Apache Struts is an open-source web application framework for developing Java EE web applications.
It uses and extends the Java Servlet API to support developers to adopt a Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture.
It was originally created by Craig McClanahan and donated to the Apache Foundation.
Formerly located under the Apache Jakarta Project and known as Jakarta Struts, it became a top-level Apache project in 2005.

The Apache Struts Project launched in May 2000 by Craig R. McClanahan to provide a standard MVC framework to the Java community.

How Struts Works?

The basic reason of the Java Servlets in struts is to handle requests made by the client or by web browsers. In struts JavaServerPages are used to design the dynamic web pages. In struts, servlets helps to route request which has been made by the web browsers to the appropriate ServerPage.

Struts Architecture

Struts is an open source framework used for increasing J2EE web applications using Model View Controller design pattern. It uses and extend the Java Servlet API to encourage developers to take on an MVC architecture

Struts Controller

The class org.apache.struts.action.ActionServlet is the mind of the Struts Framework. It is the Controller part of the Struts Framework. ActionServlet is configured as Servlet in the web.xml file.

Struts Action Class

An Action class in the struts application is extend Struts ‘org.apache.struts.action.Action” Class. Action class acts as wrapper around the business logic and provides an inteface to the application’s Model layer. It is work as glue between the View and Model layer. It also transfers the data from the view layer to the specific business process layer and finally returns the procssed data from business layer to the view layer.

Struts Actionform Class

An ActionForm is a JavaBean that is extending org.apache.struts.action.ActionForm. ActionForm is maintain the session state for web application and the ActionForm object is automatically populated on the server side with data entered from a form on the client side.