Introduction to Struts 2 and MVC

What is Struts 2?

Apache Struts 2 is an MVC web framework for Java. It separates concerns:

• Model - the business data and logic (Actions and JavaBeans).
• View - JSP/FreeMarker templates that render results.
• Controller - the front controller (Struts 2 dispatcher) plus interceptors and Actions.

The MVC Flow

Requests enter through a central controller which calls the right Action, and the Action directs to a result view.

Why MVC?

Teams can change HTML without touching Java, and test business logic independently of HTTP. Struts 2 keeps those boundaries clean.

Key Points

• Struts 2 implements the classic MVC pattern with a dispatcher.
• Views are JSP/FreeMarker; logic lives in Actions.
• Struts.xwork and ognl power the binding between forms and actions.