Spring multiple #ModelAttribute methods in the same #Controller - forms

Question

I have a page with two different forms (with two different submits) on Spring MVC 3, and I have a problem with #ModelAttribute methods. When I have two on the same controller, they are not always executed making the model to be NULL.
The code:
#Controller
#RequestMapping(value = "/session/admin/permission/{userId}")
public class PermissionController {
#Autowired
private UserManager userManager;
#ModelAttribute("passwordValidation")
private PasswordValidation getPasswordModel(){
return new PasswordValidation();
}
#ModelAttribute("user")
private User getUserModel(#PathVariable("userId") String userId){
//This is not executed
return userManager.getUser(userId);
}
#ModelAttribute("permissionsAvailable")
private PermissionsAvailable getPermissionsModel(#ModelAttribute("user") User user) {
return new PermissionsAvailable();
}
#RequestMapping(method = RequestMethod.GET)
public String adminPermission(){
return "/security/permission";
}
#RequestMapping(method = RequestMethod.POST, params="changeRoles")
public String modifyPermission(#ModelAttribute("permissionsAvailable") PermissionsAvailable permissions,
HttpServletRequest request, #ModelAttribute("user") User user,
final RedirectAttributes redirectAttributes){
//Modify something
}
#RequestMapping(method = RequestMethod.POST, params="changePassword")
public String modifyPassword(
#ModelAttribute("passwordValidation") PasswordValidation passwordValidation,
#ModelAttribute("user") User user,
HttpServletRequest request, BindingResult bindingResult,
final RedirectAttributes redirectAttributes){
return "newpage";
}
}
Don't know why, sometimes everything goes ok and every method is executed, but sometimes they are not executed.
UPDATE: I have two different controllers with the same problem so it must be an error on Spring or something I'm doing wrong.
Thanks.

Answer 1

The documentation doesn't mention anywhere that it's possible to use #ModelAttribute on an argument to a #ModelAttribute annotated method, like you're doing in your "getPermissionsModel()" method. It's possible that's not supported, since it's not documented as being supported. You might want to try either removing the "#ModelAttribute("user") User user" argument from your "getPermissionsModel()" method, and/or instead try just using one #ModelAttribute method to set all your model attributes:
#ModelAttribute
public void setAttributes(#PathVariable("userId") String userId, Model model) {
model.addAttribute(new PasswordValidation());
model.addAttribute(userManager.getUser(userId));
model.addAttribute(new PermissionsAvailable());
}