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 1.0Jakarta Validator and Tile packagesJakarta Scaffold toolkitVelocity templatesHTTP, Java Servlets, and JSP tagsDynamic web programmingServlet-centric application designWorking with databases and data servicesDesign and development patternsTons of examples contents......Page 7 foreword......Page 19 preface......Page 23 acknowledgments......Page 26 about this book......Page 28 Introduction......Page 37 1.1.1 Who makes the Struts software?......Page 38 1.2 What are application frameworks?......Page 39 1.3 Enabling technologies......Page 40 1.3.1 Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)......Page 41 1.3.2 Common Gateway Interface (CGI)......Page 42 1.3.3 Java servlets......Page 43 1.3.4 JavaServer Pages......Page 44 1.3.5 JSP tags......Page 45 1.3.6 JavaBeans......Page 46 1.4 Struts from 30,000 feet......Page 48 1.4.2 Jump-starting development......Page 50 1.4.3 Where the rubber meets the road......Page 52 1.4.4 Looking back......Page 58 1.5 Summary......Page 62 Exploring the Struts architecture......Page 63 2.2.1 One step back, three steps forward......Page 64 2.2.3 Struts controller components......Page 65 2.2.4 Developing a web application with Struts......Page 70 2.3.1 The Web—a never-ending kluge......Page 71 2.3.2 The servlet solution......Page 72 2.3.3 Servlet frameworks......Page 73 2.3.4 The whitebox-blackbox continuum......Page 74 2.4.1 The evolution of MVC......Page 75 2.4.2 The rise of Model 2......Page 76 2.4.3 Application layers—decoupling the view......Page 77 2.4.4 How Struts implements Model 2, MVC, and layers......Page 78 2.5 Struts control flow......Page 80 2.5.1 The big picture......Page 81 2.5.2 The finer details......Page 82 2.5.3 Is Struts performant?......Page 86 2.6 The strengths and weaknesses of Struts......Page 87 2.6.1 The weak points......Page 88 2.6.2 Struts’ strong points......Page 90 2.7 Summary......Page 92 Building a simple application......Page 93 3.1 Strut by Strut......Page 94 3.2.1 Start here......Page 95 3.2.4 The logon screen......Page 96 3.2.6 The welcome screen, good-bye......Page 98 3.3.1 The browser source for the welcome screen......Page 99 3.3.2 The JSP source for the welcome screen......Page 100 3.3.3 The configuration source for the welcome screen......Page 103 3.3.4 The browser source for the logon screen......Page 104 3.3.6 The LogonSubmit source......Page 107 3.3.7 The LogonForm source......Page 108 3.3.8 The LogonAction source......Page 111 3.3.9 The LogoffAction source......Page 117 3.4.1 Defining the requirements......Page 120 3.4.2 Planning the application......Page 121 3.4.4 Setting up your development tools......Page 124 3.4.7 Setting up the struts-config.xml file......Page 126 3.4.8 Testing the deployment......Page 128 3.4.9 Constructing our welcome page......Page 129 3.4.10 Constructing the logon page......Page 130 3.4.11 Constructing the Constants class......Page 132 3.4.13 Creating the user directory......Page 133 3.4.14 Configuring the ActionErrors......Page 134 3.4.16 Amending the welcome page......Page 135 3.4.17 The Struts ActionForward Action......Page 136 3.5 Summary......Page 138 Configuring Struts components......Page 139 4.1.1 The rest of the family......Page 140 4.2.1 The web.xml file......Page 141 4.2.2 ActionServlet parameters......Page 144 4.3.1 Details, details......Page 147 4.3.3 The principle of Protected Variation......Page 149 4.4 The Struts configuration elements......Page 150 4.4.1 ......Page 152 4.4.2 ......Page 153 4.4.3 ......Page 154 4.4.4 ......Page 155 4.4.6 ......Page 157 4.4.7 ......Page 158 4.4.8 ......Page 159 4.4.9 Rolling your own......Page 160 4.4.10 A skeleton Struts config......Page 161 4.5 The application resources file......Page 162 4.6 The Ant build file......Page 164 4.7.1 Installing Java and a Java servlet container......Page 167 4.8 Configuring the Tiles framework......Page 168 4.9 Configuring the Struts Validator......Page 170 4.10 Getting started with the Struts Blank application......Page 171 4.11 Configuring modular applications......Page 173 4.11.1 Divide and conquer......Page 174 4.12 Sharing the Struts JAR......Page 176 4.13 Summary......Page 177 Coping with ActionForms......Page 181 5.1 Garbage in, treasure out......Page 182 5.1.1 ActionForm requirements......Page 184 5.2.1 The ActionForm as a field harvester......Page 185 5.2.2 The ActionForm as a data buffer......Page 187 5.2.3 The ActionForm as a data validator......Page 188 5.2.5 The ActionForm as a transfer object......Page 189 5.2.6 The ActionForm as a firewall......Page 190 5.3.1 ActionForms may share names......Page 191 5.3.4 ActionForms may nest other beans......Page 192 5.4.1 Map-backed ActionForms......Page 194 5.5 Why isn’t an ActionForm.........Page 196 5.5.3 Why isn’t an ActionForm an interface?......Page 197 5.6 Debriefing ActionForms......Page 198 5.6.1 Implementing a business-layer interface......Page 200 5.6.2 Nesting a mutable value object......Page 201 5.6.3 Setting an immutable value object......Page 202 5.6.4 Setting a mutable value object......Page 203 5.6.5 Using a factory method......Page 204 5.6.6 Passing a Map......Page 205 5.6.7 Transferring values by reflection......Page 207 5.6.8 Using an adaptor class......Page 212 5.7 BaseForm......Page 213 5.7.2 Dispatch......Page 214 5.7.4 BaseMapForm......Page 215 5.8 Summary......Page 216 Wiring with ActionForwards......Page 217 6.1 What ActionForwards do......Page 218 6.2.1 Forward versus redirect......Page 219 6.3 Global and local forwards......Page 221 6.4.2 Adding parameters in the Action class......Page 222 6.5 Dynamic forwards......Page 223 6.7 Rolling your own ActionForward......Page 224 6.8 Summary......Page 225 Designing with ActionMappings......Page 227 7.1 Enter ActionMappings......Page 228 7.1.2 The ActionMappings catalog......Page 229 7.2 ActionMapping properties......Page 230 7.2.1 The path property......Page 231 7.2.3 The include property......Page 232 7.2.8 The scope property......Page 233 7.2.10 The input property......Page 234 7.2.11 The parameterproperty......Page 235 7.2.13 The prefix and suffix properties......Page 236 7.3.1 Local forwards......Page 237 7.4 Rolling your own ActionMapping......Page 238 7.5 Summary......Page 239 Working with Action objects......Page 241 8.2 Getting it done with Action objects......Page 242 8.2.1 What are Actions?......Page 243 8.2.2 When are Actions called?......Page 244 8.2.3 What do Actions do?......Page 245 8.2.4 What does an Action look like?......Page 251 8.3.1 Standard bridge Action classes......Page 253 8.3.2 Standard base Actions......Page 256 8.4 Chaining Actions......Page 262 8.5 Scaffold Actions......Page 263 8.5.1 Forward-only Actions......Page 264 8.5.2 Helper Actions......Page 270 8.6 Base View Actions......Page 273 8.7 Helper Action techniques......Page 274 8.7.1 Optional forwarding......Page 275 8.7.2 Calling ahead......Page 276 8.7.3 Catching chained exceptions......Page 277 8.7.4 Smart error forwarding......Page 279 8.7.5 Confirming success......Page 280 8.7.7 Reflecting methods......Page 281 8.7.8 Reflecting classes......Page 282 8.8 Using smart forwarding......Page 283 8.9 Summary......Page 288 Extending ActionServlet......Page 289 9.1 Where’s the beef?......Page 290 9.1.1 The servlet’s Gang of Three......Page 292 9.2 The RequestProcessor......Page 293 9.2.2 processRoles......Page 294 9.3 The ExceptionHandler......Page 296 9.4 PlugIn......Page 297 9.5 Summary......Page 298 Displaying dynamic content......Page 301 10.1.1 JSP tags—what are they good for?......Page 302 10.1.2 Struts and JSTL......Page 305 10.1.3 Struts tags and MVC......Page 307 10.2.1 How are tag extensions written?......Page 308 10.2.2 How are tag extensions installed?......Page 310 10.2.3 What tag extensions are not......Page 312 10.3 The Struts taglibs......Page 313 10.3.1 Features common to Struts tags......Page 314 10.3.2 The bean tags......Page 316 10.3.3 The html tags......Page 319 10.3.4 The logic tags......Page 321 10.4 Using Struts JSP tags......Page 324 10.4.2 Fundamentals......Page 325 10.4.3 Techniques......Page 334 10.4.4 Successful controls......Page 348 10.5.2 Servlet contexts......Page 349 10.6 Summary......Page 351 Developing applications with Tiles......Page 353 11.1.1 Layering with dynamic templates......Page 354 11.1.2 Template consequences......Page 355 11.1.3 Using templates......Page 356 11.1.4 Combining templates, Tiles, and Struts......Page 357 11.2 Building a layout template......Page 358 11.2.1 But what is a tile?......Page 360 11.2.2 Deploying a Tiles template......Page 362 11.2.3 Adding a style sheet......Page 363 11.2.4 Templates and MVC......Page 364 11.3.1 Declaring Definitions......Page 365 11.3.2 JSP declarations......Page 366 11.3.3 Configuration file declarations......Page 369 11.3.4 Using Definitions as ActionForwards......Page 372 11.4 Tile attributes......Page 373 11.4.2 importAttribute......Page 374 11.4.3 put......Page 375 11.5 Migrating an application to Tiles......Page 377 11.5.2 Testing the default configuration......Page 378 11.5.3 Reviewing the pages......Page 379 11.5.4 Refactoring a page with ......Page 382 11.5.5 Extracting the tags into a Definition......Page 389 11.5.6 Normalizing your base layout......Page 393 11.5.7 Refining your Definitions into base and extended classes......Page 394 11.5.8 Developing a routine......Page 395 11.5.9 Managing the migration......Page 396 11.6 Summary......Page 397 Validating user input......Page 399 12.1.1 Input we can’t refuse......Page 400 12.1.2 Web-tier validations......Page 401 12.1.3 Validator consequences......Page 402 12.2 Overview of the Struts Validator......Page 405 12.2.1 Logon example......Page 408 12.3 Basic validators......Page 413 12.3.2 The mask validator......Page 414 12.3.3 The range validator......Page 415 12.3.4 The maxLength validator......Page 416 12.3.7 The date validator......Page 417 12.4 Resource bundles......Page 418 12.4.2 Default validator messages......Page 419 12.4.3 Custom validator messages......Page 420 12.5 Configuration files......Page 421 12.6 Validator JSP tags......Page 422 12.7 ValidatorForm and ValidatorActionForm......Page 425 12.9.1 Creating pluggable validators......Page 426 12.10 Techniques......Page 428 12.10.2 Cancel buttons......Page 429 12.10.3 Custom messages......Page 430 12.10.4 Interrelated fields......Page 431 12.10.5 Combining validators with the validate method......Page 432 12.11.2 Testing the default configuration......Page 433 12.11.3 Reviewing your validations......Page 434 12.11.5 Selecting a validation to migrate......Page 435 12.11.7 Adding new entries to the ApplicationResources......Page 437 12.11.8 Calling the Struts Validator......Page 438 12.11.9 Test and repeat......Page 439 12.11.10 Removing the ActionForm subclass......Page 440 12.12 Summary......Page 442 Localizing content......Page 443 13.1 By any other name......Page 444 13.1.1 Why localize?......Page 445 13.1.2 How Java internationalization works......Page 446 13.2.1 Session Locale attribute......Page 451 13.2.2 MessageResources......Page 452 13.2.3 The default resource bundle......Page 453 13.2.5 ActionMessages......Page 455 13.2.6 Locale-sensitive JSP tags......Page 456 13.3 Localizing a Struts application......Page 461 13.3.1 Enabling localization......Page 462 13.3.2 Using the framework Locale object......Page 464 13.3.6 Using with other components......Page 465 13.4.1 Localizing the Struts Validator......Page 466 13.4.3 Localizing collections......Page 467 13.5 Summary......Page 469 Using data services with Struts......Page 471 14.1.1 JDBC from a patterns perspective......Page 472 14.2.1 Struts—bringing your own Model......Page 474 14.2.2 Defining business objects......Page 475 14.2.3 Designing business objects......Page 476 14.2.5 Mixing business with Actions (not)......Page 477 14.2.6 A simple example......Page 478 14.3 Using ProcessBeans and JDBC with Struts......Page 479 14.3.1 Introducing ProcessBeans......Page 480 14.3.2 ProcessBeans as transfer objects......Page 481 14.3.4 Executing ProcessBeans......Page 482 14.3.5 Accessing data services......Page 483 14.3.7 Coding a business activity......Page 485 14.3.8 ProcessBeans as a persistence layer......Page 488 14.4.1 ResultList methods......Page 489 14.5 Using helper Actions......Page 491 14.6 Using Lucene......Page 492 14.6.1 searchProperties redux......Page 493 14.7.1 Digesting RSS......Page 498 14.7.2 Retrieve and render......Page 499 14.7.3 Syndicating RSS......Page 500 14.8 Using EJBs with Struts......Page 502 14.8.1 Session Facade......Page 503 14.8.3 Implementation patterns......Page 504 14.9 Summary......Page 505 Artimus: pulling out the stops......Page 509 15.2 Scaffold—birth of a toolset......Page 510 15.3 About Artimus......Page 511 15.3.1 Building Artimus......Page 513 15.4 The deployment descriptor (web.xml)......Page 514 15.4.3 Our connection adaptor......Page 516 15.4.7 The URLs we protect......Page 517 15.5 ArtimusServlet......Page 518 15.5.3 Our extension point......Page 520 15.6 The application and SQL Properties files......Page 521 15.7 index.jsp......Page 522 15.8 Global forwards......Page 523 15.9 /find/Recent......Page 526 15.9.1 extends bean......Page 528 15.9.4 Access.findByLast and ResultList......Page 529 15.9.5 ProcessResult......Page 531 15.9.6 ProcessAction......Page 532 15.10 tiles.xml and Article.jsp......Page 533 15.10.2 baseStyle......Page 535 15.10.4 Tiles......Page 536 15.11 result.jsp......Page 538 15.11.3 RESULT......Page 540 15.12 Article actions......Page 544 15.13 view.jsp......Page 547 15.13.2 content......Page 548 15.13.3 contributor......Page 549 15.14 edit.jsp......Page 550 15.14.1 Article content......Page 552 15.14.4 Validation......Page 553 15.15 /do/Menu......Page 555 15.15.2 menu......Page 557 15.15.5 Our results......Page 559 15.16 menu.jsp......Page 560 15.16.2 /menu/Find......Page 562 15.16.3 /find/Last......Page 563 15.16.4 /menu/Contributor......Page 564 15.16.5 /menu/Manager......Page 565 15.17 Summary......Page 566 Redux: migrating to Struts 1.1......Page 567 16.1 Next station, Struts 1.1......Page 568 16.1.1 Struts 1.1 feature roundup......Page 569 16.2 Baseline changes......Page 572 16.2.1 Tiles in Struts 1.1......Page 574 16.2.2 Validator in Struts 1.1......Page 577 16.2.4 Other baseline changes to web.xml and struts-config.xml......Page 578 16.2.5 message.jsp (1.1)......Page 579 16.2.6 form.jsp (1.1)......Page 580 16.2.7 MenuCreate (1.1)......Page 581 16.3 Discretionary changes......Page 582 16.3.1 Form to DynaActionForm......Page 583 16.3.2 Action-based security......Page 584 16.3.4 Application resources in Struts 1.1......Page 587 16.4 Summary......Page 588 Velocity: replacing JSPs......Page 589 17.2 Change makes the framework......Page 590 17.3.3 Velocity is simple but powerful......Page 591 17.4 Using Velocity with web applications......Page 592 17.4.1 Using Velocity with servlet resources......Page 593 17.4.2 Using Velocity with context attributes......Page 594 17.4.3 How Velocity works with Struts......Page 595 17.4.4 The VelocityStruts toolkit......Page 596 17.5 Our logon templates......Page 597 17.6.1 Installing the VelocityViewServlet......Page 600 17.6.2 Deploying the Velocity servlet......Page 601 17.6.3 The toolbox configuration file......Page 602 17.7 Setting up struts-config......Page 603 17.8 Summary......Page 604 Design patterns......Page 607 A.1 A brief history of design patterns......Page 608 A.1.2 J2EE Blueprints......Page 609 A.2 Why patterns are important......Page 610 A.4 Struts—a Who’s Who of design patterns......Page 611 A.4.1 The Service to Worker pattern......Page 612 A.4.4 Value Object / Value Object Assembler patterns......Page 613 A.4.6 The Synchronizer Token pattern......Page 614 A.4.7 The Decorator pattern......Page 615 The struts-config API......Page 617 B.1 ......Page 618 B.1.3 ......Page 619 B.1.5 ......Page 620 B.1.6 ......Page 621 B.1.7 ......Page 622 B.1.8 ......Page 623 B.1.10 ......Page 624 B.1.11 ......Page 625 B.1.12 ......Page 626 B.1.13 ......Page 628 B.1.14 ......Page 630 B.1.15 ......Page 631 Taglib quick reference......Page 633 glossary......Page 639 references......Page 648 index......Page 658 Struts solves the most common problems of web development. By basing your application on the Struts web application 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. This book 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. By providing you with practical examples of realistic uses of Struts this book helps you learn through action. - Publisher

A comprehensive introduction to the Struts framework that is complemented by practical case studies that implement applications with Struts, this book is intended for professional developers who want practical advice on how to get their applications working the "Struts way." The hot topics in the construction of any Web site such as initial design, data validation, database access, unit testing, authentication and security, J2EE integration, dynamic page assembly, extending framework classes, and product configuration are covered. Also demonstrated are dozens of proven design techniques, patterns, and strategies.

Struts solves the most common problems of web development. By basing your application on the Struts web application 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.