Struts es una herramienta de soporte para el desarrollo de aplicaciones Web bajo la plataforma Java, que permite optimizar los tiempos de trabajo. Su carácter de software libre y su compatibilidad con todas las plataformas en que Java Entreprise está disponible, lo convierte en una herramienta altamente aprovechable. En sus inicios Struts transformó el desarrollo Web en Java gracias a un marco de trabajo sencillo que permitía resolver los problemas comunes. Sin embargo, ahora estos problemas son más complejos y el nuevo Struts 2, equipado con un motor moderno, ofrece novedosos componentes y soporte a lo largo de todo el ciclo de desarrollo. Este libro ofrece de forma lógica y progresiva, los conocimientos necesarios para enfrentarse al trabajo con Struts 2. Los desarrolladores familiarizados con Struts 1 sabrán valorar las secciones detalladas sobre plug-ins, WebWork, plantillas FreeMarker y la migración a Struts 2.
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.
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.
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.