Struts Interview Questions for Intermediate

Intermediate Struts developers can improve their skills by answering these advanced interview questions. These questions will test your knowledge and prepare you for senior-level positions, covering topics such as Struts setup, tile configuration, and custom tag libraries, as well as more complicated scenarios such as handling exceptions and constructing custom validators.

10. What is ActionForm in Struts and how it is created?

ActionForm in Struts is a JavaBean class. It acts as a container and transfers data between the presentation layer i.e. the HTML forms and the business logic layer i.e. the Action classes. It represents a collection of data from an HTML form and it provides getters and setters to get this data.

To create an ActionForm in Struts:

• Create a JavaBean Class: Develop a Java class that represents the form data. This class contains private member variables along with corresponding getter and setter methods.
• Extend ActionForm: We need to extend the org.apache.struts.action.ActionForm class in a JavaBean class to inherit the standard Struts function.
• Configure in struts-config.xml: Declare the ActionForm in struts-config.xml configuration file. Also, we need to specify its fully qualified class name.
• Use in Actions: In Action classes, specify the ActionForm as a parameter in the execute method or as a property to automatically receive and access form data.

11. What is the struts-default package?

In the Struts configuration, the struts-default package is a pre-defined default package. It contains all the default configurations and features that are commonly used in the Struts applications. This default package provides necessary frameworks and packages and by using them, we can build web applications quickly without having to configure everything from scratch.

This package typically include default configuration for interceptors, result types, and error handling, commonly used utility classes, and resources such as CSS files or JavaScript libraries. Developers can use these defaults as it is or can customize them according to the specific application requirements.

12. What is ForwardAction in Struts?

In Struts, the ForwardAction class is used to forward total control from one location to another within the Struts application like from a JSP to a local server.

• It is utilized when combining an existing application with Struts.
• Based on pre-defined configurations, it helps in directing the flow of the requests to different components.

13. How action-mapping tag is used for request forwarding in Struts configuration file?

Under action-mapping tag, forwarding options are defined in Struts configuration file i.e. struts-config.xml.

• It used to map URLs to corresponding action classes.
• For request processing, it specifies the pattern of URL with associated action class for same.

In the below example, if we click on the hyperlink, request will be forwarded to /pages/login.jsp using the below configuration from struts configuration file:

<action-mappings>
    <action path="/login" forward="/pages/welcome.jsp">
    </action>
 </action-mappings>

14. How can Validation Errors be displayed on a JSP page?

To display all Validation errors to user on JSP page based on the validation rules defined in validation.xml file, we can use Struts tags such as <html:errors> or <html:errors/> in JSP file. During form validation, these tags are used to display automatically generated error messages.

15. How duplicate form submission can be controlled in Struts?

To control duplicate form submission, we can use Token Interceptor provided by Struts.

• For each form submission, it generates a unique token using saveToken() method of action class, which is then validated upon the form submission.
• It uses isTokenValid() method to check whether the token is already used or invalid, the action will not process and it will prevent the duplicate submissions.

16. How can we access Java Beans and their properties in Struts?

To access Java Beans and their properties, we can use Bean Tag Library in Struts. This is a library which can be used to access Java beans.

17. What are the two types of Validations supported by Validator Framework in Struts?

For form data validation, Validator framework is used. The Validator framework provides two types of validation:

• Client-side Validation: This performed in user’s web browser using JavaScript before submitting the form data to the server.
• Server-side Validation: This validation is executed after the form data is submitted.

In this interview preparation blog post, we will cover some commonly asked Struts interview questions and provide an in-depth overview of Struts, covering its key concepts, architecture, features, and advantages to help you ace your next interview. Whether you are a beginner looking to break into the field or a professional developer wanting to sharpen your skills, preparing for Struts interview questions is essential. Let’s dive in and get you ready for success!

Basically, Struts is a powerful framework used in Java web development, offering a structured approach to building web applications. Understanding Struts is crucial for Java developers aiming to excel in web development interviews, and mastering it can open up new opportunities in your career.

So to help you and make you more confident, we have compiled a list of common Struts interview questions for beginners and professionals.