How to change boolean value if checked with checkbox in thymeleaf?

Question

I'm building weekly availability when a new user is registering. I'm using checkboxes to see what part of the day the user is available. For example if user is available on Monday until evening then user checks morning and evening under Monday.

th:field="${schedule.morning}" gives me and error. th:name="${schedule.morning}" doesn't change the boolean value.

Schedule model

    @NotNull
    @NotEmpty(message = "Day of the availability is required.")
    private String day;

    @NonNull
    @Column(nullable = false)
    private boolean morning;

    @NonNull
    @Column(nullable = false)
    private boolean afternoon;

    @NonNull
    @Column(nullable = false)
    private boolean evening;

Controller

@GetMapping("/new-agent")
    public String register(Model model) {
        ScheduleHelper availability = new ScheduleHelper();
        model.addAttribute("user", new User());
        model.addAttribute("profile", new Profile());
        model.addAttribute("schedules", availability);
        model.addAttribute("languages", languages);
        return "profile_reg";
    }

    @PostMapping("/new-agent")
    public String registerNewUser(@Valid User user, BindingResult bindingResultUser,
                                  @Valid Profile profile, BindingResult bindingResult,
                                  ScheduleHelper schedules, BindingResult bindingResultSchedule,
                                  Model model, RedirectAttributes redirectAttributes) {
        if(bindingResult.hasErrors() || bindingResultUser.hasErrors() || bindingResultSchedule.hasErrors()) {
            // Show validation errors.
            logger.info("Errors registering a new user.");
            model.addAttribute("validationErrors", bindingResult.getAllErrors());
            model.addAttribute("validationErrorsUser", bindingResultUser.getAllErrors());
            model.addAttribute("validationErrorsSchedule", bindingResultSchedule.getAllErrors());
            model.addAttribute("user", user);
            model.addAttribute("profile", profile);
            model.addAttribute("schedules", schedules);
            model.addAttribute("languages", languages);
            return "profile_reg";
        } else {
            schedules.print();
            // Register new user.
            User newUser = userService.register(user);
            profile.setUser(newUser);
            Profile newProfile = profileService.register(profile);
            for(int i = 0; i < 7; i++) {
                Schedule newSchedule = schedules.getSchedule(i);
                newSchedule.setProfile(newProfile);
                scheduleService.register(newSchedule);
            }
            redirectAttributes
                    .addFlashAttribute("id", newUser.getId())
                    .addFlashAttribute("success", true);
            return "redirect:/new-agent";
        }
    }

Helper Class to pass the list when submitting

@Getter
@Setter
public class ScheduleHelper {
    private List<Schedule> schedules;
    ScheduleHelper(){
        schedules = new ArrayList<>();
        String[] week = {"Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday", "Saturday", "Sunday"};
        for(int i = 0; i < 7; i++) {
            schedules.add(new Schedule(week[i]));
        }
    }
    void print(){
        Schedule schedule = schedules.get(1);
        System.out.println(schedule.isMorning() + " " + schedule.isAfternoon() + " " + schedule.isEvening() + " " + schedule.getTest());
    }

    void addDay(String day){
        schedules.add(new Schedule(day));
    }

<h4 class="text-uppercase d-flex justify-content-center" style="color: #4267b2; margin-top: 10vh; margin-bottom: 3vh;">availability<br /></h4>
            <th:block th:each="schedule : ${schedules.getSchedules()}">
              <h1 class="display-4 text-center day-heading" th:text="${schedule.day}">Tuesday</h1>
              <div class="form-group d-flex justify-content-center" style="margin-bottom: 20px;">
                <div class="custom-control custom-checkbox" style="margin-right: 10px;">
                  <input type="checkbox" class="custom-control-input"
                         th:field="${schedule.morning}" value="1"
                         th:id="|morning-${schedule.day}|" />
                  <label class="custom-control-label" th:for="|morning-${schedule.day}|">Morning</label>
                </div>
                <div class="custom-control custom-checkbox" style="margin-right: 10px;">
                  <input type="checkbox" class="custom-control-input"
                         th:field="${schedule.afternoon}" value="1"
                         th:id="|afternoon-${schedule.day}|" />
                  <label class="custom-control-label" th:for="|afternoon-${schedule.day}|">Afternoon</label>
                </div>
                <div class="custom-control custom-checkbox" style="margin-right: 10px;">
                  <input type="checkbox" class="custom-control-input"
                         th:field="${schedule.evening}" value="1"
                         th:id="|evening-${schedule.day}|" />
                  <label class="custom-control-label" th:for="|evening-${schedule.day}|">Evening</label>
                </div>
              </div>
            </th:block>

Here's the error log when I try to request /new-agent page:

    An error happened during template parsing (template: "class path resource [templates/profile_reg.html]")
org.thymeleaf.exceptions.TemplateInputException: An error happened during template parsing (template: "class path resource [templates/profile_reg.html]")
    at org.thymeleaf.templateparser.markup.AbstractMarkupTemplateParser.parse(AbstractMarkupTemplateParser.java:241)
    at org.thymeleaf.templateparser.markup.AbstractMarkupTemplateParser.parseStandalone(AbstractMarkupTemplateParser.java:100)
    at org.thymeleaf.engine.TemplateManager.parseAndProcess(TemplateManager.java:666)
    at org.thymeleaf.TemplateEngine.process(TemplateEngine.java:1098)
    at org.thymeleaf.TemplateEngine.process(TemplateEngine.java:1072)
    at org.thymeleaf.spring5.view.ThymeleafView.renderFragment(ThymeleafView.java:362)
    at org.thymeleaf.spring5.view.ThymeleafView.render(ThymeleafView.java:189)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.render(DispatcherServlet.java:1372)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.processDispatchResult(DispatcherServlet.java:1118)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doDispatch(DispatcherServlet.java:1057)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doService(DispatcherServlet.java:943)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:1006)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.doGet(FrameworkServlet.java:898)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:634)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.service(FrameworkServlet.java:883)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:741)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:231)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166)
    at org.apache.tomcat.websocket.server.WsFilter.doFilter(WsFilter.java:53)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166)
    at org.springframework.boot.actuate.web.trace.servlet.HttpTraceFilter.doFilterInternal(HttpTraceFilter.java:88)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:119)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:320)
    at org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor.invoke(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:127)
    at org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.FilterSecurityInterceptor.doFilter(FilterSecurityInterceptor.java:91)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
    at org.springframework.security.web.access.ExceptionTranslationFilter.doFilter(ExceptionTranslationFilter.java:119)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
    at org.springframework.security.web.session.SessionManagementFilter.doFilter(SessionManagementFilter.java:137)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
    at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.AnonymousAuthenticationFilter.doFilter(AnonymousAuthenticationFilter.java:111)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
    at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.rememberme.RememberMeAuthenticationFilter.doFilter(RememberMeAuthenticationFilter.java:150)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
    at org.springframework.security.web.servletapi.SecurityContextHolderAwareRequestFilter.doFilter(SecurityContextHolderAwareRequestFilter.java:170)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
    at org.springframework.security.web.savedrequest.RequestCacheAwareFilter.doFilter(RequestCacheAwareFilter.java:63)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
    at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.doFilter(AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter.java:200)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
    at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.logout.LogoutFilter.doFilter(LogoutFilter.java:116)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
    at org.springframework.security.web.header.HeaderWriterFilter.doFilterInternal(HeaderWriterFilter.java:74)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:119)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
    at org.springframework.security.web.context.SecurityContextPersistenceFilter.doFilter(SecurityContextPersistenceFilter.java:105)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
    at org.springframework.security.web.context.request.async.WebAsyncManagerIntegrationFilter.doFilterInternal(WebAsyncManagerIntegrationFilter.java:56)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:119)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:334)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy.doFilterInternal(FilterChainProxy.java:215)
    at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:178)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.invokeDelegate(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:358)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.doFilter(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:271)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.RequestContextFilter.doFilterInternal(RequestContextFilter.java:100)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:119)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.FormContentFilter.doFilterInternal(FormContentFilter.java:93)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:119)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.HiddenHttpMethodFilter.doFilterInternal(HiddenHttpMethodFilter.java:94)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:119)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166)
    at org.springframework.boot.actuate.metrics.web.servlet.WebMvcMetricsFilter.filterAndRecordMetrics(WebMvcMetricsFilter.java:114)
    at org.springframework.boot.actuate.metrics.web.servlet.WebMvcMetricsFilter.doFilterInternal(WebMvcMetricsFilter.java:104)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:119)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.CharacterEncodingFilter.doFilterInternal(CharacterEncodingFilter.java:201)
    at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:119)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:193)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:166)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:202)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:96)
    at org.apache.catalina.authenticator.AuthenticatorBase.invoke(AuthenticatorBase.java:526)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:139)
    at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:92)
    at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:74)
    at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:343)
    at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.service(Http11Processor.java:408)
    at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProcessorLight.process(AbstractProcessorLight.java:66)
    at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProtocol$ConnectionHandler.process(AbstractProtocol.java:860)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.NioEndpoint$SocketProcessor.doRun(NioEndpoint.java:1589)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.SocketProcessorBase.run(SocketProcessorBase.java:49)
    at java.base/java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1128)
    at java.base/java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:628)
    at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.TaskThread$WrappingRunnable.run(TaskThread.java:61)
    at java.base/java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:834)
Caused by: org.attoparser.ParseException: Error during execution of processor 'org.thymeleaf.spring5.processor.SpringInputCheckboxFieldTagProcessor' (template: "profile_reg" - line 239, col 26)
    at org.attoparser.MarkupParser.parseDocument(MarkupParser.java:393)
    at org.attoparser.MarkupParser.parse(MarkupParser.java:257)
    at org.thymeleaf.templateparser.markup.AbstractMarkupTemplateParser.parse(AbstractMarkupTemplateParser.java:230)
    ... 95 more
Caused by: org.thymeleaf.exceptions.TemplateProcessingException: Error during execution of processor 'org.thymeleaf.spring5.processor.SpringInputCheckboxFieldTagProcessor' (template: "profile_reg" - line 239, col 26)
    at org.thymeleaf.processor.element.AbstractAttributeTagProcessor.doProcess(AbstractAttributeTagProcessor.java:117)
    at org.thymeleaf.processor.element.AbstractElementTagProcessor.process(AbstractElementTagProcessor.java:95)
    at org.thymeleaf.util.ProcessorConfigurationUtils$ElementTagProcessorWrapper.process(ProcessorConfigurationUtils.java:633)
    at org.thymeleaf.engine.ProcessorTemplateHandler.handleStandaloneElement(ProcessorTemplateHandler.java:918)
    at org.thymeleaf.engine.StandaloneElementTag.beHandled(StandaloneElementTag.java:228)
    at org.thymeleaf.engine.Model.process(Model.java:282)
    at org.thymeleaf.engine.Model.process(Model.java:290)
    at org.thymeleaf.engine.IteratedGatheringModelProcessable.processIterationModel(IteratedGatheringModelProcessable.java:367)
    at org.thymeleaf.engine.IteratedGatheringModelProcessable.process(IteratedGatheringModelProcessable.java:221)
    at org.thymeleaf.engine.ProcessorTemplateHandler.handleCloseElement(ProcessorTemplateHandler.java:1640)
    at org.thymeleaf.engine.TemplateHandlerAdapterMarkupHandler.handleCloseElementEnd(TemplateHandlerAdapterMarkupHandler.java:388)
    at org.thymeleaf.templateparser.markup.InlinedOutputExpressionMarkupHandler$InlineMarkupAdapterPreProcessorHandler.handleCloseElementEnd(InlinedOutputExpressionMarkupHandler.java:322)
    at org.thymeleaf.standard.inline.OutputExpressionInlinePreProcessorHandler.handleCloseElementEnd(OutputExpressionInlinePreProcessorHandler.java:220)
    at org.thymeleaf.templateparser.markup.InlinedOutputExpressionMarkupHandler.handleCloseElementEnd(InlinedOutputExpressionMarkupHandler.java:164)
    at org.attoparser.HtmlElement.handleCloseElementEnd(HtmlElement.java:169)
    at org.attoparser.HtmlMarkupHandler.handleCloseElementEnd(HtmlMarkupHandler.java:412)
    at org.attoparser.MarkupEventProcessorHandler.handleCloseElementEnd(MarkupEventProcessorHandler.java:473)
    at org.attoparser.ParsingElementMarkupUtil.parseCloseElement(ParsingElementMarkupUtil.java:201)
    at org.attoparser.MarkupParser.parseBuffer(MarkupParser.java:725)
    at org.attoparser.MarkupParser.parseDocument(MarkupParser.java:301)
    ... 97 more
Caused by: java.lang.IllegalStateException: Neither BindingResult nor plain target object for bean name 'schedule' available as request attribute
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.support.BindStatus.<init>(BindStatus.java:153)
    at org.springframework.web.servlet.support.RequestContext.getBindStatus(RequestContext.java:904)
    at org.thymeleaf.spring5.context.webmvc.SpringWebMvcThymeleafRequestContext.getBindStatus(SpringWebMvcThymeleafRequestContext.java:227)
    at org.thymeleaf.spring5.util.FieldUtils.getBindStatusFromParsedExpression(FieldUtils.java:306)
    at org.thymeleaf.spring5.util.FieldUtils.getBindStatus(FieldUtils.java:253)
    at org.thymeleaf.spring5.util.FieldUtils.getBindStatus(FieldUtils.java:227)
    at org.thymeleaf.spring5.processor.AbstractSpringFieldTagProcessor.doProcess(AbstractSpringFieldTagProcessor.java:174)
    at org.thymeleaf.processor.element.AbstractAttributeTagProcessor.doProcess(AbstractAttributeTagProcessor.java:74)
    ... 116 more

I want the program to change the boolean value from false to true when checkbox is checked.

Answer 1

To set a boolean variable's value to true / false if a checkbox is checked you have to use:

<input type="checkbox" th:field="*{booleanVariableName}" />

where booleanVariableName has its setter and getter method named like : getBooleanVariableName and setBooleanVariableName. If the name of the getter and setter methods is different thymeleaf won't be able to update the boolean's value

th:checked="*{booleanVariableName}"

works the other way around displaying the value the boolean's variable is set to. It won't update the variable's value if the checkbox changes its state

Answer 2

According to the official thymeleaf documentation

http://www.thymeleaf.org/doc/tutorials/2.1/usingthymeleaf.html#fixed-value-boolean-attributes

`th:checked is considered as a fixed-value Boolean attribute. So try like bellow.

<input type="checkbox" class="custom-control-input" th:checked="${schedule.morning}" 
th:id="|morning-${schedule.day}|" />