Since STRUTS Framework has been released officially, every java developer thinks STRUTS is the simple framework to implement. Since last two years many new framework coming to market to compete STRUTS, so the popularity of struts framework becoming obsolete. Lack of updation of Struts Framework and due to new trends coming in Web development such as RIA (Rich Internet Application) is the main reason for java developers going for alternate framework. To save STRUTS Framework by becoming obsolete, STRUTS Framework Community Member comes with STRUTS 2.0, an integration of STRUTS 1.0 with Open Symphony’s Webwork. In this article I have the new features in STRUTS 2.0:
- Action classes : An Struts 2 Action may implement an Action interface, along with other interfaces to enable optional and custom services. Struts 2 provide a base ActionSupport class to implement commonly used interfaces. Albeit, the Action interface is not required. Any POJO object with a execute signature can be used as an Struts 2 Action object.
- Threading Model: Struts 2 Action objects are instantiated for each request, so there are no thread-safety issues. (In practice, servlet containers generate many throw-away objects per request, and one more object does not impose a performance penalty or impact garbage collection.)
- Servlet Dependency: Struts 2 Actions are not coupled to a container. Most often the servlet contexts are represented as simple Maps, allowing Actions to be tested in isolation. Struts 2 Actions can still access the original request and response, if required. However, other architectural elements reduce or eliminate the need to access the HttpServetRequest or HttpServletResponse directly.
- Testability: Struts 2 Actions can be tested by instantiating the Action, setting properties, and invoking methods. Dependency Injection support also makes testing simpler.
- Harvesting Input: Struts 2 uses Action properties as input properties, eliminating the need for a second input object. Input properties may be rich object types which may have their own properties. The Action properties can can be accessed from the web page via the taglibs. Struts 2 also supports the ActionForm pattern, as well as POJO form objects and POJO Actions. Rich object types, including business or domain objects, can be used as input/output objects. The ModelDriven feature simplifies taglb references to POJO input objects.
- Expression Language: Struts 2 can use JSTL, but the framework also supports a more powerful and flexible expression language called “Object Graph Notation Language” (OGNL).
- Binding values into views: Struts 2 uses a “ValueStack” technology so that the taglibs can access values without coupling your view to the object type it is rendering. The ValueStack strategy allows reuse of views across a range of types which may have the same property name but different property types.
- Type Conversion: Struts 2 uses OGNL for type conversion. The framework includes converters for basic and common object types and primitives.
- Validation: Struts 2 supports manual validation via the validate method and the XWork Validation framework. The Xwork Validation Framework supports chaining validation into sub-properties using the validations defined for the properties class type and the validation context.
Control of Action Execution: Struts 2 supports creating different lifecycles on a per Action basis via Interceptor Stacks. Custom stacks can be created and used with different Actions, as needed.