Mastering Struts 2.0 Developer’s Workshop

Course Objectives

Students will leave the course armed with a full set of skills to design, implement, deploy, and troubleshoot Struts 2.0 web applications.   This course provides coverage of all the standard components, filters, renderers, converters, and validators, along with advice on how to use them to create solid applications.  Working in a hands-on environment, students will explore and use complex user interface layouts, prototyping, and integrating templates with back-end model objects. 

Working in a dynamic, interactive discussion and hands-on programming environment, developers will:

• Understand the problems with vanilla Servlets/JSP, and the motivation for the general Struts framework
• Understand MVC and the Struts architecture
• Understand the lessons learned from Struts 1.x and how they influenced Struts 2.0
• Understand the Struts FilterDispatcher, actions, and results
• Create & configure applications using Struts 2.0 and either XML configuration files or annotations
• Define, implement, and test ActionSupport and Action classes
• Use Struts for form processing
• Handle errors and debug Struts applications
• Utilize the Struts 2.0 validation framework
• Understand and work with the value stack to bind objects to views and request processing
• Customize data type conversions and validation
• Extend Struts with commonly available or custom plug-ins
• Use Struts using annotations and smart defaults to achieve minimal or zero configuration
• Understand how Struts 2.0 lends itself very nicely to JUnit testing
• Work extensively with OGNL and the value stack
• Further enhance the view portion of Struts using Tiles and the Tiles plugin
• Examine the bigger picture of using Struts 2 constructs within various business patterns and in conjunction with JEE development practices
• Understand how maximize the leverage of the Struts 2.0 architecture

Course Prerequisites

This is an intermediate level developer course, designed for experienced Java developers with some experience working with Servlets/JSPs, who need to further extend their skills in web development and Struts. Attendees should have an extensive working knowledge in developing basic Java applications.

Course Agenda

Session: Getting Started with Struts 2.0

Lesson: Jakarta Struts Project

·        What is Struts?

·        About the Struts Project

·        Web Applications Defined

·        Typical User Interactions

·        Web Application Development Challenges

·        JEE and Web Applications

Struts Builds on JEE components

• Benefits of Using Struts

Lesson: Review Servlets, JSPs, Filters and Web Applications

• Dynamic Content
• What are Servlets?
• Where do Servlets Live?
• Advantages of Servlets
• Packages and Classes
• Creating a Servlet - The Simplest Way
• A Simple HTTP Servlet
• Shortcomings of Servlets
• What is a JSP?
• A Very Simple JSP - simple.jsp
• JSPs Look Like HTML
• JSP Expressions
• JSPs are Really Servlets
• Example of the Lifecycle
• The Generated Servlet
• Object Buckets or Scopes
• Using the Scopes
• Using useBean
• Understanding Filters
• Filter Example
• Web Applications
• WAR Directory Structure
• Web Application Descriptor – web.xml
• Example web.xml file
• Packaging Web Applications
• Deploying Web Applications

•  

  Lesson: MVC and Struts

• MVC/Model 2 Architecture
• MVC/Model 2 Architecture - Model
• MVC/Model 2 Architecture - View
• MVC/Model 2 Architecture - Controller
• Struts and MVC
• Struts and MVC - Model
• Struts and MVC - View
• Struts and MVC - Controller

•  

  Lesson: What’s new in Struts 2.0

• Shortcomings in Struts 1.x
• Changes and enhancements in Struts 2.0
• Struts 2.0 Benefits
• Struts 2.0 Basic Architecture
• Key differences from Struts 1

•  

  Lesson: Struts 2 Architecture

• Overview of the Struts 2.0 Architecture
• Request Processing Flow
• Request Processing Flow – One View
• Request Processing Flow – Another View
• Key components
• Configuration files

•  

  Lesson: Struts 2 Components Overview

• Struts 2.0 Basic Architecture
• FilterDispatcher
• Struts 2.0 Basic Architecture
• Action objects
• Struts 2.0 Basic Architecture
• Results
• Struts 2.0 Basic Architecture
• Interceptors

•  

  Session: Your First Struts Application

   

  Lesson: Creating the Application

  ·        Creating a Web Project (manually)

  ·        Creating a Web Project (IDE)

  ·        Creating a Web Project (Maven)

  ·        Web Project Structure

  ·        Web Project Structure Example

  ·        Web Project Structure - Maven

   

  Lesson: Configuring web.xml

  ·        web.xml Overview

  ·        web.xml – Struts information

   

  Lesson: Configuring Struts.xml

  ·        Configuring Struts.xml

  ·        Administrative Elements

  ·        Request Handling Elements

  ·        Error handling Elements

   

  Lesson: Implementing Actions

  ·        Creating Action classes

  ·        A simple Action Class

  ·        Another Simple Action Class

   

  Lesson: Adding Basic View Components

  ·        View Components

  ·        A Simple View Component

  ·        Configuring the View Component

  ·        Session: Mapping the Model to the View

   

  Lesson: Review: Using Custom Tags

  ·        JSP Limitations?

  ·        Sun’s Solution - Custom Tags

  ·        Custom Tags

  ·        Custom Tag Capabilities

  ·        Custom Tag Overview

  ·        Tag Libraries

  ·        Tag Library Descriptor (TLD)

  ·        Tag Libraries and JSPs

  ·        Summary of Using Custom Tags

   

  Lesson: Introducing Struts 2 Tags

  ·        The Struts 2 Tag Library

  ·        The Value Stack

  ·        Tag Syntax

  ·        Tag Reference

  ·        Tag Reference – Generic Tags

  ·        Tag Reference – UI Tags

  ·        FreeMarker  and Velocity

  ·        FreeMarker Tags

  ·        Velocity Tags

   

  Lesson: Themes and Templates

• Overview of Templates and Themes
• Template Example
• The simple Theme
• The Default (xhtml) Theme
• The ajax Theme

•  

  Session: Validation and Type Conversion

  Lesson: XWorks Validation Framework

• Validation Techniques
• XWork2 Validation
• Built-in Validators
• Built-in Field Validators - visitor
• Built-in Field Validators - conversion
• Specifying Validation

•  

  Lesson: Implementing Validation

• Basic Validation
• Basic Validation – the Form
• Basic Validation – the Validation Descriptor
• Custom Validators

• Lesson: Type Conversion

• Type Conversion Basics
• Type conversion tips
• Custom Converters
• Custom Converter Example
• Session: Localization and I18n
• Lesson: Locales and Internationalization
• Significant Issues for Localization
• Localization in Struts 2
• Locales

•  

  Lesson: Resource Bundles

• ResourceBundle
• Resource Bundle Naming
• Message Types in the Bundle
• Specifying the Resource Bundle

•  

  Lesson: Formatting Messages

• Tags with Locale Support: UI tags
• Tags with Locale Support: Messages
• Tags with Locale Support: date

•  

  Session: Putting It All Together

  Lesson: Understanding the Design

• Creating TriveraTunes
• TriveraTunes Flow
• Searching CD’s: The Request
• Searching CD’s: Displaying The Results
• Choosing what to do next
• Editing the Details
• Showing Error Messages
• Handling Exception
• Database Access
• Database Access – A Technical Use Case
• Database Access – the Service Interface
• Database Access – Service Options
• DAO Overview
• DAO Benefits

•  

  Lesson: Implementing the Application

• Next Steps
• TriveraTunes Flow – the Search Action
• Action Classes
• Searching CD’s: The Request
• The Action
• Viewing the Results of the Search
• Add/Edit/Delete Listing
• Creating the Hyperlinks
• Pre-populating Forms
• Updating Album
• Validating Forms
• Validation Error Messages
• Showing Error Messages
• Handling Exceptions
• Exception Messages
• Action class vs. Value Object
• Nested Beans
• Creating the SelectBox
• Struts 1 DispatchAction
• Edit/Delete Example
• Recap – Implementing Searches
• Recap – Pre-populating forms
• Recap - Validation
• Recap: Error Messages
• Recap: Exception handling

•  

  Session: Advanced Topics

   

  Lesson: Advanced Topics Overview

• Annotations
• Zero Configuration
• Dependency Injection
• Testing in Struts 2
• Advanced OGNL and the ValueStack

•  

  Lesson: Zero Configuration

• Configuration Review
• Annotations
• Action Class without annotations
• Action Class – struts.xml
• Action Class notes
• Action Class with annotations

•  

  Lesson: Testing in Struts 2

• Testing Struts 1.x applications
• Testing Struts 2.0 applications
• Action Class for testing
• Simple Test Case

•  

  Lesson: Advanced OGNL and the ValueStack

• Overview
• OGNL
• Accessing element attributes
• Tag attributes – JSP, Velocity & FreeMarker
• Accessing data on the ActionContext
• Accessing data on the ValueStack
• Accessing data that doesn’t exist
• Accessing array data
• Accessing Map data
• Accessing Objectdata

•  

  Lesson: Processing File Uploads

• File Upload
• The fileUpload Interceptor
• Enabling the Client (in struts.xml)
• Enabling the Client (plain HTML)
• Enabling the Client (using Struts tags)
• Resulting Page
• Enable Processing of the Data on the Server
• Define properties in your Action
• Using the File property in an Action
• Configuring Upload Environment

•  

  Session: Enhancing the View

   

  Lesson: Introduction to Tiles

• Tiles Framework
• New Tiles 2 Result Type
• Components of Tiles
• Typical Web Application (Classic)
• Managing Areas
• Steps to using Tiles
• Add Tiles 2 support
• Create Layout: Tile Layout use getAsString
• Create Layout: using getAsString
• Create Layout: Tile Layout using insert
• Create Layout: Using insert
• Calling the Layout: tiles:insertTemplate
• Passing Parameters: tiles:putAttribute
• Tile Definition (in definition.jsp)
• Using Definition
• Defining XML Definitions (in tiles-def.xml)
• Using XML-Based Definition
• Tiles

•  

  Lesson: Advanced Tiles

• Tile Scope
• Passing Objects
• Using a Tile Attribute in a Tile Layout
• Understanding Lists
• Using putListAttribute in XML
• Using a List in a Tile Layout
• Using putListAttribute in JSP to define List
• Extending Definitions
• Using Tiles to Forward to an Action

•  

  Session: Best Practices

  Lesson: Common Business Patterns

• Common Business Patterns
• Model View Controller (MVC)
• Diagram of MVC
• Front Component
• Facade
• Synchronous and Asynchronous Architectures
• Value Objects
• Value Object Example
• Value Object Diagram
• Data Access Objects
• Paged List Pattern

•  

  Lesson: JEE Development Practices

• JEE Development Best Practices
• Understand the Java Pet Store Application
• Embrace MVC
• Remove Logic from JSPs
• Managing Text
• Handling Exceptions

•  

  Lesson: Leveraging the Struts 2.0 Architecture

•  

  ·        Leveraging the Struts 2.0 Architecture

  ·        Make effective use of Packages

  ·        Use Empty Actions for Forwarding

  Use Struts Components in your 

• ·        views

  ·        Make effective use of Tiles

  ·        Test your actions

  ·        Handle Exceptions Declaratively

  ·        Integrate Other Technologies

  ·        Things to avoid

   

•  

   

Course Materials

Each student will receive a course Student Guide, complete with course notes, code samples, software tutorials, diagrams and related reference materials and links. Our courses also include a Student Workbook, with step by step hands-on lab instructions and project files (as necessary) and solutions, clearly illustrated for users to complete hands-on work in class, and to revisit to review or refresh skills at any time.  Students will also receive the course set up files, project files (or code, if applicable) and solutions required for the hands-on work.