Struts2 Learning: A Comprehensive Guide

grishma · October 14, 2025, 6:08am

Struts2 Learning: A Comprehensive Guide

Overview of Struts2 MVC

Struts2 is a popular web application framework that offers a robust solution for developing scalable and maintainable web applications. It provides a clean separation of concerns between the business logic and the presentation layer, making it an ideal choice for building complex web applications. In this article, we will delve into the basics of Struts2 and explore its key features.

Key Features of Struts2

Struts2 offers a wide range of features that make it an attractive choice for web application development. Some of the key features include:

MVC Architecture: Struts2 follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture, which provides a clean separation of concerns between the business logic and the presentation layer.
Internationalization: Struts2 provides built-in support for internationalization, making it easy to develop web applications that can be used by users worldwide.
Uniform Layout: Struts2 provides a uniform layout for web applications, making it easy to develop applications with a consistent look and feel.
User Input Validation: Struts2 provides built-in support for user input validation, making it easy to develop web applications that are secure and reliable.

Struts2 vs Struts1

Struts2 is an extension of Struts1, but it offers a wide range of new features and improvements. Some of the key differences between Struts2 and Struts1 include:

Controller: Struts2 uses a filter as the controller, whereas Struts1 uses an ActionServlet.
ActionForm: Struts2 does not use an ActionForm, whereas Struts1 uses an ActionForm to validate user input.
Validation Logic: Struts2 uses a POJO (Plain Old Java Object) to validate user input, whereas Struts1 uses an ActionForm to validate user input.

Setting Up a Struts2 Project

To set up a Struts2 project, you need to follow these steps:

Choose a Struts2 Version: You can choose the version of Struts2 that you want to use.
Name Your Project: You need to name your project and choose a location for it.
Create a Struts2 Project: Once you have chosen the version of Struts2 and named your project, you can create a Struts2 project.

IDEA vs Eclipse

If you are using Eclipse to create a Struts2 project, you need to download the Struts2 package and copy the configuration file and web.xml file into the project. However, if you are using IDEA, it automatically sets up a good development environment for you.

Struts2 HelloWorld

To develop a Struts2 HelloWorld application, you need to follow these steps:

Create a Customer.java File: You need to create a Customer.java file that contains the basic information of the user.
Create a Struts.xml File: You need to create a Struts.xml file that contains the configuration for the Struts2 application.
Create a show.jsp File: You need to create a show.jsp file that displays the information entered by the user.

Detailed Code

Here is the detailed code for the Struts2 HelloWorld application:

// Customer.java
public class Customer {
    private String name;
    private String email;

    public String getName() {
        return name;
    }

    public void setName(String name) {
        this.name = name;
    }

    public String getEmail() {
        return email;
    }

    public void setEmail(String email) {
        this.email = email;
    }
}

// index.jsp
<form action="CustomerAction">
    <label for="name">Name:</label>
    <input type="text" id="name" name="name"><br><br>
    <label for="email">Email:</label>
    <input type="text" id="email" name="email"><br><br>
    <input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>

// show.jsp
<jsp:property name="name" />
<jsp:property name="email" />

// Struts.xml
<package name="customer" extends="struts-default">
    <action name="CustomerAction" class="CustomerAction">
        <result name="success">show.jsp</result>
    </action>
</package>

// CustomerAction.java
public class CustomerAction extends ActionSupport {
    private Customer customer;

    public String execute() {
        customer = new Customer();
        customer.setName(getParameter("name"));
        customer.setEmail(getParameter("email"));
        return SUCCESS;
    }
}

Struts2 Node

A Struts2 node is a configuration element that defines the behavior of a Struts2 application. It consists of several elements, including:

package: The package element defines the namespace for the Struts2 application.
action: The action element defines the behavior of a Struts2 application.
result: The result element defines the response to a Struts2 application.

Action vs Action

An action is a configuration element that defines the behavior of a Struts2 application. It consists of several elements, including:

name: The name element defines the name of the action.
class: The class element defines the class that implements the action.
result: The result element defines the response to the action.

Customer.java in Struts2

In Struts2, the Customer.java file is used to define the basic information of the user. It consists of several elements, including:

getName(): The getName() method returns the name of the user.
setName(String name): The setName(String name) method sets the name of the user.
getEmail(): The getEmail() method returns the email of the user.
setEmail(String email): The setEmail(String email) method sets the email of the user.

Struts2 Environment

To develop a Struts2 application, you need to set up a good development environment. This includes:

IDEA: You can use IDEA to develop a Struts2 application.
Eclipse: You can use Eclipse to develop a Struts2 application.
Struts2: You need to download the Struts2 package and copy the configuration file and web.xml file into the project.

Struts2 HelloWorld

To develop a Struts2 HelloWorld application, you need to follow these steps:

Create a Customer.java File: You need to create a Customer.java file that contains the basic information of the user.
Create a Struts.xml File: You need to create a Struts.xml file that contains the configuration for the Struts2 application.
Create a show.jsp File: You need to create a show.jsp file that displays the information entered by the user.

Struts2 Package

A Struts2 package is a configuration element that defines the namespace for a Struts2 application. It consists of several elements, including:

name: The name element defines the name of the package.
extends: The extends element defines the package that the package extends.

Struts2 Action

A Struts2 action is a configuration element that defines the behavior of a Struts2 application. It consists of several elements, including:

name: The name element defines the name of the action.
class: The class element defines the class that implements the action.
result: The result element defines the response to the action.

Struts2 Result

A Struts2 result is a configuration element that defines the response to a Struts2 application. It consists of several elements, including:

name: The name element defines the name of the result.
type: The type element defines the type of the result.

Struts2 Environment

To develop a Struts2 application, you need to set up a good development environment. This includes:

IDEA: You can use IDEA to develop a Struts2 application.
Eclipse: You can use Eclipse to develop a Struts2 application.
Struts2: You need to download the Struts2 package and copy the configuration file and web.xml file into the project.

Struts2 HelloWorld

To develop a Struts2 HelloWorld application, you need to follow these steps:

Create a Customer.java File: You need to create a Customer.java file that contains the basic information of the user.
Create a Struts.xml File: You need to create a Struts.xml file that contains the configuration for the Struts2 application.
Create a show.jsp File: You need to create a show.jsp file that displays the information entered by the user.