html - why doesnt my jsp request.getParameter() get the data?

Question

ive created a form in which user will check off checkboxes, select radio buttons, and drop downs in 1.jsp...

i want to use the information from 1.jsp to determine the output of 2.jsp...

jsfiddle for 1.jsp: http://jsfiddle.net/VWczQ/

action="/2.jsp">

now in 2.jsp i have this:

<% if(request.getParameter("extra") != null) { %>           
    <page:cmsElement id="cmsContent" name="/otcmarkets/traderAndBroker/market-data-vendors/wizard-results" />
<% } else if(request.getParameter("all") != null) { %>
    <page:cmsElement id="cmsContent" name="/otcmarkets/traderAndBroker/market-data-vendors/con-all" />
<% } else { %>
    <h1>holy crap everything is null!!!</h1>
<% } %>

when i randomly choose options from the form everything is NULL...

what am i doing wrong?!?

Answer 1

You seem to be expecting that the id attribute of the HTML input elements is been sent as request parameter name. This is wrong. It's the name attribute which is been sent as request parameter name. Its value is then the value attribtue which is been set on the named input element.

So, instead of for example your incorrect check

if(request.getParameter("extra") != null) {
    // ...
}

for the following radio button

<input type="radio" name="choice" value="extranet" id="extra"/>

you need to get the parameter by name choice and test if its value is extranet.

if ("extranet".equals(request.getParameter("choice"))) {
    // ...
}

As to the all checkbox, I am confused. It is possible to send the both values, yet you're checking them in an if-else. Shouldn't the all be inside the same radio button group? Shouldn't you remove the else? In any way, the point should be clear. It's the input elements' name attribtue which get sent as request parameter name, not the id attribute.