All of the UI quick entry features you mentioned can be accomplished using JavaScript on the JSP, with or without Struts.
I would start by getting an HTML mockup with Javascript code that has the desired data-entry-speeding effects and convert it to a JSP, inserting the Struts tags from there. Only the validation and data persistence features should impact the Action; the user interface speedup would be restricted to the JSP. Regards, B > -----Original Message----- > From: Chuck Chopp [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Monday, July 26, 2004 1:30 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: JSP / ActionForm / Action design quesetion > > > I'm experimenting with putting a JSP / Struts front-end onto > an existing > "green screen" application on a midrange system. I have > JavaBeans that > serve as wrappers around the underlying code that implements > the business > logic, which allows me to divorce the legacy green screen > terminal I/O > interface routines from the business logic. Now, however, I > have to meet a > requirement of the end-user and I'm too new at using Struts > and JSPs to know > for certain how to go about doing meeting the requirement. > > In a nutshell, the green screen interface allow for rapid > data entry, and > the JSP front-end that I'm trying to build needs to allow for > the same > techniques to be used or else it will fail to meet the user's > requirements. > Currently, a lot of of the data that gets entered is for > fixed length > fields, and when the data input results in one field being > full, the focus > automatically jumps to the next field as if the TAB key had > been hit. When > all of the fields of data have been entered, simply hitting > the ENTER key > results in the screen full of data fields being submitted, > validated and > then the screen is "reset" to empty field values again for > additional data > entry. Most of the data is numeric and the data entry is > done via the > numeric keypad. > > I need to know if it is possible to set up a JSP to work in > the same way. > Is it possible to set up a JSP such that quick data entry can > be done with > the focus automatically forwarding from one field to the next > as the fields > are filled up with fixed length data w/o having to hit the > TAB key and with > the ENTER key resulting in posting the form data to the applet? > > I can already handle the ActionForm programming for data > validation and the > success/failure forwarding so that the successfully validated > data is fed > into the model and then the controller forwards back to the > same JSP / > ActionForm combination again for additional data entry. > > I'm not sure if I can code things so that some other single > keystroke can be > used in place of clicking a "CANCEL" button on the form, such > as hitting the > ESC key and having that trigger an event in the JSP that is > the same as > clicking the "CANCEL" button. In the green screen > application, hitting ESC > results in leaving the data entry screen and returning to a > higher level > menu. I'd like to preserve as much of the legacy > application's quick data > entry functionality while putting a more modern web-enabled > frontend onto > the application. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
