Reviews for Practical Apache Struts 2 Web 2.0 Projects (Practical Projects)

1. Disappointing

   Rated 2 out of 5 stars, August 12st, 2008

   I can't get on with the author's writing style. There is also too much reliance on using Maven2 to set up the application and to integrate other technologies. I would have preferred to see things done manually (if you don't know Maven and don't particularly want to, then you can feel quite lost at key points). I found the overview of the framework poor with key concepts (like the OGNL Value stack) given inadequate attention. Overall I didn't get much of value out of this book. I think the main problem is that the concepts are explained through the course of the book as the example application develops - i.e. information is scattered throughout the book. I guess I was looking for something that could be more useful as a reference book.

2. A Great Book!

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, May 12th, 2008

   A very engaging book. Gets into the thick of the code and explores other frameworks to bring into your Struts 2 project - like sitemesh and acegi. Definitely aimed at the practitioner.
   
   There's a good and concise overview of the framework. Then a Struts 2 expert walks you through creating CRUD forms, search page, a set of wizard pages, validation, security, ajax etc.
   
   My only comment is that I wish hibernate was not always the default Java persistence layer. It would be nice to see something else, like iBatis. Also, it would be good to see Strut 2's engagement with richer front-end component frameworks, like Flex or YUI.