Of course I have to shamelessly plug our domain layer framework, eQ!(www.browsersoft.com/eQ) :-)
One of the goals is to be UI independant, as well as deployment independant (app server, client-server, standalone), but we also provide adapters for Swing and of course Struts. If we had demand for others, we would build them as well.
I also agree that Struts isn't perfect, but it is pretty darn strong and it is the most widely accepted.
- Robert
Ted Husted wrote:
I think Rod makes a common mistake in believing Struts is suppose to act as the base of your domain architecture. Struts is a presentation layer" controller. Sophisticated applications will also need their own *domain layer* controller.
Yes, ActionForms are not domain objects. They are not suppose to domain objects. They are presentation layer objects. They are not intended to be used as domain objects. ActionForm is not an interface *because* we don't want them to be used as domain objects. It's not a design flaw, but a deliberate design decision that's been documented time and again.
Sophisticated applications will also use their own set of beans (or the like). Some (and only some) of properties of the domain objects and the ActionForms will overlap, but they are not the same entity.
Among other things, ActionForms are Data Transfer Objects. It's important not to confuse a DTO with the DO. This type of decoupling is what MVC is all about.
IMHO, what's missing is a decent Domain Layer framework that can hook up with other presentation layer frameworks like Struts or Tapestry or Maverick or WebWorks, or whatever you've brewed in house. But there should not be *one true framework*, but frameworks at each layer that you can mix and match.
But I do agree with Rod that the best presentation layer framework has yet to be built. Meanwhile, AFAIK, we haven't even built a decent business layer framework yet.
-Ted.
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