Question

I have a few <div> inside a forms, each thing inside the div contains a specific form.
When a user presses the submit button, I want to execute a different action based on

<form method="get" action="addprogramtodb.jsp">
<select name="cid"  style="display: none;">
<option>1</option>
<option>2</option>
</select>

<div id="1">
</div>

<div id="2">
</div>

<div id="3">
</div>

<input type="submit"/>
</form>

When the user presses the submit button I want the program to execute different queries based on what div it is in…. based on the div id, or somehow..

Answer 1

Give the submit button a name and value the usual way.

<input type="submit" name="action" value="action1">
...
<input type="submit" name="action" value="action2">
...
<input type="submit" name="action" value="action3">

The pressed button is namely available as request parameter as well.

String action = request.getParameter("action");

if ("action1".equals(action)) {
    // action1 button is pressed.
} else ("action2".equals(action)) {
    // action2 button is pressed.
} else ("action3".equals(action)) {
    // action3 button is pressed.
}

---

You can if necessary give them a different name instead and then nullcheck each request parameter.

<input type="submit" name="action1" value="This is more i18n friendly">
...
<input type="submit" name="action2" value="Blah">
...
<input type="submit" name="action3" value="More blah">

with

if (request.getParameter("action1") != null) {
    // action1 button is pressed.
} else (request.getParameter("action2") != null) {
    // action2 button is pressed.
} else (request.getParameter("action3") != null) {
    // action3 button is pressed.
}

---

Or, if they are actually all in their own <form>, then you can also pass a hidden input along.

<form> 
    <input type="hidden" name="action" value="action1">
    ...
</form>
<form> 
    <input type="hidden" name="action" value="action2">
    ...
</form>
<form> 
    <input type="hidden" name="action" value="action3">
    ...
</form>

with the same server-side handling as in 1st example.