How to Serve Static Resources When Using a Global Front Controller Servlet Mapped to /*?

Accessing Static Resources with a Global Front Controller Servlet Mapped at /*

Mapping a global front controller servlet, such as the Spring MVC dispatcher, on /* URL pattern provides centralized control for handling incoming requests. However, this mapping can interfere with access to static resources, like CSS files, JavaScript scripts, and images.

To resolve this issue, a multifaceted approach is required:

1. Use a Specific URL-Pattern for the Controller Servlet: Map the controller servlet to a more specific URL pattern, such as /pages/*. This ensures that the servlet only handles requests intended for dynamic content.
2. Place Static Content in a Dedicated Folder: Organize static resources in a separate folder, such as /static. This will help differentiate them from other request types.
3. Implement a Filter for Handling Static Content: Create a filter that listens on the /* URL pattern. This filter should transparently pass requests for static content to the default servlet. For requests intended for dynamic processing, the filter should dispatch the request to the controller servlet.

In the filter's doFilter() method, implement the following logic:

HttpServletRequest req = (HttpServletRequest) request;
String path = req.getRequestURI().substring(req.getContextPath().length());

if (path.startsWith("/static")) {
    chain.doFilter(request, response); // Goes to default servlet.
} else {
    request.getRequestDispatcher("/pages" + path).forward(request, response);
}

This filter allows static resources to be served without any changes to the browser address bar. Additionally, you can customize the "/static" and "/pages" paths by using initialization parameters in the filter.

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