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Info

title	About SiteMesh

SiteMesh is a web-page layout and decoration framework and web - application integration framework to aid in creating large sites consisting of many pages for which a consistent look/feel, navigation and layout scheme is required.

The framework integrates well with SiteMesh "out of the box"The Sitemesh plugin

Excerpt
allows Sitemesh templates to access framework resources

.

The framework stores all its value stack information in the as request attributes, meaning that if you wish to display data that is on the stack (or even the ActionContext), you can do so by using the normal tag libraries that come with the framework. That's it!

ActionContextCleanUp

Under the framework's Architecture, the standard filter-chain optionally starts with the ActionContextCleanUp filter, followed by other desired filters. Lastly, the FilterDispatcher handles the request, usually passing it on to the ActionMapper. The primary purpose of the ActionContextCleanUp is to provide SiteMesh integration. The clean-up filter tells the dispatcher filter exactly when to remove obsolete objects from the request. Otherwise, the ActionContext may be removed before the decorator attempts to access it.

Warning

title	Order Matters

If ActionContext access is required within the decorators, the ActionContextCleanUp filter must be placed at the beginning of the filter-chain.

Info

title	Javadoc: (org.apache.struts.action2.dispatcher.ActionContextCleanUp)

Wiki Markup
{snippet:id=description\|javadoc=true\|url=com.opensymphony.webwork.dispatcher.ActionContextCleanUp}

Velocity and FreeMarker Decorators

Features

Can use Struts tags in Sitemesh decorator templates
Sitemesh decorators can be written in FreeMarker as well as Velocity and JSP

Usage

From 2.2+ the new com.opensymphony.sitemesh.webapp.SiteMeshFilter filter and Struts org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.listener.StrutsListener context listener must be added to web.xml, like:

Code Block

	xml
	xml


<filter>
    <filter-name>sitemesh</filter-name>
    <filter-class>com.opensymphony.sitemesh.webapp.SiteMeshFilter</filter-class>
</filter> 
...
<listener>
    <listener-class>org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.listener.StrutsListener</listener-class>
</listener>

FreeMarker and Velocity Decorators

The plugin provides an extension of the SiteMesh Velocity and FreeMarker servlets. These servlets The framework provides an extension of the SiteMesh PageFilter to assist with integration with Velocity and FreeMarker. Our filters provide the standard variables and Struts Tags that you used to create views in your favorite favourite template language.

Velocity

The VelocityPageFilter extends the SiteMesh PageFilter to allow direct access to framework variables such as $stack and $request.

In the web.xml, the VelocityPageFilter should be placed between the ActionContextCleanUp and the {FilterDispatcher}}.

FreeMarker

The FreeMarkerPageFilter extends the SiteMes PageFilter to allow direct access to framework variables such as $stack and $request.

In the web.xml, the VelocityPageFilter should be placed between the ActionContextCleanUp and the {FilterDispatcher}}.

...

title	Javadoc: (example.freemarker.filter.chain)

FreeMarker

From 2.2+ the recommended way to use Freemarker with Sitemesh is through the org.apache.struts2.sitemesh.FreemarkerDecoratorServlet servlet, which can be configured like this in web.xml:

Code Block

	xml
	xml


<servlet>
    <servlet-name>sitemesh-freemarker</servlet-name>
    <servlet-class>org.apache.struts2.sitemesh.FreemarkerDecoratorServlet</servlet-class>
    <init-param>
 	<param-name>default_encoding</param-name>
 	<param-value>UTF-8</param-value>
    </init-param>
    <load-on-startup>1</load-on-startup>
</servlet> 

<servlet-mapping>
    <servlet-name>sitemesh-freemarker</servlet-name>
    <url-pattern>*.ftl</url-pattern>
</servlet-mapping>

Velocity

From 2.2+ the recommended way to use Velocity with Sitemesh is through the org.apache.struts2.sitemesh.VelocityDecoratorServlet servlet, which can be configured like this in web.xml:

Code Block

	xml
	xml


<servlet>
    <servlet-name>sitemesh-freemarker</servlet-name>
    <servlet-class>org.apache.struts2.sitemesh.VelocityDecoratorServlet</servlet-class>
    <init-param>
 	<param-name>default_encoding</param-name>
 	<param-value>UTF-8</param-value>
    </init-param>
    <load-on-startup>1</load-on-startup>
</servlet> 

<servlet-mapping>
    <servlet-name>sitemesh-freemarker</servlet-name>
    <url-pattern>*.ftl</url-pattern>
</servlet-mapping>

Full integration with SiteMesh 2 + Freemarker 2.4.2 + Velocity 1.3 , including Struts 2 Tags, ValueStack, and FreemarkerManager statics.

Such configuration is available as from Struts 2.2.0, please refer to WW-3296 for me details.

Code Block

	xml
	xml


    <filter>
        <filter-name>struts-prepare</filter-name>
        <filter-class>org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.filter.StrutsPrepareFilter</filter-class>
    </filter>

    <filter>
        <filter-name>sitemesh</filter-name>
        <filter-class>com.opensymphony.sitemesh.webapp.SiteMeshFilter</filter-class>
    </filter>

    <filter>
        <filter-name>struts-execute</filter-name>
        <filter-class>org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.filter.StrutsExecuteFilter</filter-class>
    </filter>

    <filter-mapping>
        <filter-name>struts-prepare</filter-name>
        <url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
    </filter-mapping>

    <filter-mapping>
        <filter-name>sitemesh</filter-name>
        <url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
        <dispatcher>REQUEST</dispatcher>
        <dispatcher>FORWARD</dispatcher>
        <dispatcher>INCLUDE</dispatcher>
    </filter-mapping>

    <filter-mapping>
        <filter-name>struts-execute</filter-name>
        <url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
    </filter-mapping>

    <servlet>
        <servlet-name>sitemesh-freemarker</servlet-name>
        <servlet-class>org.apache.struts2.sitemesh.FreemarkerDecoratorServlet</servlet-class>
        <init-param>
            <param-name>default_encoding</param-name>
            <param-value>UTF-8</param-value>
        </init-param>
        <load-on-startup>1</load-on-startup>
    </servlet>

    <servlet-mapping>
        <servlet-name>sitemesh-freemarker</servlet-name>
        <url-pattern>*.ftl</url-pattern>
    </servlet-mapping>

    <servlet>
        <servlet-name>JspSupportServlet</servlet-name>
        <servlet-class>org.apache.struts2.views.JspSupportServlet</servlet-class>
        <load-on-startup>1</load-on-startup>
    </servlet>

    <listener>
        <listener-class>org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.listener.StrutsListener</listener-class>
    </listener>

Example

Here is an example of how to configure the filter chains in web.xml:

Code Block

	xml
	xml


<filter>
    <filter-name>struts-prepare</filter-name>
    <filter-class>org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.filter.StrutsPrepareFilter</filter-class>
</filter>

<filter>
    <filter-name>struts-execute</filter-name>
    <filter-class>org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.filter.StrutsExecuteFilter</filter-class>
</filter>


<filter>
    <filter-name>sitemesh</filter-name>
    <filter-class>com.opensymphony.sitemesh.webapp.SiteMeshFilter</filter-class>
</filter>

<filter-mapping>
    <filter-name>struts-prepare</filter-name>
    <url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
</filter-mapping>

<filter-mapping>
    <filter-name>sitemesh</filter-name>
    <url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
</filter-mapping>

<filter-mapping>
    <filter-name>struts-execute</filter-name>
    <url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
</filter-mapping>

<listener>
    <listener-class>org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.listener.StrutsListener</listener-class>
</listener>

<servlet>
    <servlet-name>sitemesh-freemarker</servlet-name>
    <servlet-class>org.apache.struts2.sitemesh.FreemarkerDecoratorServlet</servlet-class>
    <init-param>
        <param-name>default_encoding</param-name>
        <param-value>UTF-8</param-value>
    </init-param>
    <load-on-startup>1</load-on-startup>
</servlet>

<servlet>
    <servlet-name>sitemesh-velocity</servlet-name>
    <servlet-class>org.apache.struts2.sitemesh.VelocityDecoratorServlet</servlet-class>
    <init-param>
        <param-name>default_encoding</param-name>
        <param-value>UTF-8</param-value>
    </init-param>
    <load-on-startup>1</load-on-startup>
</servlet>

<servlet-mapping>
    <servlet-name>sitemesh-freemarker</servlet-name>
    <url-pattern>*.ftl</url-pattern>
</servlet-mapping>

<servlet-mapping>
    <servlet-name>sitemesh-velocity</servlet-name>
    <url-pattern>*.vm</url-pattern>
</servlet-mapping>

Struts 2.1 web.xml filter chain example:

Code Block

	xml
	xml


<filter>
    <filter-name>struts-prepare</filter-name>
    <filter-class>org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.filter.StrutsPrepareFilter</filter-class>
</filter>

<filter>
    <filter-name>struts-execute</filter-name>
    <filter-class>org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.filter.StrutsExecuteFilter</filter-class>
</filter>

<filter>
    <filter-name>sitemesh</filter-name>
    <filter-class>com.opensymphony.module.sitemesh.filter.PageFilter</filter-class>
</filter>

<filter-mapping>
    <filter-name>struts-prepare</filter-name>
    <url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
</filter-mapping>

<filter-mapping>
    <filter-name>sitemesh</filter-name>
    <url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
</filter-mapping>

<filter-mapping>
    <filter-name>struts-execute</filter-name>
    <url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
</filter-mapping>

You do not need the struts2-sitmesh-plugin if you are using JSP for your decorators.
Here are the only only changes needed to web.xml

Code Block

	xml
	xml


<filter>
    <filter-name>struts2-prepare</filter-name>
    <filter-class>org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.filter.StrutsPrepareFilter</filter-class>
</filter>

<filter>
    <filter-name>sitemesh</filter-name>
    <filter-class>com.opensymphony.sitemesh.webapp.SiteMeshFilter</filter-class>
</filter>

<filter>
    <filter-name>struts2-execute</filter-name>
    <filter-class>org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.filter.StrutsExecuteFilter</filter-class>
</filter>

<filter-mapping>
    <filter-name>struts2-prepare</filter-name>
    <url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
</filter-mapping>

<filter-mapping>
    <filter-name>sitemesh</filter-name>
    <url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
    <dispatcher>REQUEST</dispatcher>
    <dispatcher>FORWARD</dispatcher>
    <dispatcher>INCLUDE</dispatcher>
</filter-mapping>

<filter-mapping>
    <filter-name>struts2-execute</filter-name>
    <url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
</filter-mapping>

Settings

This plugin doesn't support any global settings.

Installation

This plugin can be installed by copying the plugin jar into your application's /WEB-INF/lib directory. No other files need to be copied or created.

Wiki Markup

{snippet:id=example.freemarker.filter.chain|javadoc=false|lang=xml|url=https://webwork.dev.java.net/source/browse/*checkout*/webwork/webapps/showcase/src/webapp/WEB-INF/web.xml?content-type=text%2Fplain}

...

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Versions Compared

Old Version 38

New Version Current

Key

ActionContextCleanUp

Velocity and FreeMarker Decorators

Features

Usage

FreeMarker and Velocity Decorators

Velocity

FreeMarker

FreeMarker

Velocity

Full integration with SiteMesh 2 + Freemarker 2.4.2 + Velocity 1.3 , including Struts 2 Tags, ValueStack, and FreemarkerManager statics.

Example

Settings

Installation