Introduction to Struts

Struts is a framework that follow the use of the Model-View-Controller architecture for designing large scale applications. This framework includes a set of custom tag libraries and their associated Java classes, along with various utility classes. The most powerful aspect of the Struts framework is its support for creating and processing web-based applications or forms. The basic of the struts framework is a flexible control layer based on standard technologies like java, servlet, javabean, resource bundles and XML as well as various Jakarta Commons packages.

Struts provide its own controller component and integrate with other technologies to provide the model and the view. For the Model, Struts can interact with standard data access technologies, like JDBC and EJB, as well as most any third-party packages, like Hibernate, iBATIS or Object Relational Bridge. For the view, Struts works well with JavaServer Pages, including JSTL, JSF and XSLT.

The Struts framework helps you to create an extensible development environment for your application based on published standards and proven design patterns.

Struts Framework

The Struts Framework is a standard for developing well-architected Web applications. It has the following features:

• Open source

• Based on the Model-View-Controller (MVC) design paradigm, distinctly separating all three levels:

  • Model: The model contains the core of the application's functionality. The model encapsulates the state of the application. Sometimes the only functionality it contains is state. It knows nothing about the view or controller.

  • View: The view provides the presentation of the model. It is the look of the application. The view can access the model getters, but it has no knowledge of the setters. In addition, it knows nothing about the controller. The view should be notified when changes to the model occur.

  • Controller: The controller reacts to the user input. It creates and sets the model.

• Implements the JSP Model 2 Architecture.

• Stores application routing information and request mapping in a single core file, struts-config.xml.

The Struts Framework, itself, only fills in the View and Controller layers. The Model layer is left to the developer.