Introduction

Struts has long been known as a good framework for constructing applications that can be used across multiple languages and geographies. The basis for Struts internationalization (i18n) support is Java. Java's features for internationalization and localization are quite mature, having been around since Java 1.1. At the heart of Struts i18n support is the java.util.Locale object. This object is used throughout Struts to identify a client user's language and country.

You can use Struts to adapt an application to a specific locale using the following features:

• MessageResources bundles (e.g., properties files) that provide localized messages, prompts, and data formats

• Creation of locales based on the user's browser settings

• Formatting of dates and numbers using locale-specific patterns

• Retrieval of locale-specific images

• Ability to specify an appropriate HTTP response character-encoding

Like Struts, JSTL provides tags for localizing data. The JSTL tags are, in many cases, more robust and easier to use than the Struts tags. Thankfully, you don't have to choose one or the other (see Recipe 12.2). The recipes in this chapter give you options for using Struts or JSTL where appropriate.