java - Spring @SessionAttribute how to retrieve the session object in same controller -

i using spring 3.2.0 mvc. in have store 1 object session. using httpsession set , attribute store , retrieve value.

it returns string not object. want use @sessionattribute when tried sets object in session not retrieve session object

 @requestmapping(value = "/sample-login", method = requestmethod.post)     public string getloginclient(httpservletrequest request,modelmap modelmap) {         string username = request.getparameter("username");         string password = request.getparameter("password");         user user = sample.createclient(username, password);         modelmap.addattribute("userobject", user);         return "user";     }        @requestmapping(value = "/user-byname", method = requestmethod.get)     public     @responsebody     string getuserbyname(httpservletrequest request,@modelattribute user user) {          string fas= user.tostring();         return fas;     } 

both methods in same controller. how use retrieve object?

@sessionattributes annotation used on class level :

1. mark model attribute should persisted httpsession after handler methods executed
2. populate model saved object httpsession before handler methods executed -- if 1 exists

so can use alongside @modelattribute annotation in example:

@controller @requestmapping("/counter") @sessionattributes("mycounter") public class countercontroller {    // checks if there's model attribute 'mycounter', if not create new one.   // since 'mycounter' labelled session attribute persisted   // httpsession   @requestmapping(method = get)   public string get(model model) {     if(!model.containsattribute("mycounter")) {       model.addattribute("mycounter", new mycounter(0));     }     return "counter";   }    // obtain 'mycounter' object user's session , increment   @requestmapping(method = post)   public string post(@modelattribute("mycounter") mycounter mycounter) {     mycounter.increment();     return "redirect:/counter";   } } 

also don't forget common noobie pitfall: make sure make session objects serializable.