Chapter 10. Connecting to the Data

Introduction

You often hear Struts referred to as a model-view-controller (MVC) framework for web applications. Struts can help you build web applications that separate the data (model) from the presentation (view); however, Struts doesn’t provide a framework for the model. Rather, it supports custom Actions which broker the interaction between the view and model.

This chapter contains several recipes that offer different approaches to interacting with your application’s model. You will find solutions related to accessing relational data by using JDBC and the popular Hibernate object/relational mapping framework. This chapter shows you ways to create pluggable interfaces for your business services. Finally, this chapter demonstrates some techniques for working with XML-based data stored in flat files.

10.1. Accessing JDBC Data Sources from an Action

Problem

You want to access a data source directly from a Struts Action.

Solution

Don’t do it! Only access the data source from within your application’s model.

Discussion

Though Struts is referred to as an MVC framework for web applications, Struts doesn’t attempt to provide the model of that paradigm. Struts provides only the bridge between the view and the model, Struts Actions. An Action shouldn’t access the database; an Action shouldn’t need to know how the data is stored and accessed. Instead, an Action acts as a thin façade to your business services, marshalling data from the view to the model and back. ...

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