> -----Original Message----- > From: Stuart Guthrie [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Thursday, August 19, 2004 11:14 PM > To: Struts Users Mailing List > Subject: Re: Complex web 'stacks' in Struts > > > Thanks for your answer. However this is fine as a technique > to enable me > to fire an 'action' to lookup the customer but I was hoping that the > customer browser would be a nice action/jsp combo to itself > which could > be told to 'return' back to the originating calling action. > > I might want to include the ability to lookup a customer in 20 or 30 > forms, not just order entry. > > It's the modular approach known to console-based and gui based > applications. My question is: how does this translate in struts? Does > it?
It's not a struts problem exactly... it's a http problem. It doesn't make the concept of a dialog window terribly easy. You could do it in javascript, which is one of the reasons why javascript is a necessary evil. Poping up a new page creates it's own state problems with any web application, again because there is a disconnect between a request and user that you don't have with console or gui based applications. What I would do, is walk the user through wizard style and have them choose a customer first, then go to the order page. > > Stuart > > On Fri, 2004-08-20 at 15:06, struts lover wrote: > > You can have a variable called action in your action > > form. You can set that variable as view or edit. Now > > for the first time, the action can be view. You lookup > > for the customer. If you find, you display. If you > > dont find, (check this with some <c:if> tag ) you > > display a text field and a ADD CUSTOMER button. You > > enter the customer name, and click the add button. > > Again it takes you to the same action class. This > > action class extends the LookupDispatchAction class. > > You have different methods for different buttons in > > that class.(lookup,add etc.). You need only one jsp, > > one action form and one action class that extends from > > the LookupDispatchAction class. > > HTH > > > > > > > > --- Stuart Guthrie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > This is a general 'how do you do it if you do it' > > > question about web > > > application design. > > > > > > Here is the scenario. > > > > > > Web Form: > > > ----------------------------------------- > > > ORDER HEADER > > > > > > Order No: 0010 > > > Order Date: 15/08/2004 > > > Customer: ______ <LOOKUP CUSTOMER> > > > Customer Name: ? > > > ----------------------------------------- > > > > > > So the user has entered a new order date and > > > requests the <LOOKUP > > > CUSTOMER> button to search the 1,000,000 customers > > > in the database. > > > (Note, I picked a cool million deliberately to stop > > > the 'just use a > > > combo' suggestions) > > > > > > The customer is found and selected. The user is > > > returned to this form in > > > exactly the same 'state' they left it. ie with the > > > date entered as > > > 15/08/2004, except their customer code is now filled > > > in. As is the > > > Customer name. > > > > > > ----------------------------------------- > > > ORDER HEADER > > > > > > Order No: 0010 > > > Order Date: 15/08/2004 > > > Customer: ABC123 <LOOKUP CUSTOMER> > > > Customer Name: ABC Inc. > > > ----------------------------------------- > > > > > > > > > This example gets more complex if you consider that > > > once the user > > > reaches the lookup, they might find no customer > > > there and need to ADD a > > > customer, taking them to a new 'stack' level. > > > > > > > Order Entry (1/2 complete) > > > -> Lookup Customer > > > --> Add Customer as not found in lookup > > > --> Return to lookup Customer > > > -> Select newly added customer from list > > > > Order Entry Form re-populated with new customer > > > code and description > > > as well as original 1/2 complete fields. > > > > > > > > > Ways to do this: > > > > > > 1. Some sort of 'stack' where the state is > > > maintained in a 'level' of > > > the > > > stack with all the form values from the web page. > > > The user goes off and > > > searches on the next level of the 'stack' and once > > > sorted, pulls (or is > > > it pops) the stack back to the previous 'level' and > > > re-populates the > > > form. > > > > > > 2. Something else. > > > > > > 3. Can't be done. Don't go there! > > > > > > > > > I'm all ears, unless I hear otherwise, I'll probably > > > write the > > > 'stack'technology. > > > > > > TIA > > > > > > > > > Stuart Guthrie > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > For additional commands, e-mail: > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > > Do You Yahoo!? > > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > > http://mail.yahoo.com > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
