How to return a file from an Action?

[Adrien Ragot 2]

Hi,

I'd like to have WebWork action return a file. Here's my atlassian.xml:

<action name="export" class="com.playsql.requirement.RequirementAction" method="export">
                <result name="download" type="stream">inputStream</result>
            </action>

Here's my action:

public String export() {
        try {
            File file = File.createTempFile("export-", ".csv");
            FileUtils.writeStringToFile(file, "bleblebleleheldbelhebelbelbele");
            inputStream = new FileInputStream(file);
            return "download";
        } catch (IOException e) {
            return "error";
        }
    }

However, the browser just shows it, it doesn't download it and doesn't give it a name.

Using this question, I have tried:

<result name="download1" type="stream">
    <param name="contentType">text/html</param>
    <param name="inputName">inputStream</param>
    <param name="contentDisposition">filename=document.csv</param>
</result>

but I get this exception, which means WebWork doesn't detect that the contents of the <result> element isn't just text and it tries to parse it as if it were the location.

java.lang.NullPointerException
	at java.util.regex.Matcher.getTextLength(Matcher.java:1140)
	at java.util.regex.Matcher.reset(Matcher.java:291)
	at java.util.regex.Matcher.<init>(Matcher.java:211)
	at java.util.regex.Pattern.matcher(Pattern.java:888)
	at com.opensymphony.xwork.util.TextParseUtil.translateVariables(TextParseUtil.java:32)
	at com.opensymphony.webwork.dispatcher.WebWorkResultSupport.execute(WebWorkResultSupport.java:113)
	at com.opensymphony.xwork.DefaultActionInvocation.executeResult(DefaultActionInvocation.java:263)

[Adrien Ragot 2 · Accepted solution]

Note: The other example won't work in IE, because it won't give it the right name. Instead:

public class RequirementAction extends AbstractSpaceAction implements ServletResponseAware {
private HttpServletResponse response;
    public void setServletResponse(HttpServletResponse httpServletResponse) {
        this.response = httpServletResponse;
    }

...
            response.setHeader("Content-Disposition", "attachment; filename=" + "\"requirement-export.csv\"");
            response.setHeader("Cache-Control", "max-age=0");
            response.setHeader("Pragma", "");
            response.setContentType("text/csv");

            OutputStream out = response.getOutputStream();
            IOUtils.copy(inputStream, out);
            out.close();

[Adrien Ragot 2]

Atlassian Answers is an awesome rubber duck in the sense it helps the community too!

<action name="export" class="com.playsql.requirement.RequirementAction" method="export">
    <result name="download" type="stream">
        <param name="contentType">text/csv</param>
        <param name="location">inputStream</param> <!-- Here's where I was mistaken -->
        <param name="contentDisposition">attachment; filename=requirement-export.csv</param>
    </result>
    <result name="error" type="velocity">/error.vm</result>
</action>

[Karunesh Sarad]

Hi Adrein,

The content disposition header is not at all reflecting in user's downloaded file.. Did it work for you?

Here is my configuration:

<result name="download" type="stream">
                    <param name="contentType">application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document</param>
                    <param name="contentDisposition">attachment; filename=test.docx.html</param>
                    <param name="inputName">inputStream</param>
                </result>