Index: lams_tool_nb/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/noticeboard/web/NbAuthoringStarterAction.java
===================================================================
diff -u -rc56624b9e4b9edd53a44f1fe7947a568e79cf5d8 -rd66f1d59f9802519653383ac842dce858b469724
--- lams_tool_nb/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/noticeboard/web/NbAuthoringStarterAction.java	(.../NbAuthoringStarterAction.java)	(revision c56624b9e4b9edd53a44f1fe7947a568e79cf5d8)
+++ lams_tool_nb/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/noticeboard/web/NbAuthoringStarterAction.java	(.../NbAuthoringStarterAction.java)	(revision d66f1d59f9802519653383ac842dce858b469724)
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@
 
 import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
 
-import org.apache.struts.action.Action;
+//import org.apache.struts.action.Action;
+import org.lamsfoundation.lams.web.action.LamsAction;
 import org.apache.struts.action.ActionForm;
 import org.apache.struts.action.ActionForward;
 import org.apache.struts.action.ActionMapping;
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@
 /**TODO: change into one utility class */
 import org.apache.struts.action.ActionMessages;
 import org.apache.struts.action.ActionMessage;
+import org.apache.struts.util.MessageResources;
 
 
 /**
@@ -58,12 +60,21 @@
  * 
  * @struts:action path="/starter/authoring" name="NbAuthoringForm" scope="session" type="org.lamsfoundation.lams.tool.noticeboard.web.NbAuthoringStarterAction"
  *                validate="false" 
+ * @struts.action-exception key="error.exception.NbApplication" scope="request"
+ *                          type="org.lamsfoundation.lams.tool.noticeboard.NbApplicationException"
+ *                          path=".error"
+ *                          handler="org.lamsfoundation.lams.tool.noticeboard.web.CustomStrutsExceptionHandler"
+ * @struts.action-exception key="error.exception.NbApplication" scope="request"
+ *                          type="java.lang.NullPointerException"
+ *                          path=".error"
+ *                          handler="org.lamsfoundation.lams.tool.noticeboard.web.CustomStrutsExceptionHandler"
+ * 
  * @struts:action-forward name="basic" path=".nb_basic"
  * @struts:action-forward name="displayMessage" path=".message"
  * ----------------XDoclet Tags--------------------
  */
 
-public class NbAuthoringStarterAction extends Action {
+public class NbAuthoringStarterAction extends LamsAction {
 	
 	static Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(NbAuthoringAction.class.getName());
 	
@@ -82,16 +93,20 @@
 	 */
 	public ActionForward execute(ActionMapping mapping, ActionForm form, HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) throws NbApplicationException {
 		
+	    MessageResources resources = getResources(request);
+	    
 		NbAuthoringForm nbForm = (NbAuthoringForm)form;
 		
 		Long contentId = NbWebUtil.convertToLong(request.getParameter(NoticeboardConstants.TOOL_CONTENT_ID));
-		nbForm.setToolContentId(contentId.toString());
-
+		
 		if(contentId == null)
-		{
-			String error = "Tool content id missing. Unable to continue.";
+		{		    
+			//String error = "Tool content id missing. Unable to continue.";
+		    String error = resources.getMessage(NoticeboardConstants.ERR_MISSING_PARAM, "Tool Content Id");
+		    logger.error(error);
 			throw new NbApplicationException(error);
 		}
+		nbForm.setToolContentId(contentId.toString());
 		
 		/* if there is a defineLater request parameter, set the form value
 		 * If a defineLater request parameter is not present, then it is just set to null.
@@ -115,6 +130,8 @@
 			//	Pre-fill the form with the default content
 			NoticeboardContent nb =	nbService.retrieveNoticeboard(NoticeboardConstants.DEFAULT_CONTENT_ID);
 			
+			/** TODO: add a check to see if object is null */
+			
 			//create a new noticeboard object and prefill with default content, save to database
 			NoticeboardContent nbContentNew = new NoticeboardContent(contentId,
 			        												nb.getTitle(),
Index: lams_tool_nb/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/noticeboard/web/NbMonitoringStarterAction.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r0432fd8eb7147e5fe292fe0a98aadf25543e29c9 -rd66f1d59f9802519653383ac842dce858b469724
--- lams_tool_nb/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/noticeboard/web/NbMonitoringStarterAction.java	(.../NbMonitoringStarterAction.java)	(revision 0432fd8eb7147e5fe292fe0a98aadf25543e29c9)
+++ lams_tool_nb/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/noticeboard/web/NbMonitoringStarterAction.java	(.../NbMonitoringStarterAction.java)	(revision d66f1d59f9802519653383ac842dce858b469724)
@@ -28,15 +28,15 @@
 import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
 
 import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
-import org.apache.struts.action.Action;
+//import org.apache.struts.action.Action;
+import org.lamsfoundation.lams.web.action.LamsAction;
 import org.apache.struts.action.ActionForm;
 import org.apache.struts.action.ActionForward;
 import org.apache.struts.action.ActionMapping;
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.tool.noticeboard.NbApplicationException;
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.tool.noticeboard.NoticeboardConstants;
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.tool.noticeboard.NoticeboardContent;
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.tool.noticeboard.web.NbMonitoringForm;
-import org.lamsfoundation.lams.util.WebUtil;
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.tool.noticeboard.util.NbWebUtil;
 
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.tool.noticeboard.service.INoticeboardService;
@@ -53,11 +53,15 @@
  * 
  * @struts:action path="/starter/monitor" name="NbMonitoringForm" scope="session" type="org.lamsfoundation.lams.tool.noticeboard.web.NbMonitoringStarterAction"
  *                input=".monitoringStarter" validate="false" 
+ * @struts.action-exception key="error.exception.NbApplication" scope="request"
+ *                          type="org.lamsfoundation.lams.tool.noticeboard.NbApplicationException"
+ *                          path=".error"
+ *                          handler="org.lamsfoundation.lams.tool.noticeboard.web.CustomStrutsExceptionHandler"
  * @struts:action-forward name="monitorPage" path=".monitoringContent"
  * ----------------XDoclet Tags--------------------
  */
 
-public class NbMonitoringStarterAction extends Action {
+public class NbMonitoringStarterAction extends LamsAction {
     
     static Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(NbMonitoringStarterAction.class.getName());
     
@@ -69,7 +73,14 @@
         INoticeboardService nbService = NoticeboardServiceProxy.getNbService(getServlet().getServletContext());
         monitorForm.reset();
         NbWebUtil.cleanMonitoringSession(request);
-        Long toolContentId = new Long(WebUtil.readLongParam(request, NoticeboardConstants.TOOL_CONTENT_ID));
+        Long toolContentId = NbWebUtil.convertToLong(request.getParameter(NoticeboardConstants.TOOL_CONTENT_ID));
+        
+        if (toolContentId == null)
+		{
+		    String error = "Unable to continue. Tool content id missing";
+		    logger.error(error);
+			throw new NbApplicationException(error);
+		}
         monitorForm.setToolContentId(toolContentId.toString());
         
         request.getSession().setAttribute(NoticeboardConstants.TOOL_CONTENT_ID_INMONITORMODE, toolContentId);