Understanding MVC Architecture in Struts Framework

What is MVC architecture in the Struts framework?

MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture is a design pattern commonly used in web applications, and it is a fundamental concept in the Struts framework, which is a popular framework for building Java-based web applications. Here's a breakdown of the MVC components in the context of Struts:

1. Model

The Model represents the application's data and business logic. In Struts, the Model can consist of:

• JavaBeans: These are simple Java classes that encapsulate the data and provide getter and setter methods to access and modify that data.
• Data Access Objects (DAOs): These are classes responsible for interacting with the database, performing CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations.
• Business Logic: This can include service classes that contain the business rules and logic of the application.

2. View

The View is responsible for presenting the data to the user. In Struts, the View is typically implemented using:

• JSP (JavaServer Pages): JSP files are used to create the user interface. They can include HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, along with JSP tags and expressions to display dynamic content.
• Tiles: Struts can also use the Tiles framework to create reusable templates for the views, allowing for a more modular approach to building the user interface.

3. Controller

The Controller handles user input and interactions. In Struts, the Controller is primarily represented by:

• Action Classes: These are Java classes that extend Action and are responsible for processing user requests. They receive input from the user, interact with the Model to perform business logic, and determine which View to render in response.
• Action Mapping: Struts uses an XML configuration file (usually struts-config.xml) to map user requests (URLs) to specific Action classes. This mapping defines how the application responds to different user actions.

Workflow in Struts MVC

1. User Request: A user interacts with the web application (e.g., submits a form).
2. Controller: The request is sent to the Struts Controller, which is defined in the web.xml file. The Controller determines which Action class to invoke based on the request URL.
3. Action Class: The Action class processes the request, interacts with the Model to perform any necessary business logic, and prepares data for the View.
4. View: The Action class forwards the request to a JSP page (the View), which renders the response to the user.
5. Response: The user sees the rendered page in their browser.

Benefits of MVC in Struts

• Separation of Concerns: MVC promotes a clear separation between the data (Model), user interface (View), and control logic (Controller), making the application easier to manage and maintain.
• Reusability: Components can be reused across different parts of the application.
• Testability: The separation of concerns allows for easier unit testing of individual components.

In summary, the MVC architecture in the Struts framework helps organize the code in a way that enhances maintainability, scalability, and testability of web applications.