A Brief History of Web Application Development

Overview

Struts is the premier framework for building Java-based Web applications. Using the Model-View-Controller (MVC) design pattern, Struts solves many of the problems associated with developing high-performance, business-oriented Web applications that use Java servlets and JavaServer Pages. At the outset, it is important to understand that Struts is more than just a programming convenience. Struts has fundamentally reshaped the way that Web developers think about and structure a Web application. It is a technology that no Web developer can afford to ignore.

This chapter presents an overview of Struts, including the historical forces that drove its creation, the problems that it solves, and the importance of the Model-View-Controller architecture. The topics introduced here are examined in detail by subsequent chapters.