EDIT

package eu.etaxonomy.cdm.remote.service;

import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;

import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;

import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;

import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;

import org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.AbstractController;

/**

 * Controller to generate the Home Page basics to be rendered by a view.

 * It extends the convenience class AbstractController that encapsulates most

 * of the drudgery involved in handling HTTP requests.

 */

	/* 

	 * return page not found http error (400?) for unknown or incorrect UUIDs

	 * (non-Javadoc)

	 * @see org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.AbstractController#handleRequestInternal(javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest, javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse)

	 */

	protected ModelAndView handleRequestInternal(HttpServletRequest req, HttpServletResponse resp) throws Exception

			ModelAndView mv = new ModelAndView();

			String action = getNonNullPara("action",req);

			String dto = getNonNullPara("dto",req);

			String uuid = getNonNullPara("uuid",req);

			String sec = getStringPara("sec",req);

			log.info(String.format("Request received: act=%s op=%s dto=%s uuid=%s sec=%s", action, op, dto, uuid, sec));

				// get Object by UUID

				if(dto.equalsIgnoreCase("name")){

					NameTO n = service.getName( getUuid(uuid));

					mv.addObject(n);

				}else if(dto.equalsIgnoreCase("taxon")){

					NameTO n = service.getName( getUuid(uuid));

					mv.addObject(n);

				}else if(dto.equalsIgnoreCase("whatis")){

					//TODO: somehow the whatis url path is not delegated to this controller ?!#!??

					NameTO n = service.getName( getUuid(uuid));

					mv.addObject(n);

				}

			}else if(action.equalsIgnoreCase("find")){

				// retrieve meaningful parameters

				String q = getStringPara("q",req);

				if (q==null){

					q="";

				};

				Set<UUID> higherTaxa = new HashSet<UUID>();

				// TODO: take higher taxa UUIDs from "higherTaxa"

				Boolean matchAnywhere = getBoolPara("matchAnywhere",req);

				if (matchAnywhere==null){

					matchAnywhere=false;

				};

				Boolean onlyAccepted = getBoolPara("onlyAccepted",req);

				if (onlyAccepted==null){

					onlyAccepted=false;

				};

				Integer page = getIntPara("page",req);

				if (page==null){

					page=1;

				};

				Integer pagesize = getIntPara("pagesize",req);

				if (pagesize==null){

					pagesize=25;

				};

				//

				// search for taxa

				Object obj = null; 

				if(op!=null && op.equalsIgnoreCase("children")){

					obj = service.getChildrenTaxa(getUuid(uuid));

				}

				else if(op!=null && op.equalsIgnoreCase("parent")){

					obj = service.getParentTaxa(getUuid(uuid));

			}else if(action.equalsIgnoreCase("insert")){

				// insert test data.

				//

				// TODO: THIS OPERATION IS FOR TESTING ONLY AND SHOULD BE REMOVED !!!

				//

				Taxon t = TestDataGenerator.getTestTaxon();

			mv.setViewName(getLogicalView(req));

			return mv;

		}catch(CdmObjectNonExisting e){

			sendNonExistingUuidError(resp, e);

			return null;

	 * return a proper UUID for a string resembling a UUID

	 * If the uuid string is not a valid UUID, a CdmObjectNonExisting exception is thrown

	 * @param uuid

	 * @return

	 * @throws CdmObjectNonExisting

	 */

		try{

			u = UUID.fromString(uuid);

		}catch(IllegalArgumentException e){

		return u;

		resp.sendError(404, e.getMessage() );		

	 * return the value for the given parameter name as a string. 

	 * in case the parameters doesnt exist return an empty string "", not null.

	 * @param parameterName

	 * @param req

	 * @return

	 */

	private String getStringPara(String parameterName, HttpServletRequest req){

		// first try URL parameters set by org.springframework.web.servlet.handler.SimpleUrlHandlerMapping controller mapping

		Object map = req.getAttribute("ParameterizedUrlHandlerMapping.path-parameters");

		String result = null;

		if (map!=null){

			// first look into url parameters

			Map<String,String> urlParas = (Map) map;

			result = urlParas.get(parameterName);

		}

		if (result == null){

			// alternatively try querystring parameters

			result = req.getParameter(parameterName);

		}

		return result;

	}

		String val = getStringPara(parameterName, req);

		if (val==null){

			return "";

		}

		return val;

	}

		// first try URL parameters set by org.springframework.web.servlet.handler.SimpleUrlHandlerMapping controller mapping

		Integer result;

		String tmp = getStringPara(parameterName, req);

		try{

			result = Integer.valueOf(tmp);

		}catch (Exception e){

			result = null;

		}

		return result;

	}

	private Boolean getBoolPara(String parameterName, HttpServletRequest req){

		// first try URL parameters set by org.springframework.web.servlet.handler.SimpleUrlHandlerMapping controller mapping

		String tmp = getStringPara(parameterName, req);

		return Utils.isTrue(tmp);

	}

	 * Read http request parameter "Accept" and decide whether to use JSON or XML for the response.

	 * Defaults to XML in case no matching header can be identified.

	 * @param request

	 * @return

	 */

		for (String ct : ctypes){

			if (ct.endsWith("json")){

				return "jsonView";

			}else if (ct.endsWith("xml")){

				return "xmlView";

			}

		}

		// default to XML

	}