----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Taylor" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Struts Users Mailing List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, March 10, 2003 2:09 PM Subject: RE: [Design Pattern]FormBean in Model Layer
> Is being tied to the DynaBean API that bad. Seems like it, along with the > entire beanutils package, is a great tool. Why write custom DTO interfaces > when you could simply leverage DynaActionForm or DynaValidatorActionForm > which both implement the DynaBean interface. Then use the beanutils package > to "transform" the data? (I think its about 2 very powerful lines of code). > You avoid writing classes for each form. You just configure them (with their > initial state) in the struts-config file. Not at all - I regularly use beanutils the way you outline above ;-) Some people might want to define custom dto interfaces to provide their domain services/delegates with a distinctive (and typed ?) contract for getting parameters etc. > > This approach also reinforces the concept that ActionForms are view > components and don't belong in the model. > If the original intent was for ActionForms to be part of the model, then > they would have been designed as interfaces, but Craig has voiced his stance > on this many times already, and is adamant about keeping the ActionForm in > the view and out of the model. I quite agree, which is why I suggested that ActionForms (or indeed subclasses of dynaforms etc ) would *implement the domain* rather than the domain implementing or knowing about struts or beanutils (which is bad and one of the reasons actionforms are not an interface). By doing it this way around I dont think that ActionForms are becoming part of the model, quite the reverse, in fact we're telling struts a little bit more about our domain model, which I don't think is altogether evil. > > I believe you would find a best practices strategy would be to use > DynaXXXXForm where you can and either in the Action class or an intermediate > service layer, transform the data to the appropriate DTO objects which can > then be passed to the the model/logic layer for processing. I agree that seems like a good way to approach it :) Cheers Jin > > I would use the tools that are out there when you can...especially when they > are free. > > > My 2 cents. > > robert > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Jin Bal [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Monday, March 10, 2003 3:10 AM > > To: Struts Users Mailing List > > Subject: Re: [Design Pattern]FormBean in Model Layer > > > > > > If you don't wnat to be tied to the DynaBean api either you could > > defin your > > own custom DTO interface that defines the data that your model layer > > requires. > > > > then you could have your ActionForm implement your custom interface. Then > > you could just pass the action forms into the layer as the custom > > interface. > > > > Your model layer wont know (or care) that your using an actionform all it > > cares about is the DTO interface. > > > > i.e your application deosn't know about struts but struts knows about your > > application > > > > might make things easier. > > > > HTH > > > > Jin > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "harish krishnaswamy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: "Struts Users Mailing List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Puneet > > Agarwal" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Monday, March 10, 2003 1:34 AM > > Subject: Re: [Design Pattern]FormBean in Model Layer > > > > > > > Well, you would use the following form-bean > > > definition. > > > > > > <form-bean name="sampleForm" > > > type="xyz.domain.DynaActionFormSubClass"> > > > <form-property name="lastName" > > > type="java.lang.String"> > > > <set-property> > > > <property>model-property</property> > > > <value>custLastName</value> > > > </set-property> > > > </form-property> > > > ... > > > ... > > > </form-bean> > > > > > > Customize BeanUtils to copy the properties of > > > DynaActionFormSubClass to a model-property-keyed map. > > > pass this map to the model layer and have an adaptor > > > in the model layer copy these porperties to the > > > required model objects, again using BeanUtils. > > > > > > -Harish > > > > > > --- Puneet Agarwal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Thanks for your views, > > > > My basic intention is to avoid the headache of > > > > copying the values from > > > > FormBean to my Model layer. > > > > and that since formbean keeps all the values in a > > > > nice manner that can be > > > > adaptive to any framework. > > > > > > > > Well this is a correct point that we should keep our > > > > Model layer separate > > > > from strutsish components. > > > > > > > > but Harsish's Idea sounds good, would be nice if > > > > Harish could say something > > > > more about his approach. > > > > > > > > Regards > > > > Puneet Agarwal > > > > -----------------------------> > > > > "Struts"..."Action"..."Struts in Action"..."Action > > > > in > > > > Struts"...[possibly]"Action with Struts"...? > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: "harish krishnaswamy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > To: "Struts Users Mailing List" > > > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2003 3:09 AM > > > > Subject: Re: [Design Pattern]FormBean in Model Layer > > > > > > > > > > > > > In our project, we have designed our model facade > > > > > objects to take in a map and let the facade copy > > > > the > > > > > map to the appropriate business objects using > > > > > BeanUtils. We have customized the form-bean config > > > > to > > > > > map the form-bean properties to the model > > > > properties. > > > > > This way the model objects will be independent of > > > > the > > > > > view/controller. > > > > > > > > > > -Harish > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- David Graham <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > That is a terrible idea. Form beans should > > > > never > > > > > > make it out of the > > > > > > Struts/view layer. You will tie your > > > > application to > > > > > > Struts and make it > > > > > > impossible to reuse the logic in another > > > > application > > > > > > or even to stop using > > > > > > Struts in the future. > > > > > > > > > > > > David > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >From: "Puneet Agarwal" > > > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > > >Reply-To: "Puneet Agarwal" > > > > > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > > >To: "Struts Users Mailing List" > > > > > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > > >Subject: [Design Pattern]FormBean in Model > > > > Layer > > > > > > >Date: Sun, 9 Mar 2003 02:45:15 -0000 > > > > > > > > > > > > > >We are in the stage of finalizing the design > > > > > > pattern for our project. > > > > > > > > > > > > > >While discussing the design patterns with my > > > > > > colleagues, > > > > > > >somebody came with an idea to pass the FormBean > > > > as > > > > > > it is, > > > > > > >to the Session Bean or sometimes even to the > > > > Value > > > > > > List handler Block > > > > > > >Later I thought this can actually be a good > > > > idea. > > > > > > > > > > > > > >I understand that this is against underlying > > > > > > layered MVC pattern itself, > > > > > > >but > > > > > > >avoids a lot of headache. Can someone say what > > > > > > could be other disadvantage > > > > > > >of this. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >--------------------------> > > > > > > >"Struts"..."Action"..."Struts in > > > > Action"..."Action > > > > > > in > > > > > > >Struts"...[possibly]"Action with > > > > Struts"..."Action > > > > > > over Struts"...? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >--------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > > >To unsubscribe, e-mail: > > > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > >For additional commands, e-mail: > > > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > > > > > Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan > > > > Online > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: > > > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > For additional commands, e-mail: > > > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > > > > > Do you Yahoo!? > > > > > Yahoo! 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