Struts 2 in Action

by Donald Brown, Chad Michael Davis, Scott Stanlick

The original Struts project revolutionized Java web development and its rapid adoption resulted in the thousands of Struts-based applications deployed worldwide. Keeping pace with new ideas and trends, Apache Struts 2 has emerged as the product of a merger between the Apache Struts and OpenSymphony WebWork projects, united in their goal to develop an easy-to-use yet feature-rich framework. Struts 2 represents a revolution in design and ease of use when compared to classic Struts. It adds exciting and powerful features such as a plugin framework, JavaServer Faces integration, and XML-free configuration.

Struts 2 In Action introduces the Apache Struts 2 web application framework and shows you how to quickly develop professional, production-ready modern web applications. Written by Don Brown, one of the leading developers of Struts 2, Chad Davis, a passionate Struts 2 developer, along with Scott Stanlick, this book gently walks you through the key features of Struts 2 in example-driven, easy-to-digest sections.

Struts 2 in Action delivers accurate, seasoned information that can immediately be put to work. This book is designed for working Java web developers-especially those with some background in Struts 1 or WebWork. The core content, covering key framework components such as Actions, Results, and Interceptors, includes new features like the annotation-based configuration options. You'll find chapters on Struts 2 plugins, FreeMarker, and migration from Struts 1 and WebWork 2. Finally, new topics such as the Ajax tags, Spring Framework integration, and configuration by convention give familiar subjects new depth.

Genres: Programming, Technical, Computer Science

432 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2001

Reviews

[Barbara Notte]

This book offers many good tips on how to build high-quality code. More importantly, it helps create a base framework of a manual that a compnay could use to standardise the coding styles of its engineering force. One shouldn’t follow all the tips listed in the book, but the book surely gives nice directions.

[Greg Cohoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

At work, I kinda inherited a Struts 2 application that was having some problems, and needed to come up to speed on the technology quickly. This book worked as a great reference for me to get past my immediate problem (understanding OGNL, and how the ValueStack uses it to interact with forms). Once I got past my immediate need, I turned to the front of the book and started reading straight through.

It was great.

I loved how the book starts with the basics and quickly builds an example Struts 2 application as it goes through more in-depth topics. Downloading the Struts2InAction.war file from the publisher's website and working through the examples in the book is a great way to get the hands-on practice that is needed to really internalize the technical info presented.

Like all of Manning's "In Action" books that I've read, this book does a great job of working you through the technology from basic to advanced usage, while also presenting the information in a way that will continue to be valuable as reference material. As long as I'm working on Struts 2 applications, this book is going to remain on my bookshelf within easy reach.

[Luke Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

My company has a lot of older java programs. This was a good update for me on Struts 2 because a lot of my developers have newer frameworks (Spring).

I think it helped me learn a lot about Struts 2 and how different things were being missed in the development cycle.

[Eric Hopkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally started reading this book in preparation for a job (that ended up falling through unfortunately). I was amazed at how hard it was to find a decent Struts2 tutorial, most of them were written in botched English, or made me uncomfortable following along because I could see the breaking best practice left and right and generally showcasing they didn't know what they were doing. That said, Struts2 in Action is probably the best you're going to get and it's a good thing that it's actually a solid book.

My only gripe is it has one of my pet peeves with tech manuals, requiring some setup before you can start working, but barely (or not) explaining it. In this case you need to setup Apache Tomcat and Eclipse, to which the book might as well have said "this is a struts2 book, not a tomcat/eclipse book so lol glhf." Which shouldn't be that hard, but it puts me in the position I was trying to avoid by getting a book, not having to rely on posts and youtube videos done by non or poorly skilled people. Resulting in either failure or a functional mess on my system.

[Vahe Andonians · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally a book about struts that actually helps to understand how struts 2 works.

[Frank Palardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recall this book but didn't get to use struts much.