A comprehensive introduction to the Struts framework that is complemented by practical case studies that implement applications with Struts, this book is intended for professional developers who want practical advice on how to get their applications working the “Struts way.” The hot topics in the construction of any Web site such as initial design, data validation, database access, unit testing, authentication and security, J2EE integration, dynamic page assembly, extending framework classes, and product configuration are covered. Also demonstrated are dozens of proven design techniques, patterns, and strategies.

By 2000, Java had come of age. The dust from the early hype had settled and
some very interesting development tools and libraries were cropping up. I
had already been writing web applications for several years. Like many developers,
I started with simple apps in JavaScript and Perl. A powerful combination,
but a bear to maintain. Next came ColdFusion, which was much more
powerful but at the time too expensive for my client’s pocketbook. I even
tried FileMaker Pro, which was fun, but very, very proprietary.

My major client for this succession of web applications was a public broadcasting
station. The station’s major fund-raiser was (and still is) an annual auction.
Local vendors donate goods and services, and people buy them at
auction to support the station. Of course, we were quick to post images of the
high-end items on the web site: objets d’art, a car, vacation packages, autographed
items, and so forth.

In 1998, we used an application written with JavaScript and Perl to accept
“pre-bids” on the high-end items. The actual bidding on these items took
place in live television bid-downs. All the application really did was set the
starting bid price. In 1999, we accepted both online and phone bids right up
to when the item sold. Each year, I used a different platform to put the auction
online, because each year I found that the platform didn’t meet all my needs.