Sebastopol, CA--Web tier frameworks have soared in popularity with Java developers over the past year or so due to the increasing complexity of Java itself, and the need to get more work done with fewer resources. Developers who used to spend hours and hours writing low-level features have realized the enormous benefits of using well-written frameworks to build the presentation tier so they can get to coding the "good stuff"--the business logic at the core of the program. The Struts Framework, originally created by Craig R. McClanahan and donated to the Apache Software Foundation's Jakarta project in 2000, has become one of the most popular presentation frameworks for building web applications with Java Servlet and JavaServer Pages (JSP) technology. It encourages application architecture based on the Model-View-Controller (MVC) design paradigm, colloquially known as the Model 2 approach.
The challenge many developers face is that although the Struts Framework makes their job easier and faster, mastering Model 2 programming is not a trivial task. Developers will often find themselves confused as to the best approach to many problems. In his new book, Programming Jakarta Struts (O'Reilly US $39.95), author Chuck Cavaness takes a real-world, "this is how to do it" approach to developing applications that is sure to shorten the Struts learning curve.
Cavaness learned about Struts the hard way. After his internet company decided to adopt the framework, he spent months trying to figure out how to use it in order to build a company application. He calls his book, "the culmination of lessons learned (the hard way) during the building of our application."
"Programming Jakarta Struts" is a complete guide to the Struts project, taking developers through concepts, design, and implementation. The book starts with the basics of a Struts application and explains the Model 2 design pattern in depth. Then, it moves quickly to more advanced topics, thoroughly documenting installation and setup and clearly explaining every configuration option. The book explores JSP programming within the context of Struts with numerous practical examples that use both the standard JSP tag libraries and the Struts additions. Readers will learn about programming multitiered applications, interacting with EJBs from Struts applications, and handling complex validation and logging through the Struts provided packages and tools.
Other topics covered in the book include:
- A complete look at mapping Struts to the Model 2 design pattern
- Internationalization and localization with Struts applications
- Complete coverage of the new Struts Tiles template library
- Packaging and deployment of Struts applications
Craig McClanahan, the creator of Jakarta Struts, says, "One thing a lot of open source packages lack is a comprehensive guide to all of the features--something that goes far enough part "hello, world" to get you into solving real application design problems[this book hits] just the right level for a lot of people."
Additional resources:
An article by the author, Jakarta Struts: Seven Lessons from the Trenches
"Programming Jakarta Struts" is also available on the O'Reilly Network Safari Bookshelf
Chapter 14, Using Tiles is available free online
More information about the book, including Table of Contents, index, author bio and samples
Programming Jakarta Struts
Chuck Cavaness
ISBN 0-596-00328-5, 441 pages, $39.95 (US), $61.95 (CAN)
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