AuthorsJ. W. Dzidek
TitleVisual Struts: Modeling Struts-Based Applications Using UML and Advanced Tool Support
StatusAccepted
Publication TypeTalks, contributed
Year of Publication2005
Location of TalkJavaZone website
Abstract

The Jakarta Struts framework is the de facto standard for web applications development in Java. Unfortunately, one of the primary difficulties with Struts-based development is that a lot of relationships are defined in a declarative manner, which leads to errors not being found at compilation-time. Furthermore, the system is developed in three different types of files: Java class files, Java ServerPages (JSPs), and XML configuration files. It is difficult to comprehend how these relationships interact, both, statically and dynamically (especially for a person not involved with the original development of a system). Modeling can greatly help in the understand of these relationships: (1) From a static point of view, page flow diagrams show how JSPs, user-defined classes, and Struts constructs (e.g. action mappings) relate (e.g. shows which JSP uses which action mapping); and (2) From a dynamic point of view, sequence diagrams show when/how specific action objects are invoked and when/how objects are placed in a scope. The technique discussed in this session has been discussed with over twenty professional Struts developers and actively used by ten on a real-word project. The talk will also cover the advantages and disadvantages of proprietary (non-UML based) Struts tools, mainly M7's NitroX for Eclipse.

Citation KeyDzidek.2005.2