JSP tag attributes with different value types

Question

Is it possible to have a JSP tag with different value types for its attributes?

<tag>
    <name>init</name>
    <tag-class>com.example.InitTag</tag-class>
    <body-content>empty</body-content>
    <attribute>
        <name>locale</name>
        <rtexprvalue>true</rtexprvalue>
    </attribute>
</tag>

public class InitTag extends SimpleTagSupport {
    private Locale locale;

    public InitTag() {
        setLocale(Locale.getDefault());
    }

    public void setLocale(String locale) {
        setLocale(SetLocaleSupport.parseLocale(locale));
    }

    public void setLocale(Locale locale) {
        this.locale = locale;
    }
}

Now I would like to be able to use a Locale object as well as a String object as attribute value:

<mytag:init locale="en" />
or
<mytag:init locale="${anyLocaleObject}" />

But getting this exception: org.apache.jasper.JasperException: Unable to convert string "en" to class "java.util.Locale" for attribute "locale": Property Editor not registered with the PropertyEditorManager

Do I have to use this mentioned "Property Editor"? How to use it then?

Answer 1

You can just use an attribute of type Object and dynamically check if it's String or Locale or whatever.

Answer 2

How about this

<tag>
    <name>init</name>
    <tag-class>com.example.InitTag</tag-class>
    <body-content>empty</body-content>
    <attribute>
        <name>localeCode</name>
        <required>false</required>
        <rtexprvalue>true</rtexprvalue>
    </attribute>
    <attribute>
        <name>locale</name>
        <required>false</required>
        <rtexprvalue>true</rtexprvalue>
    </attribute>
</tag>

public class InitTag extends SimpleTagSupport {

    private Locale locale;

    public InitTag() {
        setLocale(Locale.getDefault());
    }

    public void setLocaleCode(String locale) {
        setLocale(SetLocaleSupport.parseLocale(locale));
    }

    public void setLocale(Locale locale) {
        this.locale = locale;
    }
}

In JSP

<mytag:init localeCode="en" />
OR
<mytag:init localeCode="{anyLocaleCode}" />
OR
<mytag:init locale="${anyLocaleObject}" />