save file on server, java web application

Question

from my web application (vaadin) I generate XML files and want to store these files on the server. I did:

context.getHttpSession().getServletContext().getRealPath("/");

I run the web app on tomcat and managed to save the file to the app folder under

.metadata/.plugins/org.eclipse.wst.server.core/tmp0/wtpwebapps/my_app_folder/

on the same level with META-INF, WEB-INF and VAADIN folder. If I want to save the file on server storage and save the path of the file on the database, where should I save the files? Thank you

Solution

Your web application runs within a JVM on the Server. The root file path of your application is typically the folder of your Tomcat Server. To get this folder path you can easily do the following:

String sRootPath = new File("").getAbsolutePath();

You could save your files in a subfolder created by you or you have an extra folder somewhere on the servers filesystem.

Comments

[Duc]

when I get the path as you suggested, it doesnt' give me the path of the Tomcat Server but the path of eclipse which is: /Applications/eclipse/Eclipse.app/Contents/MacOS. IMHO, I don't think this is the right place

[nexus]

this is because you run/start Tomcat out of eclipse. As soon as you deploy your application on a preinstalled Tomcat-Server you will get that directory.

[Duc]

oh nice, thank you for your helps