Ajax Struts Connector

The Struts Connector is targeted at Java developers who want to “Ajaxify” Struts applications using Backbase Enterprise Ajax. The connector allows developers to quickly add Ajax features to Struts applications to make the user experience more compelling. The Struts Connector combines the richness of Ajax on the client with the maturity of Struts on the server. Backbase takes care of all the Ajax plumbing and makes Ajax development fast and easy. By allowing companies to leverage existing Struts code and skills, the Struts Connector extends the lifetime of Struts applications and is an essential ingredient for Struts application modernization.

There are many existing Struts applications and many developers with Struts skills. However, existing Struts applications are limited by the shortcomings of HTML. Combining Struts with Ajax extends the lifetime of Struts applications by adding a richer client-side without having to rebuild the entire presentation tier. The Backbase Struts Connector is an ideal solution: the Ajax Client runtime simply extends HTML, so existing front-end code can be reused. The server-side modules extend Struts and JSP: this ensures compatibility with existing server-side code. In short, the Struts Connector brings you the benefits of Ajax without the cost of having to redo your entire front-end architecture.

Ajax Struts Architecture

The Struts Connector contains two tag libraries that make it much easier to add Ajax to Struts applications. There are 3 scenarios to add Ajax to Struts:

Add Ajax to existing Struts applications

With this scenario you add Ajax features to existing Struts and HTML tags, while making only minimal changes to your application.

Adding new Ajax features to Struts

In this scenario you use the full feature set of Backbase Enterprise Ajax. It allows you to mix Ajax widgets and functions with the existing Struts and HTML tags. This requires changes to existing Struts code, but results in more interactive applications.

Create an Ajax Single Page Interface

Transform your existing Multi-Page Interface (MPI) Struts projects to Single Page Interface (SPI) applications. This will require structural changes in existing code and a different conceptual approach when creating new Struts projects. Using the SPI model enables you to implement partial page updates and asynchronous communication with the server, allowing you to create an enriched user experience.