Tiles is an optional sub framework in struts2.0 that is used to generate composite views.The composite view is a web page presented to the end user that contains contents of multiple pages. Most of web pages which are presented to the end user are composite view. Each web application as a layout or thin i.e. supported by all the pages of application. In usually composite views are define by dividing a page in to different section using jsp-include action or include directive.This approach of generating composite view has following drawback:-

1.If layout of composite view is changed then all the pages need to be individually modified.

2.If URL or name of an include page is changed then all the composite view which references. It need to be modified

The tiles framework facilities developments of composite view dynamically i.e. in order to change layout of composite view. Application developer is not required to modify each page. 

Tiles:-A tiles represents contents that are to be display in to a reason of the composite view. JSP pages or String act as tiles.

TilesLayout:-TilesLayout is a JSP page that determines the layout of the composite view. It divides pages in different section in each section a place holder for a tile is specified using file custom tags.

TilesDefinition:-TilesDefinition is an XML file that contained a mapping of JSP pages and string content to tiles place holder for a composite view.  

TilesResults:-This is result implementation of which is responsible for generating a composite view for a definition.




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