Question

Just starting to learn the Java side of things, sorry if this is obvious. But, I was reading a tutorial about Spring in Java 6 and saw they were using just regular old JSTL on the view.

What does Spring give me if I am using JSTL for the view? What would I use if I used “just java” (I know it is all Java but I mean besides a framework like Spring or Struts)?

Thanks.

edit:

I guessed JSTL was the V. That’s my point. If I already have the V without Spring, what do I get that I don’t already have with Java? What would I have to provide without Spring (please don’t say MC!)

edit: Maybe I’m asking. What would I use in Java for MVC if I didn’t use Spring, Struts or something like that. What out of the box for MVC, with JSTL, do I have for Java 6. What other components (I am keeping JSTL for a reason). Thanks.

Answer 1

Here is a very simple example.
When in plain vanilla Servlet model 2 you write something like this:

public class AdditionServlet extends HttpServlet {
    public void doGet(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) 
        throws ServletException {
        String x = request.getParameter("x");
        String y = request.getParameter("y");
        if (x == null || y == null) throw new ServletException();
        try {
            request.setAttribute("result", 
                Integer.parseInt(x) + Integer.parseInt(y));
        } catch (NumberFormatException ex) {
            throw new ServletException(ex);
        }
        request.getRequestDispatcher("/WEB-INF/jsp/calc.jsp")
            .forward(request, response);
    }
}

in Spring MVC you write this:

@Controller
public class ArithmeticController {
    @RequestMapping("/add")
    public String add(@RequestParam("x") int x, @RequestParam("y") int y, 
        Map<String, Object> model) {
        model.put("result", x + y);
        return "calc";
    }
}

Both controllers use the same JSTL view, but amount of the boilerplate code differs.