Apache Struts
Apache Struts is a robust, open-source MVC framework designed for developing modern Java web applications. It emphasizes convention over configuration and features an extensible plugin architecture, with built-in support for REST, AJAX, and JSON. Recent releases include 7.0.3 (March 2025) and 6.7.4 (November 2024), encouraging upgrades for optimal performance and security.
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Apache Struts Review and Overview
The Apache Struts framework aims to provide an IDE for the development of dynamic and fast JavaScript pages. Conventional websites use static pages with predefined user responses, which may sometimes hamper the user experience. Dynamic web pages interact with databases to fetch information based on user inputs – making a response tailor-made for the user.
Benefits of the framework
It is a full-featured and modern framework that is built and maintained by the community of coding enthusiasts. Apache Struts is open-source software, which implies that it can be customized according to the user's needs, and the source code of the IDE is also available to modify. The users can even contribute code to make the framework better over time. It is licensed to Apache License 2.0, so it is safe to use this project and maybe become part of the development team of Struts.
Integrations with other technologies
Struts can be very easily integrated with other ORMs like Apache Cayenne, Hibernate, or JDBC for fetching information from the database server. It is possible to use your coding style – like creating web apps with static HTML and AngularJS or using Sitemesh or Tiles. The whole idea is built upon the request and response cycle of web apps, which includes likes of REST API.
Clean and Customizable UI
Apache Struts has a neat and intuitive UI that reduces clutter, allowing users to concentrate on the coding part without getting confused. The whole system is designed to minimize the amount of HTML and JavaScript knowledge required and to create reusable components for the view layer.
Versions and history of Apache Struts
Apache struts are maintained by a group of enthusiast volunteers who collaborate and create this project. It is the project of the leading open-source organization – The Apache Software Foundation. Struts leverage existing standards and create enterprise-grade applications by bringing together various elements of the Java platform.
Struts started as WebWork 2. After several years Struts and WebWork teams joined together to create a unified framework that now became Apache Struts 2.
Working of the framework
It has three components. There is a request handler provided by the developer, which is mapped to a URI. It has a response handler that distributes control to another resource which complete response. It also features a tag library that helps them to create form-based applications using server pages. Struts work well with REST API and newer technologies like SOAP and AJAX.
