PropertyIsLike WFS Filter not working: HTTP 400 Bad Request error

johnolulu · March 17, 2025, 9:56pm

The following request worked in GeoServer 2.4.8 but does not work in 2.26.1:

https://geo.pacioos.hawaii.edu/geoserver/PACIOOS/pac_uhsg_usa_kingtides_photos/ows?service=WFS&version=2.0.0&srsName=CRS:84&request=GetFeature&typeName=pac_uhsg_usa_kingtides_photos&outputFormat=application/json&filter=%3CFilter%3E%3CPropertyIsLike%20wildCard%3D%22*%22%20singleChar%3D%22.%22%20escapeChar%3D%22%5C%22%3E%3CPropertyName%3Efirst_name%3C%2FPropertyName%3E%3CLiteral%3EDawn%3C%2FLiteral%3E%3C%2FPropertyIsLike%3E%3C%2FFilter%3E

This URL escapes a WFS GetFeature request using the following PropertyIsLike filter:

<Filter>
  <PropertyIsLike wildCard="*" singleChar="." escapeChar="\">
    <PropertyName>first_name</PropertyName>
    <Literal>Dawn</Literal>
  </PropertyIsLike>
</Filter>

When running this in the browser, it results in a HTTP Status 400 — Bad Request error. The GeoServer geoserver.log indicates the following messages pasted at bottom. In short: “Could not determine geoserver request from http request”. Any ideas what is tripping up GeoServer here? I also see the following in Tomcat’s catalina.out:

17 Mar 12:46:17 ERROR  [geoserver.ows] - 
java.lang.NullPointerException: Cannot invoke "Object.toString()" because "this.attribute" is null

In contrast, if I do a simpler PropertyIsEqualTo request, there is no error and I get a few results back in JSON as expected:

https://geo.pacioos.hawaii.edu/geoserver/PACIOOS/pac_uhsg_usa_kingtides_photos/ows?service=WFS&version=2.0.0&srsName=CRS:84&request=GetFeature&typeName=pac_uhsg_usa_kingtides_photos&outputFormat=application/json&filter=%3CFilter%3E%3CPropertyIsEqualTo%3E%3CPropertyName%3Efirst_name%3C%2FPropertyName%3E%3CLiteral%3EDawn%3C%2FLiteral%3E%3C%2FPropertyIsEqualTo%3E%3C%2FFilter%3E%0A

The filter in the above successful example contains the following encoded XML:

<Filter>
  <PropertyIsEqualTo>
    <PropertyName>first_name</PropertyName>
    <Literal>Dawn</Literal>
  </PropertyIsEqualTo>
</Filter>

Any ideas why PropertyIsLike is failing to run? I wonder if the inclusion of spaces and wildCard="*" singleChar="." escapeChar="\" are tripping up GeoServer’s ability to decode the XML string from the URL? It used to work before, though, in a prior version (2.4.8). Thanks for any help or suggestions!
Aloha,
John Maurer

From geoserver.log:

17 Mar 11:41:33 INFO   [geoserver.wfs] - 
Request: getServiceInfo
17 Mar 11:41:33 ERROR  [geoserver.ows] - 
org.geoserver.platform.ServiceException: Could not determine geoserver request from http request org.geoserver.platform.AdvancedDispatchFilter$AdvancedDispatchHttpRequest@46cc01d1
	at org.geoserver.ows.Dispatcher.dispatch(Dispatcher.java:669)
	at org.geoserver.ows.Dispatcher.handleRequestInternal(Dispatcher.java:259)
	at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.AbstractController.handleRequest(AbstractController.java:177)
	at org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.SimpleControllerHandlerAdapter.handle(SimpleControllerHandlerAdapter.java:51)
	at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doDispatch(DispatcherServlet.java:1072)
	at org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet.doService(DispatcherServlet.java:965)
	at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.processRequest(FrameworkServlet.java:1006)
	at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.doGet(FrameworkServlet.java:898)
	at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:529)
	at org.springframework.web.servlet.FrameworkServlet.service(FrameworkServlet.java:883)
	at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:623)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:199)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144)
	at org.apache.tomcat.websocket.server.WsFilter.doFilter(WsFilter.java:51)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144)
	at org.apache.catalina.filters.CorsFilter.handleNonCORS(CorsFilter.java:333)
	at org.apache.catalina.filters.CorsFilter.doFilter(CorsFilter.java:160)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144)
	at org.geoserver.filters.ThreadLocalsCleanupFilter.doFilter(ThreadLocalsCleanupFilter.java:28)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144)
	at org.geoserver.filters.SpringDelegatingFilter$Chain.doFilter(SpringDelegatingFilter.java:73)
	at org.geoserver.ows.HTTPHeadersCollector.doFilter(HTTPHeadersCollector.java:48)
	at org.geoserver.filters.SpringDelegatingFilter$Chain.doFilter(SpringDelegatingFilter.java:70)
	at org.geoserver.filters.HTTPMethodFilter.doFilter(HTTPMethodFilter.java:36)
	at org.geoserver.filters.SpringDelegatingFilter$Chain.doFilter(SpringDelegatingFilter.java:70)
	at org.geoserver.filters.LoggingFilter.doFilter(LoggingFilter.java:194)
	at org.geoserver.filters.SpringDelegatingFilter$Chain.doFilter(SpringDelegatingFilter.java:70)
	at org.geoserver.filters.SpringDelegatingFilter.doFilter(SpringDelegatingFilter.java:43)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144)
	at org.geoserver.platform.AdvancedDispatchFilter.doFilter(AdvancedDispatchFilter.java:39)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144)
	at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:352)
	at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter$NestedFilterChain.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:71)
	at org.springframework.security.web.access.intercept.AuthorizationFilter.doFilter(AuthorizationFilter.java:100)
	at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter$NestedFilterChain.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:75)
	at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:92)
	at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:361)
	at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter$NestedFilterChain.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:71)
	at org.springframework.security.web.access.ExceptionTranslationFilter.doFilter(ExceptionTranslationFilter.java:126)
	at org.springframework.security.web.access.ExceptionTranslationFilter.doFilter(ExceptionTranslationFilter.java:120)
	at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter$NestedFilterChain.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:75)
	at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:92)
	at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:361)
	at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerAnonymousAuthenticationFilter.doFilter(GeoServerAnonymousAuthenticationFilter.java:53)
	at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:361)
	at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter$NestedFilterChain.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:71)
	at org.springframework.security.web.authentication.www.BasicAuthenticationFilter.doFilterInternal(BasicAuthenticationFilter.java:168)
	at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:117)
	at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter$NestedFilterChain.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:75)
	at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:92)
	at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerBasicAuthenticationFilter.doFilter(GeoServerBasicAuthenticationFilter.java:81)
	at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:361)
	at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter$NestedFilterChain.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:71)
	at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerSecurityContextPersistenceFilter$1.doFilterInternal(GeoServerSecurityContextPersistenceFilter.java:74)
	at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:117)
	at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter$NestedFilterChain.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:75)
	at org.geoserver.security.filter.GeoServerCompositeFilter.doFilter(GeoServerCompositeFilter.java:92)
	at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy$VirtualFilterChain.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:361)
	at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy.doFilterInternal(FilterChainProxy.java:225)
	at org.springframework.security.web.FilterChainProxy.doFilter(FilterChainProxy.java:190)
	at org.geoserver.security.GeoServerSecurityFilterChainProxy.doFilter(GeoServerSecurityFilterChainProxy.java:141)
	at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.invokeDelegate(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:354)
	at org.springframework.web.filter.DelegatingFilterProxy.doFilter(DelegatingFilterProxy.java:267)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144)
	at org.geoserver.filters.XFrameOptionsFilter.doFilter(XFrameOptionsFilter.java:116)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144)
	at org.geoserver.filters.GZIPFilter.doFilter(GZIPFilter.java:48)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144)
	at org.geoserver.filters.SessionDebugFilter.doFilter(SessionDebugFilter.java:49)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144)
	at org.geoserver.filters.FlushSafeFilter.doFilter(FlushSafeFilter.java:42)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144)
	at org.springframework.web.filter.CharacterEncodingFilter.doFilterInternal(CharacterEncodingFilter.java:201)
	at org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter.doFilter(OncePerRequestFilter.java:117)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:168)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:168)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:90)
	at org.apache.catalina.authenticator.AuthenticatorBase.invoke(AuthenticatorBase.java:482)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:130)
	at org.apache.catalina.valves.RequestFilterValve.process(RequestFilterValve.java:355)
	at org.apache.catalina.valves.RemoteAddrValve.invoke(RemoteAddrValve.java:54)
	at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:93)
	at org.apache.catalina.valves.AbstractAccessLogValve.invoke(AbstractAccessLogValve.java:660)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:74)
	at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:346)
	at org.apache.coyote.http11.Http11Processor.service(Http11Processor.java:396)
	at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProcessorLight.process(AbstractProcessorLight.java:63)
	at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProtocol$ConnectionHandler.process(AbstractProtocol.java:937)
	at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.NioEndpoint$SocketProcessor.doRun(NioEndpoint.java:1791)
	at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.SocketProcessorBase.run(SocketProcessorBase.java:52)
	at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1190)
	at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:659)
	at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.TaskThread$WrappingRunnable.run(TaskThread.java:63)
	at java.base/java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)

roarbra · March 18, 2025, 6:00am

Hi,

I think you might have a point by the escapeChar, but in addition you have some “/” as well in the filter. Those seems to be escaped in your other url. I would try to avoid them.

Best regards,
Roar Brænden

sikeoka · March 18, 2025, 5:00pm

The PropertyIsLike filter isn’t properly encoded. Tomcat will reject the URL for having an invalid character. Running the filter through a URL decoder and then URL encoding the filter will create a URL that GeoServer can parse.

johnolulu · March 18, 2025, 5:18pm

Thanks for the good eyes @roarbra and @sikeoka. Don’t know how those snuck in there. However, even after fully encoding the filter parameter, I get the same error.

I am updating my original post to change this URL (not fully encoded):

https://geo.pacioos.hawaii.edu/geoserver/PACIOOS/pac_uhsg_usa_kingtides_photos/ows?service=WFS&version=2.0.0&srsName=CRS:84&request=GetFeature&typeName=pac_uhsg_usa_kingtides_photos&outputFormat=application/json&filter=%3CFilter%3E%3CPropertyIsLike%20wildCard=%22*%22%20singleChar=%22.%22%20escapeChar=%22\%22%3E%3CPropertyName%3Efirst_name%3C/PropertyName%3E%3CLiteral%3EDawn%3C/Literal%3E%3C/PropertyIsLike%3E%3C/Filter%3E

To this URL (fully encoded):

https://geo.pacioos.hawaii.edu/geoserver/PACIOOS/pac_uhsg_usa_kingtides_photos/ows?service=WFS&version=2.0.0&srsName=CRS:84&request=GetFeature&typeName=pac_uhsg_usa_kingtides_photos&outputFormat=application/json&filter=%3CFilter%3E%3CPropertyIsLike%20wildCard%3D%22*%22%20singleChar%3D%22.%22%20escapeChar%3D%22%5C%22%3E%3CPropertyName%3Efirst_name%3C%2FPropertyName%3E%3CLiteral%3EDawn%3C%2FLiteral%3E%3C%2FPropertyIsLike%3E%3C%2FFilter%3E

The same error results, unfortunately. I still suspect it might have something to do with the inclusion of attributes on PropertyIsLike that is tripping up the URL parser (?).

roarbra · March 18, 2025, 7:06pm

I think you might be right. That it is the use of " that is the problem. You don’t have any special char in your example, so you could try without the attributes.

Regards,
Roar Brænden

johnolulu · March 18, 2025, 7:45pm

Thanks for the thought, @roarbra. I tried it without the PropertyIsLike attributes (i.e., without wildCard="*" singleChar="." escapeChar="\") and unfortunately it resulted in a new error that these attributes are missing:

Attempted to construct illegal filter: Got wrong number of attributes (expecting minimum 3): 0

sikeoka · March 18, 2025, 8:01pm

The filter you are using is valid for WFS 1.0 and 1.1 but not valid for WFS 2.0. You need to explicitly use the fes namespace for WFS 2.0 and change PropertyName to fes:ValueReference (see Filter Encoding Reference — GeoServer 2.27.x User Manual and WMS vendor parameters — GeoServer 2.27.x User Manual).

https://geo.pacioos.hawaii.edu/geoserver/PACIOOS/pac_uhsg_usa_kingtides_photos/ows?service=WFS&version=2.0.0&srsName=CRS:84&request=GetFeature&typeName=pac_uhsg_usa_kingtides_photos&outputFormat=application/json&filter=%3Cfes:Filter%20xmlns:fes=%22http://www.opengis.net/fes/2.0%22%3E%3Cfes:PropertyIsLike%20wildCard%3D%22*%22%20singleChar%3D%22.%22%20escapeChar%3D%22%5C%22%3E%3Cfes:ValueReference%3Efirst_name%3C%2Ffes:ValueReference%3E%3Cfes:Literal%3EDawn%3C%2Ffes:Literal%3E%3C%2Ffes:PropertyIsLike%3E%3C%2Ffes:Filter%3E

johnolulu · March 18, 2025, 8:04pm

THANK YOU, @sikeoka!!! Problem solved. Very much appreciated!

roarbra · March 18, 2025, 8:15pm

At least you got a decent error message.
Wonder why you get that “Could not determine geoserver request…” when the filter is wrong.

Regards,
Roar Brænden