Apache Struts 1 Framework

Duration: 2 days
Price: Contact us for pricing.

Description:  This hands-on course provides participants with the knowledge and experience necessary to develop and deploy large, robust and complex Java web applications utilizing the Apache Struts 1 framework. The Apache Software Foundation has provided numerous open-source tools, which set the standard for web application development. These include the Apache web server and the Tomcat Servlet Container. Apache Struts 1 provides a flexible controller layer for JSP-based applications, with significant facilites for validation, internationalization and page layout. Struts is an implementation of the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern, a recommended architectural design pattern for interactive applications. The Struts controller is based on standardized technologies including Servlets, JSP Pages, Tag libraries, JavaBeans and XML. Students will learn how to use the Struts framework to write, assemble, configure and deploy complex web applications. Comprehensive hands-on lab exercises reinforce instructor lectures and build direct competence in the topics presented throughout the course.

This course assumes that students possess a thorough knowledge of how to use Servlets, Java Server Pages, Tag Libraries, ANT and JDBC to exploit the services of the Java EE platform.

Students who do not already have this knowledge should take the five-day course Java EE Web Application Development with Apache Struts 1 rather than this course.

Prerequisites: Java programming experience and an understanding of object-oriented design principles. Thorough knowledge of the use and deployment of Servlets, JSPs, Tag libraries and JDBC.

Overview of Topics Covered:

Enterprise Application Architecture
  • Issues in Building Web Applications
  • Web Development Challenges
  • Frameworks and Design Patterns
  • The Model-View-Controller Pattern
  • Benefits of MVC
  Struts and MVC
  • Struts Core Technologies
  • The Struts Controller
  • Struts in Action
  • The Struts Model
  • The Struts View
  • Basic Struts Development Process
Introduction to Struts
  • Installing Struts
  • Struts Libraries
  • Struts Configuration Files
  • Deploying Resource Bundles
  • Deploying to Tomcat
  Developing the Struts Controller
  • Registering the Action Servlet
  • Editing the web.xml File
  • The struts-config.xml file
  • Defining action mappings and forwards
  • Defining an Action Form
  • Defining Form Properties
  • Dynamic Action Forms
  • Developing Struts Actions
  • Forwarding From an Action
  • Using Predefined Actions: ForwardAction, IncludeAction, DispatchAction
Developing the Struts View
  • Using JSP Pages for the View
  • Using Struts Tag libraries
  • Struts HTML tags for Form Layout
  • Struts Logic Tags
  • Using JSTL (Java Standard Tag Library)
   Internationalization
  • Understanding Locales
  • Setting the Struts Locale
  • Locale-specific Output
  • Developing Locale-Specific Resource Bundles
  • Selecting Character Encodings
  • Using the LookupDispatchAction
Developing the Data Model
  • Decoupling the Model
  • Developing Business Objects
  • Accessing JDBC DataSources
  Displaying Errors and Messages
  • Defining Messages
  • Returning Action Messages
  • Displaying Error Lists
Input Validation
  • Struts Features for Validation
  • Form Validation
  • Using the Validator Plug-in
  • Displaying Validator Messages
  • Enabling AJAX-based Validation
  Laying out Pages with Tiles
  • Building a Tile Layout
  • Developing a Template
  • Using The Tiles Plug-In
  • Defining tiles in tiles-defs.xml
  • Extending Tiles Definitions
  • Forwarding to Tile Definitions
Customizing the Struts Controller
  • Inside the Struts ActionServlet
  • Configuring the RequestProcessor
  • Defining Commands
  • Dividing an Application into Modules
  • Logging and Debugging
   


Java and all Java-based marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries.