Upload files with jqxFileUpload to JSP servlet

In this help topic you will learn how to create a simple Dynamic Web Application using the Eclipse IDE and the Apache Tomcat server implementing jqxFileUpload widget example in the Java environment.

1. Create a New Project in Eclipse

In this help topic, we will be using Eclipse IDE for Java EE Developers, version Luna. You can get it from here: https://www.eclipse.org/downloads/packages/eclipse-ide-java-ee-developers/lunasr2. Run Eclipse and go to File → New → Dynamic Web Project. In the window that appears, type the project's name (we will name it "JqxFileUpload") and click Finish.

2. Add Necessary Classes to the Java Build Path

Several Java class packages (.jar files) are necessary for the following example and have to be included in the Java build path. These are:

• commons-fileupload-1.3.1.jar - The Commons FileUpload package makes it easy to add robust, high-performance, file upload capability to your servlets and web applications. FileUpload parses HTTP requests which conform to RFC 1867, "Form-based File Upload in HTML". That is, if an HTTP request is submitted using the POST method, and with a content type of "multipart/form-data", then FileUpload can parse that request, and make the results available in a manner easily used by the caller.
• commons-io-2.4.jar - Commons io library is required by the commons-fileupload library to work.

Here is how to add these to the Eclipse project:

1. Right-click on the project and click Properties:
   
2. Select Java Build Path on the left and then the Libraries tab:
   
3. Click Add External JARs... and browse for the aforementioned files. Note: in this case, the Java Runtime Environment classes are already present in JRE System Library and we do not need to include them again.

The added JARs should appear in Java Resources\Libraries and be ready for use:

4. Configure the Apache Tomcat Server

Apache Tomcat is an open source software implementation of the Java Servlet and JavaServer Pages technologies. We will be using Tomcat 8.0 in this tutorial. If you do not already have Apache Tomcat on your system, download it from here: http://tomcat.apache.org/download-80.cgi and install it. Then:

1. In Eclipse, go to Window → Preferences. Choose Server → Runtime Environments on the left:
   
2. Click Add. In the window that appears, choose Apache Tomcat v8.0 and check Create a new local server:
   
3. Click Next, browse for the Tomcat installation directory, then click Finish and OK in the previous window:
   
4. Right-click the project and choose Properties. In the Properties window, select Project Facets on the left and then the tab Runtimes on the right. Check Apache Tomcat v8.0. Finally, click Apply.
   

5. Add the external jar files to the Deployment Assembly

1. Still in the project Properties window choose Deployment Assembly on the left:
   
2. Click Add. In the window that appears, choose Java Build Path Entries and select next.
   
3. You should see our jar files:
   commons-fileupload-1.3.1.jar
commons-io-2.4.jar
   Select them both and press Finish. Then press Apply and Ok on the Properties window.

6. Create a servlet to handle the file upload server side.

1. Right click on the project and select New -> Servlet

2. Give it a name FileUploadHandler and click Finish.

3. Use the following code for the servlet:
This servlet will be responsible for the post requests sent by our client page. It is configured to accept image mime types, and only with extensions .jpg, .jpeg, .bmp, .png and .gif. It works for single and multiple uploads since jqxFileUpload sends the files one by one.

7. Create a web.xml config file.

1. Expand the WebContent folder and right click on WEB-INF and select New -> File . Name it web.xml and click finish.
2. Open the web.xml file and add the following configuration:

Note: Make sure to configure and create the upload directory for your server on the line:
<param-value>c:\uploads\<param-value>

8. Create your page that will use jqxFileUpload widget.

1. Add the Necessary jQWidgets Scripts and Stylesheets to the Project

   Create two folders in the project folder WebContent - js and css. Include in them all (or only the necessary) jQWidgets files - the scripts (including jqxcore.js and the specific widget files jqxbuttons.js and jqxFileUpload.js) in js and the stylesheets (jqx.base.css and any themes and associated images) in css. Remember to include a version of jQuery in js, too.

2. In the WebContent dir add a new .jsp file. We'll call it index.jsp
   Here is how the file would look like:

   Note: the uploadUrl parameter is pointing to the value specified for <url-pattern> in web.xml in the <servlet-mapping> section.