DynaValidatorForm and setting initial value for the html-el:text tag

[Jim Kennedy]

I am using a DynaValidatorForm for one of my forms and would like to initialize the 
fields to a value that would tend to stick unless changed.  It would follow that if 
there were errors, any user entered value would replace the value initially set.  It 
should not revert back to the initial value once changed.

The values to prepopulate the form are in a bean.  However, value="${user.firstName}" 
inside my <html-el:text> tag does not allow newly entered values to stick.  I'm 
convinced this has to be possible, but I have not tripped over the right discussion 
thread with the answer.

Maybe something in my struts config?

Here is the code for my form-bean:

<form-bean name="userEditForm" type="org.apache.struts.validator.DynaValidatorForm">
    <form-property name="id" type="java.lang.String" initial=""/>
    <form-property name="firstName" type="java.lang.String" initial=""/>
    <form-property name="lastName" type="java.lang.String" initial=""/>
    <form-property name="email" type="java.lang.String" initial=""/>
    <form-property name="phoneNumber" type="java.lang.String" initial=""/>
    <form-property name="password" type="java.lang.String" initial=""/>
    <form-property name="passwordRetype" type="java.lang.String" initial=""/>
    <form-property name="companyId" type="java.lang.String" initial=""/>
    <form-property name="roles" type="java.lang.String" initial=""/>
</form-bean>

Thanks