Release Notes 2.0.0

Struts 2.0.0 is the first distribution of WebWork 2 as an Apache Struts product.

For your convenience, a one-stop all distribution is available. Individaul elements of the distribution may also be downloaded separately.

• If you are a Maven developer, you might want to get started using the Maven Archetype.
• Another quick-start entry point is the blank application. Rename and deploy the WAR as a starting point for your own development.

Key Snippets

Maven Artifact ID

<dependency>
  <groupId>org.apache.struts</groupId>
    <artifactId>struts2-core</artifactId>
      <version>2.0.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
</dependency>

Struts Configuration DTD

<!DOCTYPE struts PUBLIC
    "-//Apache Software Foundation//DTD Struts Configuration 2.0//EN"
    "http://struts.apache.org/dtds/struts-2.0.dtd">

Key Changes

Depending on whether you are coming from a WebWork 2 or Struts 1 background, your perspective on the key changes will differ.

From WebWork 2

• Struts 2 is dependant on XWork 2 (nightly build).
• At this time, Java 1.5 is required to build and deploy Struts 2. If possible, RetroWeaver or RetroTranslater may be used to support Java 1.4 in the Struts 2.0.x series.

For other changes from WebWork 2, see the "Members to rename", "New property settings", "New members or feature changes", and "Removed or deprecated".

Members to rename

New property settings

New members or feature changes

• Datepicker tag is now using dojo's (limited in terms functionality and internationalization)
• Various changes to ConfigurationManager
  • ConfigurationManager is no longer a static factory. It is now an instance created through Dispatcher. Custom configuration could be done through DispatcherListener.
  • Configuration is no longer statically accessible, it is created by ConfigurationManager. Custom configuration could be done through ConfigurationManager which in turns could be configured through DispatcherListener.
  • Custom configuration to ConfigurationManager and Configuration cannot be done statically anymore, instead use Dispatcher's DispatcherListener to achieve such effect.
• The prepare interceptor now uses reflection to call prepareXxx where Xxx is the action method configured for the particular action in struts.xml

     <action name="myAction" method="execute" ....>
       .....
     </action>
  
     // with the above configuration, and preparator interceptor in place, call
     // sequence will be 
     1] prepareExecute()
     2] prepare() (could be left out depending on interceptor's alwaysInvokePreapre parameter)
     3] execute()
  

• Default workflow interceptor (named workflow in struts-default.xml) now uses reflection to call validateXXX on the action class that implements Validateable interface where XXX is the action method configured for the particular actionin struts.xml.

  <action name="myAction" method="execute" ...>
         ...
      </action>
  
      // with the above configuration, and workflow interceptor in place, call
      // sequence for action that imlpements Validateable interface will be 
      1] validateExecute()
      2] validate() (could be left out depending on interceptor's alwaysInvokeValidate parameter)
      3] execute()
  

Removed or deprecated

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From Struts 1

• See http://confluence.twdata.org/display/WW/Comparing+Struts+1+and+2
• More notes to come ...

Detail

• Release Notes (to date)

Pending and open issues

Other resources

• Commit Logs (Struts 1 and Struts 2)
• Source Code Repository (includes change browsing)