SEVERE: Exception starting filter struts2 java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.FilterDispatcher

Question

I am trying to make a small login application in struts 2. My web.xml:

Answer 1

I suggest doing a Maven build, the dependencies will be resolved by Maven. This is what I had to put in pom.xml

     <dependency>
        <groupId>org.apache.struts</groupId>
        <artifactId>struts2-core</artifactId>
        <version>2.3.1.2</version>
        <type>jar</type>
        <scope>compile</scope>
    </dependency>

Answer 2

It seems, commons-lang3-XXX.jar file is missing in your class path. You can resolve it by adding the jar to your lib folder.

Answer 3

If you are using Struts2 version 2.5 you need to change from org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.filter.StrutsPrepareAndExecuteFilter to org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.filter.StrutsPrepareAndExecuteFilter. See:

java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.filter.StrutsPrepareAndExecuteFilter in web.xml

Answer 4

Being new to the Struts2 framework, I recently came across the same (or very similar) error. In my case I was using annotations within the Action class rather than the struts.xml file.

For example

@Action(value="/jsp/edit-file",
   results={@Result(name="success",location="/jsp/edit-success.jsp"),
            @Result(name="failure",location="/jsp/edit-failure.jsp")})
public String execute() { ... }

However when I changed the action value to include the *.action extension (see below) Struts would throw the "SEVERE: Exception starting filter struts2" error noted above.

@Action(value="/jsp/edit-file.action",
   results={@Result(name="success",location="/jsp/edit-success.jsp"),
            @Result(name="failure",location="/jsp/edit-failure.jsp")})
public String execute() { ... }

The cause of this error wasn't obvious as it didn't manifest itself immediately. Looking through the Tomcat localhost..log file I found the stacktrace for the error and was able to remedy the issue.

Answer 5

Got similar problem while starting strut2 project.

I was using the latest jars. Web.xml has version 3.0. And it does not contains the proper dispatcher in its configuration. I added the correct dispatcher filter i.e.

org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.FilterDispatcher 

instead of

org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.filter.StrutsPrepareAndExecuteFilter 

or

org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.filter.StrutsPrepareAndExecuteFilter. 

it worked greatly.

Answer 6

Make sure the following are on your class path:

• commons-fileupload-X.X.X.jar
• commons-io-X.X.X.jar
• commons-logging-X.X.X.jar
• commons-logging-api.X.X.jar
• freemarker-X.X.X.jar
• ognl-X.X.X.jar
• struts2-core-X.X.X.X.jar
• xwork-core-X.X.X.jar
• javassist-3.7.ga.jar (new for Struts versions 2.2.1 and higher)
• commons-lang3-x.x

Edit: Have you followed http://struts.apache.org/release/2.3.x/docs/how-to-create-a-struts-2-web-application.html to set up your project? Why are you using struts 2.1.X.X and not 2.2.x.x?

Try:

        <filter>
            <filter-name>action</filter-name>
            <filter-class>org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.ng.filter.StrutsPrepareAndExecuteFilter</filter-class>
        </filter>
        <filter-mapping>
            <filter-name>action</filter-name>
            <url-pattern>/*</url-pattern>
        </filter-mapping>