WebSphere Application Server - IBM Redbooks

Within the Web diagram editor , you can add different Struts components
(actions, form beans, Web pages) to create a Struts-based application. The
editor also allows you to invoke wizards and editors for the different components
of the Web diagram.
Note: For more information on how to create a Web diagram, see “Web
diagram wizard” on page 420. After a Web diagram file (*.gph) is created, you
can double-click the file to open the Web diagram editor.
Web diagram terminology
Below is a list and description of some of the common Web diagram terms.
► Free-form surface: A free-form surface (FFS) is the area of the Web diagram
editor that allows you to add nodes and connections.
► Node: A Web page, action mapping, bean, or form bean as represented on
the free-form surface.
► Module: A Struts module is a Struts configuration file and a set of
corresponding actions, form beans, and Web pages. By default, a Struts
application contains only one module, but more than one module can be
added.
► Action: A Struts action is an instance of a subclass of an Action class, which
implements a portion of a Web application and the perform or execute method
of which returns a forward.
► Action mapping: An action mapping is a configuration file entry that, in
general, associates an action name with an action. An action mapping can
contain a reference to a form bean that the action can use, and can
additionally define a list of local forwards that is visible only to this action.
► Form bean: A form bean (type of Java bean) is an instance of a subclass of
an ActionForm class that stores HTML form data from a submitted client
request or that can store input data from a Struts action link that a user has
clicked. To create a form bean, you must create both a form bean and a
form-bean mapping.
► Dynaform: A dynaform (type of form bean) is an instance of a
DynaActionForm class or subclass that stores HTML form data from a
submitted client request or that stores input data from a link that a user has
clicked. To create a dynaform, you need create only a form-bean mapping; a
form bean will be dynamically created for you at runtime.
► Exceptions: A Struts exception is an element defined in a Struts
configuration file that specifies how to handle Java exceptions that occur
during execution of Struts actions. An exception can be local or global. Global
exceptions are only available in Struts 1.1.
Chapter 12. Using Struts 399