Looking over Struts 1.2, I see that my ImageButtonBean, an idea discarded for improvements some time ago, made it into the Struts framework. This re-ignites my thoughts placed into another context and which I think are worth putting under a heading which might engender some response. So, here is a last try to get people to address the question. If we continue to put mere uses into the framework, things will get even odder. ImageButtonBean had little testing and was but a germ of an idea. It spread quickly because the problem was pressing to people. But, that does not make it a good solution. In fact, it is a fairly poor solution. Discussions with people on the Struts user list led to definite improvements. In those discussions, people shared some of their ideas which are better than this. ImageTagUtil was a far better solution for that problem in almost every respect. But, now ImageButtonBean is in the framework and will have to be their for sometime. That is not good, in my opinion.
Open source and painting are connected in someways. The biggest mistake of the amateur painter is to keep adding colors when the painting is done. The result is always that murky, dark, ugly, look. Likewise, open source, filled with people with egos, sometimes does not know when something is done, finished, damed good and certainly good enough.
I have a real concern that Struts is going to continue to be bloated with what are not Struts, not part of the framework, but what are instead really very useful uses of Struts. DispatchAction and its progeny are just one example of this. I would suggest that such offerings would better be managed in a separate application called something like "Struts Patterns" or "Struts Best Practices". Perhaps such classes could be released as classes and either maintained (or preferrably not) independent of Struts?
I would hope that by the term "bloat" I don't convey that such classes are not wonderful ideas and their authors are stellar citizens. It just seems to me that a framework ought to be maintained as a FRAMEWORK and that allowing USES OF THE FRAMEWORK to become part of the framework is a groundwater mistake. Generally, I think it might be better if the actions package were distributed outside Struts proper.
As a framework, there comes a time when something like Struts is done, and we need to move on to other things except diligent maintainence and creating clever uses. My present predeliction is to save what presently exists, clean it up by jettisoned what is not needed, and to watch for good ideas that might arise in uses. This is just a thought.
There needs to be, I think, a clear separation of Struts patterns or clever uses of Struts and Struts itself. I would suggest that something formal be instituted. Thanks for your ears/eyes on this.
Michael McGrady
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