Introduction to Struts 1.1 using Rational Application Developer (RAD) v6.0

1. Struts Architecture and Overview
 

    * Objectives
    * Review: MVC Model
    * Review: Request, Session and Application
    * What is Struts?
    * Struts Flow
    * Components in Struts
    * The Model
    * The View
    * The Controller
    * Struts Flow
    * struts-config.xml
    * struts-config.xml Content
    * The <data-sources> element in the struts-config.xml
    * The <form-beans> element in the struts-config.xml
    * The <global-forwards> element in the struts-config.xml
    * The <action-mappings> element in the struts-config.xml
    * Sample struts-config.xml
    * The Role of web.xml for the Application
    * Configuring Struts in the web.xml
    * web.xml Content
    * Steps to Configuring Struts in the web.xml
    * Step 1. Configuring the Action Servlet Instance in the web.xml
    * Action Servlet Config Example
    * Step 2. Configuring the Action Servlet Mapping in web.xml
    * Prefix Mapping Example
    * Extension Mapping Example
    * Step 3. Configuring the Struts Tag Libraries in the web.xml
    * Sample web.xml
    * Summary

 
2. The First Struts Application
 

    * Objectives
    * The application
    * The Structure
    * Setup Needed
    * Directory Structure
    * index.jsp
    * index.jsp - continued
    * The index.jsp Page
    * struts-config.xml
    * MultiplyForm.java
    * MultiplyForm.java - continued
    * MultiplyAction.java
    * MultiplyAction.java - continued
    * result.jsp
    * The result page
    * ApplicationResources.properties
    * Summary

 
3. Development of Struts Applications Using RAD V6
 

    * Objectives
    * Directory Structure of a Struts Application
    * Directory Structure of a Struts Application – an Example
    * RAD Struts Support
    * Create a Struts Web Application Project
    * View the Struts Project Structure
    * Create a Struts JSP
    * Insert Struts Tags
    * Creating a Struts Form Bean
    * Creating a Struts Form Bean – Cont’d
    * Create a Struts Action
    * Create a Struts Action – Cont’d
    * Edit a Struts Configuration File
    * Summary

 
4. Struts Development Cycle
 

    * Objectives
    * Struts Development Cycle
    * Gathering Requirements
    * Defining Screen Requirements
    * Detailed screen design
    * Determining the Screen Flow
    * Defining the ActionMappings in the struts-config.xml
    * Struts view components – Data vs. ActionForm Bean
    * Defining Screen Requirements – define FormBean
    * Developing the FormBean
    * Developing the FormBean – The reset( ) Method
    * Developing the FormBean – The validate( ) Method
    * Developing the FormBean – ActionErrors
    * Developing the FormBean – Defining the Message Key
    * Developing the Action Class – action and Action Class
    * Developing the Action Class
    * Developing Actions – The execute() Method
    * Developing Actions – ActionForward
    * Developing Actions – ActionMapping class
    * Developing Actions – execute() example
    * execute() Method Example:
    * Developing Business Logic – EJBs
    * Developing JSPs
    * Configuringstruts-config.xml and web.xml
    * Build, Pack, and Deploy
    * Summary

 
5. Struts Tag Libraries
 

    * Objectives
    * Struts Tag Libraries
    * Commonality among the Struts Tags
    * Bean Tags
    * Bean Tags…
    * bean:define>
    * <bean:define>...
    * <bean:message>
    * <bean:page>
    * <bean:include>
    * <bean:cookie>
    * <bean:resource>
    * <bean:write>
    * <bean:header>
    * <bean:parameter>
    * HTML Tags
    * <html:form>
    * <html:submit>
    * <html:text>
    * <html:password>
    * <html:link>
    * <html:errors>
    * <html:messages>
    * <html:messages>
    * <html:multibox>
    * <html:multibox>
    * <html:select>
    * <htm:options>
    * Logic Tags
    * Logic Tags functionality
    * <logic:equal>
    * <logic:greaterEqual> and <logic:lessEqual>
    * <logic:lessThan> and <logic:notEqual>
    * <logic:notEmpty>
    * <logic:iterate>
    * Summary

 
6. Struts Extensions, Internationalization and Error Handling
 

    * Objectives
    * Struts Extensions
    * Extension Points
    * Plug-ins
    * A plug-in example
    * Custom Configuration Class
    * Writing a Configuration Class
    * Custom ActionServlet
    * Custom RequestProcessor
    * Base Action Class
    * Base Form Bean
    * Custom JSP Tags
    * Internationalization (I18N)
    * I18N - continued
    * Error Handling
    * The ActionError class
    * The ActionErrors class
    * Error Handling : validate() method of ActionForm
    * Displaying the errors found in the validate method
    * Error Handling : execute() method of Action
    * Error Handling : execute() method of Action - contd
    * Declarative Exception Handling
    * Syntax of declarative exception handling
    * Programmatic Exception Handling
    * Logging from Struts
    * Logging (cont.)
    * Using Commons Logging and Log4J in Struts
    * Writing Commons Logging Code

 
7. Miscellaneous Advanced Features
 

    * Advanced Features Discussed in This Chapter
    * Integration of Jakarta Common Libraries - BeanUtils
    * Integration of Jakarta Common Libraries - Digester
    * Multiple Sub-application Support
    * DynaActionForms
    * Validators
    * Adding the Validator framework to a Struts application
    * A tale of three files
    * A sample rule in the file validator-rules.xml
    * A rule in validator-rules.xml (continued)
    * validation.xml file
    * Validator Dependency
    * Rule Variables
    * Error Message
    * Error Message (cont.)
    * Basic Validation Rules
    * Client Side Validation
    * Validating multiplication example using DynaActionForm
    * Writing Custom Validators
    * Validator Class Example
    * HTTP Redirection
    * Working With Check Boxes
    * Context Sensitive Form Validation

 
8. Database Programming
 

    * Basic Concepts
    * MVC Interaction
    * Database Connection
    * Transaction Management
    * Data Source
    * Defining a Struts Data Source
    * Opening a Connection from a Struts Data Source
    * Creating an Editor Form
    * Example Form Display Action

 
9. Templates and Tiles
 

    * Objectives
    * Struts Templates
    * Defining the Template
    * A template
    * Using the template in a JSP
    * <template:insert>
    * <template:put>
    * A JSP that uses the template
    * Struts Templates
    * Templates as UI components
    * Struts 1.1 Tiles Support
    * Tiles
    * Tiles example
    * A JSP that uses the layout
    * Tiles go beyond templates
    * Inheritance in tiles definitions
    * Definitions as Struts “forwards”
    * Definitions as Struts “forwards”…
    * Template or Tiles?

 
10. Unit Testing Struts Applications
 

    * Objectives
    * What is JUnit?
    * Why JUnit?
    * A JUnit Test
    * Running the tests
    * JUnit Basics
    * Unit Testing Struts Applications
    * A simple Struts test case
    * MockStrutsTestCase Methods
    * MockStrutsTestCase methods…
    * Downloading STC
    * Testing Strategies

 
11. JSP Expression Language and Standard Tag Library
 

    * JSP Expression Language (EL)
    * Basic Usage
    * Built-in Objects
    * Working With Arrays and Maps
    * Operators
    * Full Example
    * JSP Standard Tag Library (JSTL)
    * Run Time Version
    * Basic Tags
    * Condition Tags
    * Interator Tags
    * Internationalization (I18N)
    * Setting Preferred Locale
    * Specifying Resource Bundle
    * Display Translated Text
    * Display Number
    * Display Date
    * JDBC Tags
    * Specify Data Source
    * Performing a Query
    * Display Result
    * Pagination Example

 
Appendix A. Custom Tag Libraries
 

    * Introduction
    * Tag Attributes
    * Tag Body
    * Tag Library Descriptor
    * Tag Library Descriptor Details
    * carPrice.tld
    * The Java Server Page
    * Writing a Simple Tag Handler Class
    * Tag Handler Life Cycle
    * Rendering Content
    * Implementing Empty Body Tag
    * Example: CarPriceHandler
    * CarPriceHandler…
    * carPrice.jsp
    * Implementing a Tag With Unprocessed Body
    * Handling Tag Bodies
    * Implementing Body Processing
    * Example: Body Tag Support
    * Implementing an Iteration Tag
    * Nested Tags
    * Summary