This book also includes notes on the usage of different action types, action forms, etc. All in all, an excellent reference.

This book also includes notes on the usage of different action types, action forms, etc. All in all, an excellent reference.

The authors use a straightforward, documentation style of writing to give you just the core information on all the pieces that make up the Struts architecture. There's no conversational instruction on how to use or how to learn Struts. It is assumed you have the basic knowledge and need to understand the details of each piece. The format usually shows a piece of Java or XML code, explains what that piece does, and then documents each parameter that comes into play. So instead of wading through 50 pages of a book to figure out the web.xml file, you can find the core information here in six pages. You may need additional resources if you want to learn more about a particular feature, but this book will quickly show you that the feature exists and what it is meant to do.

If you're looking to learn Struts for the first time, hold off on this book until you've gone through a learning guide of some sort (like Programming Jakarta Struts by Chuck Cavaness). You'll need that level of instruction to get up to speed on the architecture. Once you have that down, you'll be able to use the pocket guide to find answers to your day-to-day questions on how the different parts work.

Conclusion
If you have already worked your way through a Struts book or if you use Struts on a daily basis, you'll find this a valuable little guide to give you focused answers on a timely basis.

The authors use a straightforward, documentation style of writing to give you just the core information on all the pieces that make up the Struts architecture. There's no conversational instruction on how to use or how to learn Struts. It is assumed you have the basic knowledge and need to understand the details of each piece. The format usually shows a piece of Java or XML code, explains what that piece does, and then documents each parameter that comes into play. So instead of wading through 50 pages of a book to figure out the web.xml file, you can find the core information here in six pages. You may need additional resources if you want to learn more about a particular feature, but this book will quickly show you that the feature exists and what it is meant to do.

If you're looking to learn Struts for the first time, hold off on this book until you've gone through a learning guide of some sort (like Programming Jakarta Struts by Chuck Cavaness). You'll need that level of instruction to get up to speed on the architecture. Once you have that down, you'll be able to use the pocket guide to find answers to your day-to-day questions on how the different parts work.

Conclusion
If you have already worked your way through a Struts book or if you use Struts on a daily basis, you'll find this a valuable little guide to give you focused answers on a timely basis.