Namespace Configuration

The namespace attribute allows you to segregate action configurations into namespaces, so that you may use the same action alias in more than one namespace with different classes, parameters, and so forth.

Default Namespace

The default namespace, which is "" (an empty string), is used as a "catch-all" namespace, so if an action configuration is not found in a specified namespace, the default namespace will also be searched. The local/global strategy allows an application to have global action configurations outside of the "extends" hierarchy.

The namespace prefix can be registered with J2EE declarative security, to ensure only authorized users can access the actions in a given namespace.

Root Namesapce

Root namespace, which is "/" is also allowed in WebWork. It will be the namespace when a request directly under the context path is received. As with other namespace, it will fall back to the default namespace if no such action alias is found in it.

Namespace example

<package name="default">
    <action name="foo" class="mypackage.simpleAction>
        <result name="success" type="dispatcher">greeting.jsp</result>
    </action>
    <action name="bar" class="mypackage.simpleAction">
        <result name="success" type="dispatcher">bar1.jsp</result>
    </action>
</package>

<package name="mypackage1" namespace="/">
    <action name="moo" class="mypackage.simpleAction">
        <result name="success" type="dispatcher">moo.jsp</result>
    </action>
</package>

<package name="mypackage2" namespace="/barspace">
    <action name="bar" class="mypackage.simpleAction">
        <result name="success" type="dispatcher">bar2.jsp</result>
    </action>
</package>

How the Code Works

If a request for /barspace/bar.action is made, /barspace namespace is searched and if it is found the bar action is executed, else it will fall back to the default namespace. In this example, bar alias does exists in the barspace namespace, so it will get executed and if success is returned, the request will be forwarded to bar2.jsp.

If a request for moo.action is made, the root namespace ('/') is searched for 'moo' action alias, if it is not found it will fall back to trying to find it in the default namespace. In this example, moo action alias does exists and hence will be executed. Upon sucess, the request will get forwarded to bar2.jsp.

Note: If a request is made to '/foo.action', '/' namespace will be searched and if it is found it will be execueted, else an attempt to try to find it in the default namespace will occurred. In this example foo action alias does not exist in the '/' namespace, hence it will falled back to the default namespace and execute the foo alias there.

Note: Namespace is only one level. For example if the url '/barspace/myspace/bar.action' is requested, Webwork will try to search for namespace '/barspace/myspace', which does not exist in this case, and will fall back to the default namespace '' and tried the search for action with 'bar' alias. As a result the bar action in the default will be used.