Application Controller

Problem

The JSP controller presented while discussing the Front Controller pattern was intended to perform the following tasks related to request processing:

1. Intercept incoming requests.
2. Invoke business components.
3. Identify and redirect to the next view.

The Front Controller design pattern solved the first problem. As with the JSP controller, it is entirely possible to build the two other functions in the front controller. But that would result in a highly inflexible, fat, magic front controller that handles too many responsibilities. As the application grows, it becomes an uphill task to maintain and use such complex and specific front controllers. This was exactly the problem with the JSP-based controller used in the eInsure application.