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Struts Tutorials: Struts2 Tag CheckBoxList
, Checkbox, Iterator, IF Struts2 Tag Library Example Struts2 Tiles Example Struts2 Tiles I18N Example Struts2 Questions Struts Tiles I18N Example Struts Eclipse MVC Struts2 Tags Struts2 Example and Tutorial Struts MVC Struts2 Validation
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My First learning example using Apache Struts2 :

References:
Struts2 Tag Library Example
/Struts-Struts-2-Example-Tutorial/Struts2-example-tutorial/My-First-example-using-Apache-Struts2
/Struts-Struts-2-Example-Tutorial/Struts-Tiles-I18N-Example/Code-with-Sample-Action
/Struts-Struts-2-Example-Tutorial/Struts2-Tiles-I18N-Example/with-code-explained-article
/Struts-Struts-2-Example-Tutorial/Struts2-Tiles-Example/with-Code-and-article

If you are using Struts2 Tag library for writing JSP or UI, then there is not need
for the Action POJO, either to extend ActionSupport or implement any ***Aware
interfaces (Such as ParameterAware), in order to be able to receive HTTP request
parameters from JSP pages.

In this Struts 2 Example, I am going to demonstrate step by step ways, Struts 2
Tag Library can be used to reflect in the Action POJO or class.

Software environment I have used for this example, so far as follows:
1. JDK 5.0
2. Tomcat 5.5.x
3. Eclipse 3.2
4. Apache Struts 2.1.6  (example Web application should have
   following JAR files in WEB-INF\lib folder)
   4.1. commons-fileupload-1.2.1.jar
   4.2. commons-io-1.3.2.jar
   4.3. commons-logging-1.1.jar
   4.4. freemarker-2.3.13.jar
   4.5. ognl-2.6.11.jar
   4.6. struts2-core-2.1.6.jar
   4.7. xwork-2.1.2.jar

   (Note: This example is not tested with any
     other version of Apache Struts )

By this, unlike in Struts 1.x version, Action class could be having only
business related code, and not required to include code related HttpServletRequest,
HttpServletResponse, ActionMapping or ActionForm to receive User entered values
in Text Fields in UI (User Interface).

Like any other example, as shown/found in this site, one has to setup web application
folder structure inside TOMCAT_HOME\webapps folder, with appropriate JAR files inside 
lib folder for Struts2 to execute successfully.
I have placed following set of JAR files for my example, 
   

As discussed already, intent of this example is to show user a simple UI for entering
data, and this data has to go in instance variable of Action POJO class and then
a preview page is to be shown to user with all the values, those are entered by user.
   
   

Both the JSP pages, as shown below are using Apache Struts2 Tag library:
index.jsp


<%@ taglib uri="/struts-tags" prefix="struts2"%>
<html>
<body>
<h4>Example Registration Page</h4>
<struts2:form method="post" action="myexample" namespace="/sample">
<table>
<tr><td><struts2:textfield key="userName" label="Name "/></td></tr>
<tr><struts2:textfield key="roll" label="Roll "/></td></tr>
<tr><td><struts2:textfield key="section" label="Section "/></td></tr>
<tr><struts2:textfield key="stdClass" label="Std/Class "/></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><struts2:submit value="Register"/></td></tr>
</table>
</struts2:form>
</body>
</html>




and 
preview.jsp


<%@ taglib uri="/struts-tags" prefix="struts2"%>
<html>
<head></head>
<body>
<h2>Preview Page</h2>
<font color="green">
<b>Name : <struts2:property value="userName"/></b><br>
<b>Roll No. : <struts2:property value="roll"/></b><br>
<b>Section : <struts2:property value="section"/></b><br>
<b>Std/Class : <struts2:property value="stdClass"/></b><br>
</font>




One important point to notice here is that, all the properties
"userName", "roll", "section" and "stdClass" are same as the values for the 
key element in index.jsp file.

On submit of index.jsp file, the action that is going to be called is "myexample"
for the namespace as "/sample", as defined in struts.xml file, as shown below:

struts.xml


<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<!DOCTYPE struts PUBLIC
    "-//Apache Software Foundation//DTD Struts Configuration 2.0//EN"
    "http://struts.apache.org/dtds/struts-2.0.dtd">
<struts>
    <package name="goodexample" namespace="/sample" extends="struts-default">
        <action name="myexample" class="sample.MyExample" method="preview">
	        <result name="preview">/preview.jsp</result>
	    </action>
    </package>
</struts>




As per this struts.xml file, Action class is sample.MyExample, and preview
is the method that will be called upon.
MyExample is a plain POJO with fields as instance varibale with the same name
as defined in index.jsp and preview.jsp files.

Myexample.java


package sample;

/**
 * This code is provided "AS IS" without any guaranty
 * Use of this code only for educational and learning
 * purpose only.
 * Author: Amit
 * Contact : usingframeworks@gmail.com
 * Date: 08-April-2009
 */

/**
 * This is the Action POJO class
 */
 
public class MyExample {
	private String userName;
	private String roll;
	private String section;
	private String stdClass;

    public String preview() throws Exception {
		return "preview";
    }
	public String getUserName() {
		return this.userName;
	}
	public void setUserName(String argUserName) {
		userName = argUserName;
	}
	public String getRoll() {
		return this.roll;
	}
	public void setRoll(String argRoll) {
		roll = argRoll;
	}
	public String getSection() {
		return this.section;
	}
	public void setSection(String argSection) {
		section = argSection;
	}
	public String getStdClass() {
		return this.stdClass;
	}
	public void setStdClass(String argStdClass) {
		stdClass = argStdClass;
	}
}




In order to setup Struts2 in a web application, following listener can be used
in web.xml deployment descriptor file , as follows:
web.xml


<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<!DOCTYPE web-app
    PUBLIC "-//Sun Microsystems, Inc.//DTD Web Application 2.3//EN"
    "http://java.sun.com/dtd/web-app_2_3.dtd">

<web-app>
    <display-name>Struts 2 Example</display-name>
  <filter>
  <filter-name>sample-filter</filter-name>
  <filter-class>    org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.filter.StrutsPrepareAndExecuteFilter</filter-class>
  </filter>
  <filter-mapping>
    <filter-name>sample-filter</filter-name>
    <url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
  </filter-mapping>
</web-app>





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Once all the required files are placed in folder structure as per
this example , and as shown below:

<<TOMCAT_HOME>>/webapps/sample3/index.jsp
<<TOMCAT_HOME>>/webapps/sample3/preview.jsp
<<TOMCAT_HOME>>/webapps/sample3/WEB-INF/lib/All Jar files
<<TOMCAT_HOME>>/webapps/sample3/WEB-INF/web.xml
<<TOMCAT_HOME>>/webapps/sample3/WEB-INF/classes/struts.xml
<<TOMCAT_HOME>>/webapps/sample3/WEB-INF/classes/sample/MyExample.class

On successful starting Tomcat, without any error in log file, following URL
showed me my example main page.

http://localhost:8080/sample3

If you have any questions related to this example, please share your question
in this Page as comment or reply.

Thanks, :)



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Author of this article/writeup has expressed his/her willingness

to help or guide users with any technical difficulties he/she faces while working with the example code environment setting up, running and resolving any such exception raised during compile or at runtime. You may ask for any technical doubt or seek technical help related to this article by using following form to reach for technical help from the Author for FREE. This article's Author shall be reading your request and responding within reasonable time (no resolution timeframe defined as such).

Another way I can think of as moving all four instance variables, such as userName, roll, section, stdClass, to another user defined bean, and using this bean as instance variable in Action class, but this way all the user input Tag like textfield etc should use "bean_name.field_name" for the key attribute, for example if the bean varibale name in Action class is myBean. For these four variables, the textfield key attribute should have values like

myBean.userName

myBean.roll

myBean.section

myBean.stdClass

For example MyExample, should be changed to

public class MyExample {
	private MyBean myBean;

    public String preview() throws Exception {
		return "preview";
    }
    public MyBean getMyBean() {
	return myBean;
    }
    public void setMyBean(MyBean argMyBean) {
	myBean = argMyBean;
    }
}

MyBean.java

public class MyBean {
	private String userName;
	private String roll;
	private String section;
	private String stdClass;
	public String getUserName() {
		return this.userName;
	}
	public void setUserName(String argUserName) {
		userName = argUserName;
	}
	public String getRoll() {
		return this.roll;
	}
	public void setRoll(String argRoll) {
		roll = argRoll;
	}
	public String getSection() {
		return this.section;
	}
	public void setSection(String argSection) {
		section = argSection;
	}
	public String getStdClass() {
		return this.stdClass;
	}
	public void setStdClass(String argStdClass) {
		stdClass = argStdClass;
	}
}

And JSP file should be refering to the key values as described above: index.jsp

<%@ taglib uri="/struts-tags" prefix="struts2"%>
<html>
<body>
<h4>Example Registration Page</h4>
<struts2:form method="post" action="myexample" namespace="/sample">
<table>
<tr><td><struts2:textfield key="myBean.userName" label="Name
"/></td></tr>
<tr><struts2:textfield key="myBean.roll" label="Roll "/></td></tr>
<tr><td><struts2:textfield key="myBean.section" label="Section
"/></td></tr>
<tr><struts2:textfield key="myBean.stdClass" label="Std/Class "/></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><struts2:submit value="Register"/></td></tr>
</table>
</struts2:form>
</body>
</html>

and preview.jsp

<%@ taglib uri="/struts-tags" prefix="struts2"%>
<html>
<head></head>
<body>
<h2>Preview Page</h2>
<font color="green">
<b>Name : <struts2:property value="myBean.userName"/></b><br>
<b>Roll No. : <struts2:property value="myBean.roll"/></b><br>
<b>Section : <struts2:property value="myBean.section"/></b><br>
<b>Std/Class : <struts2:property value="myBean.stdClass"/></b><br>
</font>

This works for me, hope this will work for me. In case of any errors , please let us know by writing your comment in this Page.

Hi ali, If your question is as follows: Is it possible to use struts-config.xml file along with Struts 2 ? Can you be able to tell us, why you are looking for using Struts2 even if going to use same Action, same Struts configuration and JSP files. Or else, please elaborate your question a bit. Thanks, Amit

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