JSP include page doesn't work

Question

I have a JSP file, member.jsp which is as follows :

<%@ page import="java.util.*" %>
<jsp:include page="/html_functions.jsp" />

<% String heading = "Header" %>
<%= formStart("a_form") %>
<%= printPageHeader(heading) %>
<%= startMyLi() %>
<%= endLi() %>
<%= formEnd() %>

and my html_functions.jsp is as follows :

<%!

public String formStart(String name) {
    String structure = "<div id=\"content\"><form name=\"" + name + "\" method=\"post\"><ul>";
    return structure;
}//formStart

public String printPageHeader(String name) {
    String structure = "<li class=\"listLi\">\n<h3 class=\"formHeader\">" + name + ".</h3></li>";
    return structure;
}//printPageHeader

public String startMyLi() {
    String structure = "<li class=\"listLi\">";
    return structure;
}//startMyLi

public String endLi() {
    return ("</li>");
}//endMyLi

public String displayWithSpan(String str) {
    String structure = "<span class=\"labelSpan\">" + str + "</span>";
    return structure;
}//displayWithSpan

public String displayInputElement(String name) {
    return("Hiiiii");
}//displayInputElement

%>

However, I get an exception while calling the member.jsp file. This is the exception I get :

org.apache.jasper.JasperException: Unable to compile class for JSP: 

An error occurred at line: xx in the jsp file: /member.jsp
The method formStart(String) is undefined for the type add_005fmember_jsp

Same is the case with all other methods. Where am I making the mistake ?

Thanks

Answer 1

Using

<%@ include file="/html_functions.jsp" %>

works fine instead of <jsp:include page="html_functions.jsp" />

There are two ways of including a file in to the JSP page of your application. These are as follows:

1. <%@include file="relativeURL" %>
2. <jsp:include page="relativeURL" />

first case includes the file or the text or the code of the file in the calling JSP file at compilation time and executes later.

See

and check html_functions.jsp is placed in correct path.