Struts in Action: Building Web Applications with the Leading Java Framework

Struts solves the most common problems of web development. By basing your application on the Struts framework, you can reuse proven solutions and focus on what's unique to your own case. Struts is an open-source product distributed by the Apache Software Foundation. Struts in Action is a comprehensive introduction to the Struts framework. It covers initial design, data validation, database access, dynamic page assembly, localization, product configuration, and other important areas. It shows you how to use both JSP tags and Velocity templates. It carefully explains the Struts architecture and control flow, as well as how to extend framework classes.

Differences between Struts 1.1 and Struts 1.0. are pointed out and a case-study illustrates the 1.0 to 1.1 transition. The book shows you dozens of proven design techniques, patterns, and strategies, many of them not found elsewhere.

What's Inside:

• Struts 1.1 and 1.0
• Jakarta Validator and Tile packages
• Jakarta Scaffold toolkit
• Velocity templates
• HTTP, Java Servlets, and JSP tags
• Dynamic web programming
• Servlet-centric application design
• Working with databases and data services
• Design and development patterns
• Tons of examples

Table of Contents

Part 1 Getting started with Struts 1

1 Introduction 3

2 Exploring the Struts architecture 29

3 Building a simple application 59

4 Configuring Struts components 105

Part 2 Raising your framework 145

5 Coping with ActionForms 147

6 Wiring with ActionForwards 183

7 Designing with ActionMappings 193

8 Working with Action objects 207

9 Extending ActionServlet 255

Part 3 Building your pages 265

10 Displaying dynamic content 267

11 Developing applications with Tiles 319

12 Validating user input 365

13 Localizing content 409

14 Using data services with Struts 437

Part 4 Struts by example 473

15 Artimus: pulling out the stops 475

16 Redux: migrating to Struts 1.1 533

17 Velocity: replacing JSPs 555

 

A Design patterns 573

B The struts-config API 583

C Taglib quick reference 599