what's the max-side for in request.setAtttibute(Object), using Tomcat 4.1

[John_Woo]

Hi

Tomcat 4.x is used as Web Server, in a jsp, there is a method

//result is type LIST of maps element,
//each of map represents a row-record from sql
List list = (List)request.getAttribute("SQL");
if (list == null)
{
List o = (List)sql.getResult();//getting result
session.setAttribute("SQL",o);
}

when browsering this servlet, the following error message pops up:

exception

org.apache.jasper.JasperException
at
org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServletWrapper.service(JspServletWrapper.java:248)
at
org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServlet.serviceJspFile(JspServlet.java:295)
at org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServlet.service(JspServlet.java:241)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:853)
at
org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:247)
at
org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193)
at
org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:260)
...
root cause

javax.servlet.ServletException
at
org.apache.jasper.runtime.PageContextImpl.handlePageException(PageContextImpl.java:533)
at
org.apache.jsp.GetChecksList_jsp._jspService(GetChecksList_jsp.java:916)
at org.apache.jasper.runtime.HttpJspBase.service(HttpJspBase.java:137)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:853)
at
org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServletWrapper.service(JspServletWrapper.java:204)
at
org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServlet.serviceJspFile(JspServlet.java:295)
at org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServlet.service(JspServlet.java:241)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:853)
at
org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:247)
at
org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193)
at
org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:260)
at
org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline$StandardPipelineValveContext.invokeNext(StandardPipeline.java:643)
at
org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:480)
...

Can any one tell how to deal with it? this jsp used to display all the
records in disfferent manners.

or any other idea on what's the max-side for the object in
session.setAtttribute()

what's better useing session.setAttribute() or request.setAttribute()?

BTW, the following has been inserted in tomcat catalina.bat
set JAVA_OPTS=-Xmx1024m

--
Thanks lots
John
Toronto