Struts2 Introduction

Struts2 Introduction

Apache Struts is a free open-source framework for creating Java web applications. Apache Struts 2 is an elegant, extensible framework for building enterprise-ready Java web application .The framework is designed to streamline the full development cycle, from building, to deploying, to maintaining applications over time.

The Apache Struts Project offers two major versions of the Struts framework. Struts 1 is recognized as the most popular web application framework for Java. The 1.x framework is mature, well-documented, and widely supported. Struts 1 is the best choice for teams who value proven solutions to common problems.

Struts 2 was originally known as WebWork 2. After working independently for several years, the WebWork and Struts communities joined forces to create Struts 2. The 2.x framework is the best choice for teams who value elegant solutions to difficult problems.

Web applications differ from conventional websites in that web applications can create a dynamic response. Many websites deliver only static pages. A web application can interact with databases and business logic engines to customize a response.

Web applications based on JavaServer Pages sometimes commingle database code, page design code, and control flow code. In practice, we find that unless these concerns are separated, larger applications become difficult to maintain.

One way to separate concerns in a software application is to use a Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture. The Model represents the business or database code, the View represents the page design code, and the Controller represents the navigational code. The Struts framework is designed to help developers create web applications that utilize a MVC architecture.

The framework provides three key components:

• A "request" handler provided by the application developer that is mapped to a standard URI.
• A "response" handler that transfers control to another resource which completes the response.
• A tag library that helps developers create interactive form-based applications with server pages.

The framework's architecture and tags are buzzword compliant. Struts works well with conventional REST applications and with nouveau technologies like SOAP and AJAX.

• Build!
• Easy startup - Jumpstart new projects with our bootstrap tutorial and template application or Maven archetype.
• Improved Design - Code clean against HTTP-independant framework interfaces.
• Enhanced Tags - Code less with stylesheet-driven form tags that provide their own markup.
• Stateful Checkboxes - Avoid special handling with smart checkboxes that know when they are toggled.
• Flexible Cancel Buttons - Go directly to a different action on cancel.
• First-class AJAX support - Add interactivity and flexibility with AJAX tags that look and feel just like standard Struts tags.
• Easy Spring integration - Inject dependencies into Actions using Spring without glue code or red tape. (Plexus support also available.)
• Enhanced Results - Do more with speciality results for JasperReports, JFreeChart, Action chaining, and file downloading.
• POJO forms - No more ActionForms! Use any JavaBean to capture form input or put properties directly on an Action class. Use both binary and String properties!
• POJO Actions - Use any class as an Action class -- even the interface is optional!
• Deploy!
• Easy plugins - Add framework extensions by dropping in a JAR. No manual configuration required! Bundled plugins add support for JavaServer Faces, JasperReports, JFreeChart, Tiles, and more ...
• Integrated profiling - Peek inside Struts² to find where the cycles are going!
• Precise Error Reporting - Flip directly to the location and line of an error.
• Maintain!
• Easy-to-test Actions - Test Struts² Actions directly, without resorting to mock HTTP objects.
• Intelligent Defaults - Skip obvious and redundant settings. Most framework configuration elements have a default value that we can set and forget. Say it once!
• Easy-to-customize controller - Customize the request handling per action, if desired. Struts² only does what you want it to do!
• Integrating Debugging - Research problem reports with built-in debugging tools.
• Easy-to-tweak tags - Customize tag markup by editing a FreeMarker template. No need to grok the taglib API! JSP, FreeMarker, and Velocity tags are fully supported.