Access JSTL tag from code inside of forEach loop

Question

Is it possible to access JSTL's forEach variable via code from within the loop?

<c:forEach items="${elements}" var="element">
    <% element.someMethod(); %>
</c:forEach>

Answer 1

If you use bean style access, this is possible. I don't remember the details of the spec but I think it is recommended to avoid relying on the generated servlet code from the JSP.

Answer 2

Edit following the correction of the example:

Yes, it is possible to access the var inside the c:forEach

Here's an example:

<c:forEach items="${elements}" var="element">
    ${((Element)element).someMethod()}
</c:forEach>

See c:forEach in the JSTL Documentation.

Answer 3

Well, I believe "element" is stored in the page context.

<c:forEach items="${elements}" var="element">
    <% ((Element) pageContext.getAttribute("elements")).someMethod(); %>
</c:forEach>