<jsp:forward> problems

[eddy556]

Hi,

I have a JSP which searches through a database of categories and displays each one with a unique link if clicked. When the link is clicked it sends it to itself and saves it into a variable. <jsp:forward> is then called which should send the variable as a parameter to the next page.

This is working correctly and I can retreive the parameter on the net page.

The funny thing is the next page only returns to the calling page information if I have little code in it, otherwise it is completely blank! Hopefully you can see from the code that the first two lines work correctly ONLY if I ommit the rest (below the comments)

<%@ page import="java.sql.*" %>
<%@ page import="java.util.*" %>
<%@ include file="connection.jsp" %>


<%String value = request.getParameter("category"); %>
<%=value%>

//The code below here prevents the WHOLE page showing returning nothing to the page that called the <jsp:forward>
//whereas without the above two lines work correctly

<%



ResultSet columns1 = statement.executeQuery("SELECT * FROM Questions");

 while(columns1.next())
  {
    id = columns1.getString("ID");
    Question = columns1.getString("Question");
    Answer = columns1.getString("Answer");
	Updated = columns1.getString("Stamp");
	Author = columns1.getString("UserID");	

						
%>
<a href="custarea.jsp?question=<%=Question %>"><%=Question %></a> <br />

<%
			if (Question.equals(key))
						{
							%>
							
							<table border="1">
								<tr>
									<td>
										<%= Answer %>
										<% session.setAttribute("key", key); %>
									</td>
								</tr>
							
							<tr>
								<td align="right">
								
										<form name="useful" action="addrating.jsp" method="get">
										Was this answer useful?
											<select name="useful" onChange="send()">
											
											<option>-</option>
											<option value="Yes">Yes</option>
											<option value="No">No</option>
											</select>	
										</form>
										
								</td>						
							</tr>
							</table>
							
							
							<%
						}
			
	} %>

This seems like such a novel problem, and I realise it probably has a simply solution.

Thanks for you help :)