Struts - First Steps

(Web Tutorial)

by Michael Thomas

Struts Home Page

In this tutorial you will install Struts, test the install, view the Struts docs and view some example Struts webapps.
Note: On the "Struts Home Page", you can download the whole site (all content, tutorials & examples) !!!

This tutorial covers: Struts 2.0.11.1 running on Apache Tomcat 6.0.16 (as of 05/25/08)

Prerequisites

• Web App container that supports: 
  Servlet API 2.4 - (ie: Tomcat 5.x or higher)
  JSP API 2.0 - (ie: Tomcat 5.x or higher)
  Java 5
• Note: On the home page of "Free Web Tutorials on Java & Web Technologies" we have a tutorial to install Java JDK & Tomcat.
• This tutorials has been tested in the following environment:
  Date: 05/25/08
  OS: Win XPro
  JDK: jdk1.6.0_03

Objectives

• Install Struts
• Test your install
• View some example Struts webapps.
• View Tomcat's docs.

Download & Install Struts into Tomcat

• Goto: http://apache.org/
• Click on the “Struts” project (right side of the page)
• On the first page under "Recent Releases"
  (ie: 04 March 2008 - Struts 2.0.11.1 General Availability Release)
• Click on the link "Struts 2.0.11.1".
• Note:  In the next section when you download the files just right click on the link the choose "Save Target As".
• Under the section titled "Struts 2.0.11.1" download the following:
  • Full distribution: struts-2.0.11.1-all.zip (86mb) - this has all of the above but you would have to split the data up.
  • Essential Dependencies Only: struts-2.0.11.1-lib.zip (4mb) - this is the library files needed for struts to work.  These files are in the full distribution.
  • FYI Only - Do Not download these files.  These files are in the "Full Distribution".
    • Example Applications: struts-2.0.11.1-apps.zip (22mb) - several example web apps
    • Documentation: struts-2.0.11.1-docs.zip (55mb) - Struts documentation.
    • Blank Application only: struts2-blank-2.0.11.war - this war is in the examples & full distribution.
• Install the Struts Library files into Tomcat
  • struts-2.0.11.1-lib.zip - copy this file to the Tomcat root directory
    Ex: C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Tomcat 6.0
  • Extract the zip file maintaining the file structure.
    Note #1:  To use these files you will copy the ones you need into your web apps "WEB-INF\lib" directory.
    Note #2:  Instead, I like to start with the blank struts app called: struts2-blank-2.0.11.war
    In any case, I like to install the zip file here!
• Unzip the "Full Distribution" zip file
  • For this tutorial, I suggest copying this file to the location below and unzipping it (maintaining it's directory structure).
    Copy this file: struts-2.0.11.1-all.zip
    To: C:\java\apache\struts
    Now, unzip it! 
    It should extract to: struts-2.0.11.1
    (Note: However, you can place them anywhere you want for your reference.)
• Struts Docs (installed from the "Full Distribution" zip file)
  • To view, go to: file:///C:/java/apache/struts/struts-2.0.11.1/docs/index.html
• Install the 4 Example Webapps
  • Locate the Tomcat Webapps directory:
    IE: C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Tomcat 6.0\webapps
  • Copy the 4 .war files to the Tomcat Webapps directory from where you extracted the files:
    C:\java\apache\struts\struts-2.0.11.1\apps
    • struts2-blank-2.0.11.1.war
    • struts2-mailreader-2.0.11.1.war
    • struts2-portlet-2.0.11.1.war
    • struts2-showcase-2.0.11.1.war
  • Make sure Tomcat is running.  http://localhost:8080 - if not, the start the Tomcat service.
    Start Tomcat: Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Services. Right click on "Apache Tomcat", click "Start"

Test your Install

• Example web apps: (war = web application archive)
  • http://localhost:8080/struts2-showcase-2.0.11.1 - see examples in isolation (not a best practices guide).
  • http://localhost:8080/struts2-blank-2.0.11.1 - good webapp to copy from if you are creating a new Struts Webapp.  Example of using English & Spanish language.
  • http://localhost:8080/struts2-mailreader-2.0.11.1 - a best practices Struts webapp example.
  • http://localhost:8080/struts2-portlet-2.0.11.1 - (under construction) I need to look at this webapp.

Finished.

• Finished - have a cup of java.

Other Notes

• Errors
  • HTTP Status 503 - This application is not currently available.
    Solution: Go to the Tomcat Manager and see if the web app is running.

Miscellaneous Notes
Struts Classic
Struts Shale Framework - leverages JavaServer Faces (JSF).
Struts Action Framework - original struts taglib leveraging JavaServer Pages (JSP).

JSTL - JavaServer Pages Standard Tag Library
JSFL - JavaServer Faces Tag Library
EL - Expression Language

Struts Subprojects (note: Classic Struts – I think has all of the subprojects).

Applications
BSF Scripting
Core
EL
Flow
JSF Integration