
When I use the following three lines, the files get saved correctly (in an "/uploads" folder in the current context):
File fullFile = new File(item.getName());
File savedFile = new File(getServletContext().getRealPath("/uploads"), fullFile.getName());
item.write(savedFile);
However, when I use the following instead of the second line, I get an http 500 error:
File savedFile = new File("/absolute/path/to/another/context/uploads", fullFile.getName());
What's strange is when I put in a println, I see that
getServletContext().getRealPath("/uploads") = /usr/local/tomcat/webapps/mywebapp/uploads
However, when I substitute the string in the new File(String parent, String child) method, I also get a http 500 error:
File savedFile = new File("/usr/local/tomcat/webapps/mywebapp/uploads", fullFile.getName());
This is the stack trace:
2006-02-03 12:12:05 StandardWrapperValve[jsp]: Servlet.service() for servlet jsp
threw exception
org.apache.jasper.JasperException: /upload.jsp(11,2) Unterminated <% tag
at org.apache.jasper.compiler.DefaultErrorHandler.jspError(DefaultErrorH
andler.java:39)
at org.apache.jasper.compiler.ErrorDispatcher.dispatch(ErrorDispatcher.j
ava:409)
at org.apache.jasper.compiler.ErrorDispatcher.jspError(ErrorDispatcher.j
ava:134)
at org.apache.jasper.compiler.Parser.parseScriptlet(Parser.java:796)
Am I understanding the methods incorrectly?
Any help would be greatly appreciated! I am completely stuck
Thank you.

Answer 1

Thanks. I must have deleted the "%>" by accident while I was fiddling with the code (this is what happens when you look at the same code for too long!!). That explains why File savedFile = new File("/usr/local/tomcat/webapps/mywebapp/uploads", fullFile.getName()); didn't work earlier. Now it does.
However, the following still does not work:
ile savedFile = new File("/absolute/path/to/another/context/uploads", fullFile.getName());
This is the stack trace:
Generated servlet error:
/usr/local/jakarta-tomcat-5.0.28/work/Catalina/www.jupiterhotelvideo.com/_/org/a
pache/jsp/upload_jsp.java:39: 'try' without 'catch' or 'finally'
try {
^
Generated servlet error:
/usr/local/jakarta-tomcat-5.0.28/work/Catalina/www.jupiterhotelvideo.com/_/org/a
pache/jsp/upload_jsp.java:109: '}' expected
^
3 errors
at org.apache.jasper.compiler.DefaultErrorHandler.javacError(DefaultErro
rHandler.java:84)
at org.apache.jasper.compiler.ErrorDispatcher.javacError(ErrorDispatcher
.java:332)
at org.apache.jasper.compiler.Compiler.generateClass(Compiler.java:412)
at org.apache.jasper.compiler.Compiler.compile(Compiler.java:472)
Do you know what the problem could be?
I will try sroot's suggestions to reference another servletcontext...though the place where I'd like to put the "/uploads" folder isn't a web application, but just a directory on my server....
Thanks for your help; online forums are a life-saver!!!
That means your JSP
doesn't compile because of a syntax error. Most
likely you are missing one of the two " characters
that delimit a string, so your %> closing tag looks
like part of the string.