javax.el.PropertyNotFoundException: Property 'foo' not readable on type java.lang.Boolean

Question

I have a class which looks something like this:

public class ScoreDefinition {

    protected Boolean primary;

    public Boolean isPrimary() {
        return primary;
    }

    public void setPrimary(Boolean value) {
        this.primary = value;
    }

}

I am trying to access its primary property in EL like this:

<c:forEach var="score" items="${scores}">
    <input type="checkbox"
           value="${score.primary}"
           name="someName"
           class="textField"/>
</c:forEach>

But I am getting the exception:

javax.el.PropertyNotFoundException: Property 'primary' not readable on type java.lang.Boolean
    at javax.el.BeanELResolver$BeanProperty.read(BeanELResolver.java:280)
    at javax.el.BeanELResolver$BeanProperty.access$000(BeanELResolver.java:230)
    at javax.el.BeanELResolver.getValue(BeanELResolver.java:81)
    at javax.el.CompositeELResolver.getValue(CompositeELResolver.java:54)
    at org.apache.el.parser.AstValue.getValue(AstValue.java:123)
    at org.apache.el.ValueExpressionImpl.getValue(ValueExpressionImpl.java:186)
    at org.apache.jasper.runtime.PageContextImpl.proprietaryEvaluate(PageContextImpl.java:938)
    at org.apache.jsp.WEB_002dINF.views.administer.projectBlocks_jsp._jspx_meth_c_005fforEach_005f2(projectBlocks_jsp.java:806)
    at org.apache.jsp.WEB_002dINF.views.administer.projectBlocks_jsp._jspx_meth_c_005fif_005f2(projectBlocks_jsp.java:709)
    at org.apache.jsp.WEB_002dINF.views.administer.projectBlocks_jsp._jspx_meth_form_005fform_005f0(projectBlocks_jsp.java:245)
    at org.apache.jsp.WEB_002dINF.views.administer.projectBlocks_jsp._jspService(projectBlocks_jsp.java:150)
    at org.apache.jasper.runtime.HttpJspBase.service(HttpJspBase.java:70)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:717)
    at org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServletWrapper.service(JspServletWrapper.java:388)
    at org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServlet.serviceJspFile(JspServlet.java:313)
    at org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServlet.service(JspServlet.java:260)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:717)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:290)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.invoke(ApplicationDispatcher.java:646)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.processRequest(ApplicationDispatcher.java:436)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.doForward(ApplicationDispatcher.java:374)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.forward(ApplicationDispatcher.java:302)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.view.InternalResourceView.renderMergedOutputModel(InternalResourceView.java:238)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.view.AbstractView.render(AbstractView.java:262)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.render(DispatcherServlet.java:1180)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doDispatch(DispatcherServlet.java:950)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doService(DispatcherServlet.java:852)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:882)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.doGet(FrameworkServlet.java:778)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:617)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:717)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:290)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
    at com.groupgti.webclient.filter.SecurityFilter.doFilter(SecurityFilter.java:51)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
    at com.groupgti.webclient.filter.CharacterEncodingFilter.doFilter(CharacterEncodingFilter.java:43)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:235)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:206)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:233)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:191)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:127)
    at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:102)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:109)
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:293)
    at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.process(Http11Processor.java:859)
    at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Protocol$Http11ConnectionHandler.process(Http11Protocol.java:602)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.JIoEndpoint$Worker.run(JIoEndpoint.java:489)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:662)

I can not change this class because it is generated from WSDL file. So the question is how can I get around this issue not using any custom EL functions to convert the Boolean into String or not converting this object to mine? Is it possible to somehow read this property in the EL without any other modifications?

Answer 1

The is prefix is for boolean only, not for Boolean.

You have 2 options:

1. Use boolean instead of Boolean.

2. Or, rename method isPrimary() to getPrimary().

As to JAXB blunder of autogenerating the wrong method, you need to upgrade to at least JAXB 2.1.13 or to add -B-enableIntrospection to the wsimport call as per this JAXB documentation.

See also:

• JavaBeans specification - Chapter 8.3.2
• How does Java expression language resolve boolean attributes? (in JSF 1.2)
• JSF 2 checkboxes and boolean getters

Answer 2

You can use a call directly to method score.isPrimary() like this:

<c:forEach var="score" items="${scores}">
<input type="checkbox"
       value="${score.isPrimary()}"
       name="someName"
       class="textField"/>
</c:forEach>