Fetching images for users: where to put them?

[Sam W]

Hello,

I haven't been able to figure this out after spending 3 hours on
Google.

I can fetch an image, but I don't know where to put them.
If I just use "new File("image.jpg")", it will end up in my tomcat
bin/ folder.

Some sugggests to use getServletContext().getRealPath("/"); but it
would block forever at "getServletContext", I don't know why.

What should I do so it will be part of the war, thus clients can
access it via "http://path.to/appname/images/someimage.jpg"?

What is the best practice on this?

Thank you so much.
Sam

[Sam W]

Turns out getServletContext returns null.

I am using my own tomcat server, so I'm fine with writing files. Except I haven't been able to figure out a proper way to get the path.

Currently I use "private static String uglyHardcodedPath = "../webapps/myproject/"", the prepend this to all my filepaths...

Thanks everyone

[Matias Costa]

In web.xml:

<servlet>

    <servlet-name>imageReceiver</servlet-name>

    <servlet-class>xxx.ImageReceiver</servlet-class>

    

    <init-param>

        <param-name>imagePath</param-name>

        <param-value>/the/place</param-value><!-- or C:\the\place -->

    </init-param>

</servlet>

And in the servlet:

public void init(ServletConfig servletConfig) throws ServletException{

    imagePath = servletConfig.getInitParameter("imagePath");

    if (!imagePath.endsWith(File.separator)) imagePath += File.separator

    try {

        File imageFolder = new File(imagePath);

        if (!File.exists()) Util.mkdirRecursive(imagePath);

    } catch ... whatever you want to do if something fails

  }

[Sam W]

Thanks for your help!

Seems that there isn't a general solution to this...

(Nice tip on checking exist(), I pulled my hair out a few times when I forgot to create the folders!)