Recipe 27.4 Using a JSP to Connect with Google

Problem

You want to search Google using the Google Web APIs and a JSP.

Solution

Use the jsp:useBean standard action to get access to the GoogleBean from Example 27-2, then use this bean instance to connect with Google's web tools.

Discussion

The JSP in Example 27-4 uses the JSTL core tags to determine if the user has sent a search query along with their request. If the query request parameter is empty, then the JSP displays a form (see Figure 27-1). See Chapter 23 for details on the JSTL core tags.

If the request parameter is filled by a search query, the JSP uses the GoogleBean to search google.com and display the results. The JSP uses the jsp:useBean standard action to create an instance of the bean, which is stored in the WEB-INF/lib directory.

Example 27-4. A JSP uses a JavaBean to search google.com

<%@ taglib uri="http://java.sun.com/jstl/core" prefix="c" %>

<html>
<head><title>Search Google from a JSP</title></head>
<body>

<c:choose>

   <c:when test="${empty param.query}">

   <h2>Please enter your search terms...</h2>

   <%-- Display the HTML form... --%>
   
   <form method="POST" action ='<c:out value=
   "${pageContext.request.contextPath}" />/google.jsp'>    

   <table border="0">

   <tr><td valign="top">    

   Search terms: </td>  <td valign="top">    
   <input type="text" name="query" size="15">    
   </td></tr>

   <tr><td valign="top">    
   Restrict to Google sub-site... </td>  <td valign="top">    

   <select name="restrict">
   <option selected>none</option><option>unclesam</option>
   <option>linux</option>
   <option>mac</option><option>bsd</option></select>    
   </td></tr>

   <tr><td valign="top">    
   <input type="submit" value="Submit Info"></td></tr>    
   </table></form>    

<%-- End of the HTML form... --%>
   
    </c:when>

        <c:otherwise>
    
    <%-- Create an instance of the GoogleBean --%>
    <jsp:useBean id="gBean" class="com.jspservletcookbook.GoogleBean" />

    <h2>Here are your search results</h2>

    <%-- Set the query, restrict, and lineSep properties of the GoogleBean --%>

        <jsp:setProperty name="gBean" property="query" param="query"/>
        <jsp:setProperty name="gBean" property="restrict" param="restrict"/>
        <jsp:setProperty name="gBean" property="lineSep" value="<br /><br />"/>
        
        <%-- Now display any results of the search --%>

        <jsp:getProperty name="gBean" property="searchResults" />
        
        </c:otherwise>

</c:choose>

</body>
</html>

The JSP uses the jsp:setProperty standard action to the bean instance's query, restrict, and lineSep properties. The query represents the search terms; restrict can have values of mac, linux, bsd, or unclesam, representing various Google sub-sites, and the lineSep property determines the line-separation characters to use when formatting the results (<br/> in this example).

Finally, the code uses jsp:getProperty to effectively call the GoogleBean's getSearchResults( ) method, which sends a SOAP message to Google and formats the response.

Recipe 27.4 Using a JSP to Connect with Google

Problem

Solution

Discussion

Example 27-4. A JSP uses a JavaBean to search google.com

See Also