Issue with form:select, all labels are selected - spring

Question

I am using spring 3 JSP tab lib to generate HTML. I have a select box with following code -
<form:select path="categoryList" multiple="false">
<form:option value="" label="--" selected="selected"/>
<form:options items="${categoryList}" itemValue="catId" itemLabel="catName"/>
</form:select>
HTML getting generated is -
<select id="categoryList" name="categoryList">
<option selected="selected" value="">--</option>
<option value="1" selected="selected">S</option>
<option value="2" selected="selected">Ster</option>
<option value="3" selected="selected">ice</option>
<option value="4" selected="selected">Cees</option>
</select>
Issue is all options getting generated has selected="selected" which makes "Cees" selected on page rather then "--". Can someone please let me know ohw to fix this?
complete page -
<form:form modelAttribute="productManagerVO" name="productManager" id="productManager">
<jsp:directive.include file="../common/header.jsp" />
<div class="MainDiv">
<div class="ManagerHeadline">Product Manager</div>
<table cellspacing="2px" cellpadding="0" width="100%">
<tr>
<td width="100%">
<fieldset>
<legend class="checkoutlegend">Category Information</legend>
<table align="left" id="addCategoryTable">
<tr><td><input type="button" id="addCat" value="Add New Category" /></td></tr>
</table>
<c:if test="${not empty productManagerVO.categoryList}">
<table cellspacing="2px" cellpadding="0" class="timeTable" id="categoryTable">
<th>Name</th>
<th>Order</th>
<th>Active</th>
<th> </th>
<c:forEach var="categoryListVO" items="${productManagerVO.categoryList}" varStatus="item">
<tr>
<td><c:out value="${categoryListVO.catName}" /></td>
<td><c:out value="${categoryListVO.catOrder}" /></td>
<td><c:if test="${categoryListVO.categoryActive}">Yes</c:if>
<c:if test="${!categoryListVO.categoryActive}">No</c:if>
</td>
<td>edit</td>
</tr>
</c:forEach>
</table>
</c:if>
</fieldset>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="100%">
<fieldset>
<legend class="checkoutlegend">Product Information</legend>
<table align="left" id="addProductTable">
<tr>
<td><input type="button" id="addPro" value="Add New Product"/></td>
</tr>
</table>
<table cellspacing="2px" cellpadding="0" class="timeTable" id="productTable">
<col width="10%" />
<col width="7%" />
<col width="40%" />
<col width="10%" />
<col width="5%" />
<col width="6%" />
<col width="7%" />
<col width="10%" />
<col width="5%" />
<tr>
<th>Name</th>
<th>Subname</th>
<th>Description</th>
<th>Veg</th>
<th>Spicy</th>
<th>Is Active</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Category</th>
<th> </th>
</tr>
<c:if test="${not empty productManagerVO.productList}">
<c:forEach var="productListVO" items="${productManagerVO.productList}" varStatus="item">
<tr>
<td><c:out value="${productListVO.fName}" /></td>
<td><c:out value="${productListVO.fSubname}" /></td>
<td><c:out value="${productListVO.fDesc}" /></td>
<td><c:if test="${productListVO.fVeg}">Yes</c:if>
<c:if test="${!productListVO.fVeg}">No</c:if></td>
<td><c:if test="${productListVO.fSpicy}">Yes</c:if>
<c:if test="${!productListVO.fSpicy}">No</c:if></td>
<td><c:if test="${productListVO.fActive}">Yes</c:if>
<c:if test="${!productListVO.fActive}">No</c:if></td>
<td><c:out value="${productListVO.fPrice}" /></td>
<td><c:out value="${productListVO.categoryName}" /></td>
<td><a id="product" href="#editProduct" onclick="editProductData('${productListVO.fId}')">edit</a></td>
</tr>
</c:forEach>
</c:if>
</table>
</fieldset>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
<div style="display:none">
<div id="addCategory">
<table cellspacing="2px" cellpadding="0" class="adminTable" style="border:1px solid #dadada;">
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;">Category Name</td>
<td><input type="text" id="caddName" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;">Category Description</td>
<td><input type="text" id="caddDesc" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;">Category Order</td>
<td><input type="text" id="caddOrder" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;">Is Active</td>
<td>Yes <input type="radio" value="y" name="catActive"/> No <input type="radio" value="n" name="catActive"/></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2"><input type="button" id="cSave" name="catSave" value="Submit" onclick="addNewCategory();"/></td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
<div id="editCategory">
<table cellspacing="2px" cellpadding="0" class="adminTable" style="border:1px solid #dadada;">
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;">Category Name</td>
<td><input type="text" id="ceName" name="ceName"/></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;">Category Description</td>
<td><input type="text" id="ceDesc" name="ceDesc"/></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;">Category Order</td>
<td><input type="text" id="ceOrder" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;">Is Active</td>
<td><input type="radio" id="ceActiveY" name="cateActive" value="y"/> Yes
<input type="radio" id="ceActiveN" name="cateActive" value="n"/> No</td>
</tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><input type="button" id="cSave" name="catSave" value="Submit" onClick="editSaveCategory();"/></td>
<td><input type="hidden" id="ceId"/></td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
<div id="addProduct">
<table cellspacing="2px" cellpadding="0" class="adminTable" style="border:1px solid #dadada;">
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;">Product Name</td>
<td><input type="text" id="paName" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;">Product SubName</td>
<td><input type="text" id="paSubName" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;"> Product Description</td>
<td><input type="text" id="paDesc" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;">Price</td>
<td><input type="text" id="paPrice" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;">Is Vegetarian</td>
<td>Yes <input type="radio" id="paVeg" name="proVeg" value="y"/> No <input type="radio" id="paVeg" name="proVeg" value="n"/></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;">Is Spicy</td>
<td>Yes <input type="radio" id="paSpicy" name="proSpicy" value="y"/> No <input type="radio" id="paSpicy" name="proCpicy" value="n"/></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;">Is Active</td>
<td>Yes <input type="radio" id="paActive" name="proActive" value="y"/> No <input type="radio" id="paActive" name="proActive" value="n"/></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;">Category</td>
<td>
<form:select path="categoryList" multiple="single">
<form:option value="" label="--"/>
<form:options items="${productManagerVO.categoryList}" itemValue="catId" itemLabel="catName"/>
</form:select>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2"><input type="button" id="caSave" name="cataSave" value="Submit"/></td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
<div id="editProduct">
<table cellspacing="2px" cellpadding="0" class="adminTable" style="border:1px solid #dadada;">
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;">Product Name</td>
<td><input type="text" id="peName" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;">Product SubName</td>
<td><input type="text" id="peSubName" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;"> Product Description</td>
<td><input type="text" id="peDesc" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;">Price</td>
<td><input type="text" id="pePrice" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;">Is Vegetarian</td>
<td>Yes <input type="radio" id="peVegY" name="proeVeg" value="y"/> No <input type="radio" id="peVegN" name="proeVeg" value="n"/></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;">Is Spicy</td>
<td>Yes <input type="radio" id="peSpicyY" name="proeSpicy" value="y"/> No <input type="radio" id="peSpicyN" name="proeSpicy" value="n"/></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;">Is Active</td>
<td>Yes <input type="radio" id="peActiveY" name="proeActive" value="y"/> No <input type="radio" id="peActiveN" name="proeActive" value="n"/></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="font-weight:bold;">Category</td>
<td>
<form:select path="categoryList" multiple="single" id="peCat">
<form:option value="" label="--"/>
<form:options items="${productManagerVO.categoryList}" itemValue="catId" itemLabel="catName"/>
</form:select>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td>
<td colspan="2"><input type="button" id="peSave" name="proeSave" value="Submit" onClick="editSaveProduct();"/></td>
<input type="text" id="peId"/></td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
</form:form>

Answer 1

Try removing the selected=selected on your first item. I don't think its necessary as the list will display in the order you specified - unless you want -- to be the default selection if the form is submitted without this select being touched?

Answer 2

Try this:
<form:select path="categoryList" multiple="single">
<form:option value="" label="--"/>
<form:options items="${categoryList}" itemValue="catId" itemLabel="catName"/>
</form:select>
I've only changed the multiple attribute and removed the selected attribute from the option. This works for me...and i think, must also work for you.
edit:
It seems to be okay, only your last <tr> is wrong...you have two <td> in a row, without </td>
<tr>
<td>
<td colspan="2">
<input type="button" id="peSave" name="proeSave" value="Submit" onClick="editSaveProduct();"/>
</td>
<input type="text" id="peId"/>
</td>
</tr>
must be something like
<tr>
<td>
<input type="button" id="peSave" name="proeSave" value="Submit" onClick="editSaveProduct();"/>
</td>
<td colspan="2">
<input type="text" id="peId"/>
</td>
</tr>
Second, why are you using c:out? You can replace <td><c:out value="${categoryListVO.catName}" /></td> with <td>${categoryListVO.catName}</td>...
Third - this construction
<td><c:if test="${productListVO.fActive}">Yes</c:if>
<c:if test="${!productListVO.fActive}">No</c:if></td>
can you replace with
<c:choose>
<c:when test="${productListVO.fActive}">
Yes
</c:when>
<c:otherwise>
No
</c:otherwise>
</c:choose>
I find this way better...the rest seems to be okay, i can't find anything, what can cause the problem. Search for other not properly closed tags. Is there any warnings/messages from the jsp editor?

Answer 3

I had this problem, and after a lot of digging around in Spring I found what was causing it for me. It was something very specific in my case but there is a general point, which is this.
Spring goes to a great deal of trouble to try to work out what the selected option should be. I started digging around in the OptionWriter and then moved down into the SelectedValueComparator. This tries all manner of comparisons to work out if the current option value should be selected. In the end it falls back to the Propertyeditors and Converters (which is where my mistake was).
So I wonder if your CategoryList class had a badly implemented equals method or a converter that doesn't convert properly (mine always converted into the same object)?