Question

I have a web application with an upload form where users can upload files.

I’d like to store the files a folder ‘files’. And i’d like this folder to be placed directly under the webapp-root.

Using struts2, in my uploadFileAction, i can easily set this path with String uploadDir = ServletActionContext.getServletContext().getRealPath("/files")+ "/";

But when i’m trying to retrieve the files, apparently my bean which tries to access the file does not have access to getServletContext() and thus throws a nullpointer on getRealPath

Now im trying to figure out how i should approach this. I’ve heard about spring resource is the way to go, but i cant find any relevant examples.

Is there an easy way to get my paths? I just want the rootpath to my webapp. Nothing more nothing less…

Answer 1

I’d like this folder to be placed directly under the webapp-root.

This isn’t going to work. All those files will get lost whenever you redeploy the webapp or even when you restart the server. Those files are namely not contained as part of the original WAR.

You need to store them in a fixed path outside the webapp’s context. E.g. /var/webapp/uploads. You can configure this path in a properties file or as a system property.