Apache Struts 2 Documentation > Home > FAQs > How do we get access to the session
Added by digi9ten, last edited by Ted Husted on Jul 22, 2006  (view change)

You can obtain the session attributes by asking the ActionContext or implementing SessionAware. Implementing SessionAware is preferred.

Ask the ActionContext

The session attributes are available on the ActionContext instance, which is made available via ThreadLocal.

Map attibutes = ActionContext.getContext().getSession();

Implement SessionAware

_Preferred_

  • Ensure that servlet-config Interceptor is included in the Action's stack.
    • The default stack already includes servlet-config.
  • Edit the Action so that it implements the SessionAware interface.
    • The SessionAware interface expects a setSession method. You may wish to include a companion getSession method.
  • At runtime, call getSession to obtain a Map representing the session attributes.
  • Any changes made to the session Map are reflected in the actual HttpSessionRequest. You may insert and remove session attributes as needed.
Map parameters = this.getSession();
When the servlet-config Interceptor sees that an Action implements ParameterAware, it passes a Map of the session attributes to the Action's setParameters method. Changes made to the Map are reflected in the runtime HttpSessionRequest.

To unit test a SessionAware Action, create your own Map with the pertinent session attributes and call setSession as part of the test's setUp method.

@see struts-default.xml
@see org.apache.struts.acton2.interceptor.SessionAware
@see org.apache.struts.acton2.interceptor.Servlet Config Interceptor