tinystruct Development Patterns

Architecture and implementation patterns for building modules with the tinystruct Java framework – a lightweight, high-performance framework that treats CLI and HTTP as equal citizens, requiring no main() method and minimal configuration.

Core Principle

CLI and HTTP are equal citizens. Every method annotated with @Action should ideally be runnable from both a terminal and a web browser without modification. This "dual-mode" capability is the core design philosophy of tinystruct.

Primary Development Tool: bin/dispatcher

bin/dispatcher is the default, highest-priority tool for developing, running, testing, and debugging a tinystruct application — reach for it before an IDE run configuration, a hand-written main(), curl, or a browser. Because every @Action is dual-mode by design, bin/dispatcher lets you exercise routing, argument binding, and business logic directly from the terminal, with the fastest possible feedback loop and no server/browser required.

# Run any @Action directly - the fastest way to verify a new action works
# (the class must be imported; see --import or default.import.applications in application.properties)
bin/dispatcher greet/James --import com.example.MyService
bin/dispatcher echo --words "Praise the Lord"

# Start the HTTP server when you need the web-facing counterpart
bin/dispatcher start --import org.tinystruct.system.HttpServer

# Import additional Application/MCP classes for the current run
# (one --import per class; a comma-separated list fails with ClassNotFoundException)
bin/dispatcher start --import org.tinystruct.system.HttpServer --import com.example.MyService

# Discover what's available
bin/dispatcher --help
bin/dispatcher --version

Default to this workflow: implement the @Action, run it immediately via bin/dispatcher <action> to confirm it behaves correctly in CLI mode, and only start the HTTP server (also via bin/dispatcher start ...) once you need to verify the web-facing path (e.g. mode = Mode.HTTP_POST, sessions, file uploads). Never hardcode a main(String[] args) as an app's entry point — bin/dispatcher (or bin/dispatcher.cmd on Windows) is the one entry point for every module.

Generating bin/dispatcher and bin/dispatcher.cmd

Every tinystruct project needs its launcher in bin/. The framework generates it — never write it by hand, and never copy it from another project or substitute a main(). ApplicationManager.init() writes the launcher for the current operating system into bin/ under the working directory whenever it is missing, from templates inside the tinystruct jar, with that jar's version filled in. Line endings and the executable bit are already right.

1. Find the tinystruct version the project builds against: the <tinystruct.version> property or the org.tinystruct:tinystruct dependency in pom.xml. The jar must be reachable, in ~/.m2/repository/org/tinystruct/tinystruct/<version>/ (run mvn dependency:resolve if it is not) or in the project's lib/.

2. From the project root, run the framework once:

java -cp ~/.m2/repository/org/tinystruct/tinystruct/<version>/tinystruct-<version>.jar \
     org.tinystruct.system.Dispatcher --version

Replace <version> with the version found in step 1. On Windows use %USERPROFILE%\.m2\repository\org\tinystruct\tinystruct\<version>\tinystruct-<version>.jar and the same class. This creates only the script for the OS you ran it on, and only if it is not already there:

Run on	Creates
Linux, macOS	bin/dispatcher (executable, LF)
Windows	bin\dispatcher.cmd (CRLF)

3. Verify. From the project root run bin/dispatcher --version (Windows: bin\dispatcher.cmd --version). It prints Dispatcher (cli) (built on tinystruct-<version>), and the VERSION inside the script equals the jar's version. Then bin/dispatcher --help lists the commands and every imported action. Show the user the file you created.

4. Get both scripts by running step 2 on each OS, or let a teammate or CI on the other OS run it and commit the result. Commit both, so a checkout on either OS works. Do not try to fake the other OS with -Dos.name=…: on Windows it fails (UnsupportedOperationException from setPosixFilePermissions) and leaves an empty bin/dispatcher. Recommended .gitattributes, so a checkout does not corrupt the line endings:

bin/dispatcher     text eol=lf
bin/dispatcher.cmd text eol=crlf

Upgrading tinystruct: change the version in pom.xml, delete the old script, and repeat step 2 with the new jar. Alternatively bin/dispatcher update checks Maven Central for the latest release, upgrades the project's dependency and regenerates the script with force; it needs the network, edits the pom.xml, and goes to the latest version, not a chosen one.

It also happens implicitly. Any code that reaches ApplicationManager.init() (the dispatcher itself, or ApplicationManager.install(app, config) in a unit test) creates the script in the current directory if it is missing. If unit tests scatter bin/dispatcher.cmd into module directories, run them from the build directory: in the surefire configuration set <workingDirectory>${project.build.directory}</workingDirectory>.

What the scripts do, which explains most problems:

• Run them from the project root: the shell script takes the current directory as the root, the .cmd takes the parent of bin/.
• The classpath is target/classes, lib/*.jar, WEB-INF/lib/*, WEB-INF/classes and the tinystruct jar (from lib/, else ~/.m2), then they run org.tinystruct.system.Dispatcher with your arguments.
• On the first run, if mvnw / mvnw.cmd is missing, they extract the Maven Wrapper into the project root (unzip on Unix, PowerShell on Windows). Tell the user this happens; the files can be committed or ignored.
• Only the shell script treats -D… and -X… arguments as JVM options.

Gotchas:

• On Windows use bin\dispatcher.cmd. The shell script joins the classpath with :, so under Git Bash/MSYS it fails with ClassNotFoundException: org.tinystruct.system.Dispatcher. Use WSL, or the .cmd.
• Only the tinystruct jar is on the classpath. The framework no longer ships a fat jar by default, so your other modules, JDBC drivers and libraries (jjwt, lettuce, …) must be in lib/: mvn dependency:copy-dependencies -DoutputDirectory=lib (and git-ignore lib/). In a multi-module build, keep the launcher in the directory that holds target/classes and lib/, and copy the sibling modules' jars into that lib/; running it from a module whose siblings are not on its classpath fails with NoClassDefFoundError.
• Load applications with --import or configuration. One --import per class (--import a.A,b.B fails; write --import a.A --import b.B), or list them once in application.properties: default.import.applications=a.A;b.B (;-separated).
• JAVA_HOME must be set for the .cmd; it stops with an error otherwise.
• bin/ sits directly under the directory that holds target/classes and lib/. The .cmd treats the parent of bin/ as the root, so a bin/ nested in the wrong directory puts the wrong classpath in front of Dispatcher.

When to Activate

When to Use

• Running, testing, or debugging any @Action via bin/dispatcher — this is the default way to work with a tinystruct app, before reaching for HTTP or an IDE run configuration.
• Setting up a project that has no bin/dispatcher / bin/dispatcher.cmd — have the framework generate it (see "Generating bin/dispatcher and bin/dispatcher.cmd").
• Creating new Application modules by extending AbstractApplication.
• Defining routes and command-line actions using @Action.
• Handling per-request state via Context.
• Performing JSON serialization using the native Builder and Builders components.
• Working with database persistence via AbstractData POJOs.
• Generating POJOs from database tables using the generate command, with an XML mapping file or annotations (--mapping annotation).
• Implementing Server-Sent Events (SSE) for real-time push.
• Handling file uploads via multipart data.
• Making outbound HTTP requests with URLRequest and HTTPHandler.
• Configuring database connections or system settings in application.properties.
• Debugging routing conflicts (Actions) or CLI argument parsing.

How It Works

The tinystruct framework treats any method annotated with @Action as a routable endpoint for both terminal and web environments. Applications are created by extending AbstractApplication, which provides core lifecycle hooks like init() and access to the request Context.

Routing is handled by the ActionRegistry, which automatically maps path segments to method arguments and injects dependencies. For data-only services, the native Builder and Builders components should be used for JSON serialization to maintain a zero-dependency footprint. The database layer uses AbstractData POJOs mapped to tables with @Table/@Column annotations or XML mapping files for CRUD operations without external ORM libraries. Missing tables can be created automatically with database.autocreate=true.

Examples

Basic Application (MyService)

public class MyService extends AbstractApplication {
    @Override
    public void init() {
        this.setTemplateRequired(false); // Disable .view lookup for data/API apps
    }

    @Override public String version() { return "1.0.0"; }

    @Action("greet")
    public String greet() {
        return "Hello from tinystruct!";
    }

    // Path parameter: GET /?q=greet/James  OR  bin/dispatcher greet/James
    @Action("greet")
    public String greet(String name) {
        return "Hello, " + name + "!";
    }
}

HTTP Mode Disambiguation (login)

@Action(value = "login", mode = Mode.HTTP_POST)
public String doLogin(Request<?, ?> request) throws ApplicationException {
    request.getSession().setAttribute("userId", "42");
    return "Logged in";
}

Native JSON Data Handling (Builder + Builders)

import org.tinystruct.data.component.Builder;
import org.tinystruct.data.component.Builders;

@Action("api/data")
public String getData() throws ApplicationException {
    Builders dataList = new Builders();
    Builder item = new Builder();
    item.put("id", 1);
    item.put("name", "James");
    dataList.add(item);

    Builder response = new Builder();
    response.put("status", "success");
    response.put("data", dataList);
    return response.toString(); // {"status":"success","data":[{"id":1,"name":"James"}]}
}

SSE (Server-Sent Events)

import org.tinystruct.http.SSEPushManager;

@Action("sse/connect")
public String connect() {
    return "{\"type\":\"connect\",\"message\":\"Connected to SSE\"}";
}

// Push to a specific client
String sessionId = getContext().getId();
Builder msg = new Builder();
msg.put("text", "Hello, user!");
SSEPushManager.getInstance().push(sessionId, msg);

// Broadcast to all
// Broadcast to all
SSEPushManager.getInstance().broadcast(msg);

File Upload

import org.tinystruct.data.FileEntity;

@Action(value = "upload", mode = Mode.HTTP_POST)
public String upload(Request<?, ?> request) throws ApplicationException {
    List<FileEntity> files = request.getAttachments();
    if (files != null) {
        for (FileEntity file : files) {
            System.out.println("Uploaded: " + file.getFilename());
        }
    }
    return "Upload OK";
}

Database Metadata Operations

DatabaseOperator provides direct access to connection-level catalog, schema, and metadata:

import org.tinystruct.data.DatabaseOperator;

DatabaseOperator operator = new DatabaseOperator();
try {
    String catalog = operator.getCatalog();
    String schema = operator.getSchema();
    java.sql.DatabaseMetaData metaData = operator.getMetaData();
    System.out.println("Using catalog: " + catalog + ", schema: " + schema);
} finally {
    operator.close();
}

MCP Server and Tools Integration

tinystruct provides native support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP) starting with SDK version 1.7.0. The MCP APIs (e.g., org.tinystruct.mcp.MCPTool, org.tinystruct.mcp.MCPServer, org.tinystruct.mcp.MCPException) are included directly in the core dependency:

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.tinystruct</groupId>
    <artifactId>tinystruct</artifactId>
    <version>1.7.34</version>
</dependency>

SECURITY WARNING (Prompt Injection): Tool return values are fed directly back into the AI model's context window. You MUST validate and sanitize all caller-supplied arguments before including them in the tool's return string. Failure to sanitize inputs can allow an attacker to inject adversarial instructions (Prompt Injection) that override the model's behavior. Always validate length, character sets, and nullity.

To create an MCP Tool:

1. Extend org.tinystruct.mcp.MCPTool.
2. Annotate operations with @Action and declare parameters using @Argument within the arguments array.
3. Accept parameters as explicit method arguments matching the keys in @Argument. (Do not use getContext().getAttribute(...) for tool arguments).

import org.tinystruct.mcp.MCPTool;
import org.tinystruct.mcp.MCPException;
import org.tinystruct.system.annotation.Action;
import org.tinystruct.system.annotation.Argument;

public class MyCustomTool extends MCPTool {
    public MyCustomTool() {
        super("custom", "A custom tool for demonstrating MCP");
    }

    @Action(
        value = "custom/hello",
        description = "Say hello to someone",
        arguments = {
            @Argument(key = "name", description = "The name to greet", type = "string", optional = false)
        }
    )
    public String hello(String name) throws MCPException {
        // SECURITY: Validate/sanitize tool inputs before returning to the model
        // to prevent prompt injection vulnerabilities.
        if (name == null || name.length() > 50 || !name.matches("^[a-zA-Z0-9 ]+$")) {
            throw new MCPException("Invalid name provided");
        }
        return "Hello, " + name + "!";
    }
}

To deploy an MCP Server:

1. Extend org.tinystruct.mcp.MCPServer.
2. Override init() and register your tools using this.registerTool(). The framework automatically scans and maps the @Action methods.

import org.tinystruct.mcp.MCPServer;

public class MyMCPServer extends MCPServer {
    @Override
    public void init() {
        super.init();
        this.registerTool(new MyCustomTool());
    }

    @Override
    public String version() {
        return "1.0.0";
    }
}

Run the server via the dispatcher:

bin/dispatcher start --import org.tinystruct.system.HttpServer --import com.example.MyMCPServer

Overloaded Tool Methods

tinystruct supports overloaded methods for the same tool name in MCPTool (sharing the same tool name but accepting different parameter signatures).

• Schema Merging: Input schemas of all overloads with the same name are dynamically merged into a unified JSON schema. Properties are unioned, and required properties are intersected (only fields required across all overloads remain marked mandatory).
• Execution Routing: When executing a tool, the server iterates sequentially through the available overloaded methods, attempting execution. Each method's schema validation is performed first, and the first overload that validates against the provided arguments successfully executes. If no signature matches or succeeds, the framework throws an appropriate exception.

Configuration

Settings are managed in src/main/resources/application.properties.

# Database
driver=org.h2.Driver
database.url=jdbc:h2:~/mydb
database.user=sa
database.password=
# Optional: create missing tables from the class mapping on first use (off by default)
# database.autocreate=true

# Server
default.home.page=hello
server.port=8080
default.server.open_browser=true

# Locale
default.language=en_US

# Session (Redis for clustered environments)
# default.session.repository=org.tinystruct.http.RedisSessionRepository
# redis.host=127.0.0.1
# redis.port=6379

# Programmatic Logging Configuration
logging.enabled=true
logging.level=INFO
org.tinystruct.level=FINE

Access config values in your application:

String port = this.getConfiguration("server.port");

Logging and Diagnostics

The framework includes a programmatic wrapper around java.util.logging (JUL) that provides beautiful console output and advanced caller tracing out of the box.

• ANSI Console Colors: Console output is color-coded based on the log level (red for SEVERE, yellow for WARNING, green for INFO, cyan for CONFIG, and grey for FINE/debug logs).
• Precise Caller Tracing: Uses Java's StackWalker API to trace the call stack at runtime. It identifies and logs the exact class, method, filename, and line number of the caller that initiated the log (bypassing internal utility and logging layers).
• Package/Logger Level Overrides: Set package-specific overrides directly in application.properties (e.g., org.tinystruct.level=FINE).

Red Flags & Anti-patterns

Symptom	Correct Pattern
Importing com.google.gson or com.fasterxml.jackson	Use org.tinystruct.data.component.Builder / Builders.
Using List<Builder> for JSON arrays	Use Builders to avoid generic type erasure issues.
ApplicationRuntimeException: template not found	Call setTemplateRequired(false) in init() for API-only apps.
Annotating private methods with @Action	Actions must be public to be registered by the framework.
Hardcoding main(String[] args) in apps, or testing only via curl/browser/IDE run configs	Use bin/dispatcher as the entry point and default dev/test tool for all modules.
bin/dispatcher is missing, or a hand-written or copied launcher script	Let the framework generate it: run org.tinystruct.system.Dispatcher --version once from the project root (creates the current OS's script).
bin/dispatcher fails with ClassNotFoundException: org.tinystruct.system.Dispatcher on Windows	The shell script cannot run under Git Bash/MSYS; use bin\dispatcher.cmd or WSL.
ClassNotFoundException for --import a.A,b.B	One --import per class: --import a.A --import b.B.
A shell-script launcher that fails with \r: command not found	The file has CRLF endings; convert bin/dispatcher to LF.
Manual ActionRegistry registration	Prefer the @Action annotation for automatic discovery.
Action not found at runtime	Ensure class is imported via --import or listed in application.properties.
CLI arg not visible	Pass with --key value; access via getContext().getAttribute("--key").
Two methods same path, wrong one fires	Set explicit mode (e.g., HTTP_GET vs HTTP_POST) to disambiguate.

Best Practices

1. bin/dispatcher first: Develop and verify against bin/dispatcher before anything else — run the action from the CLI, confirm behavior, then layer on HTTP/mode concerns. It's the fastest inner-loop and the one tool guaranteed to match how the framework actually routes and binds arguments.
2. Granular Applications: Break logic into smaller, focused applications rather than one monolithic class.
3. Setup in init(): Leverage init() for setup (config, DB) rather than the constructor. Do NOT call setAction() — use @Action annotation.
4. Mode Awareness: Use the Mode parameter in @Action to restrict sensitive operations to CLI only or specific HTTP methods.
5. Context over Params: For optional CLI flags, use getContext().getAttribute("--flag") rather than adding parameters to the method signature.
6. Asynchronous Events: For heavy tasks triggered by events, use CompletableFuture.runAsync() inside the event handler.

Technical Reference

Detailed guides are available in the references/ directory:

• Architecture & Config — Abstractions, Package Map, Properties
• Routing & @Action — Annotation details, Modes, Parameters
• Data Handling — Builder, Builders, JSON serialization & parsing
• Database Persistence — AbstractData POJOs, CRUD, annotation and XML mapping, POJO generation, table auto-creation
• System & Usage — Context, Sessions, SSE, File Uploads, Events, Networking
• Testing Patterns — JUnit 5 unit and HTTP integration testing

Reference Source Files (Internal)

• src/main/java/org/tinystruct/AbstractApplication.java — Core base class with lifecycle hooks
• src/main/java/org/tinystruct/system/annotation/Action.java — Annotation & Modes
• src/main/java/org/tinystruct/application/ActionRegistry.java — Routing Engine
• src/main/java/org/tinystruct/data/component/Builder.java — JSON object serializer
• src/main/java/org/tinystruct/data/component/Builders.java — JSON array serializer
• src/main/java/org/tinystruct/data/component/AbstractData.java — Base POJO class with CRUD
• src/main/java/org/tinystruct/data/Mapping.java — Mapping metadata (annotations or XML), cached per class
• src/main/java/org/tinystruct/data/annotation/Table.java — @Table, with @Id and @Column alongside it
• src/main/java/org/tinystruct/data/tools/TableCreator.java — Creates missing tables (database.autocreate)
• src/main/java/org/tinystruct/data/tools/MySQLGenerator.java — POJO generator reference (MappingMode selects XML or annotations)
• src/main/java/org/tinystruct/data/component/FieldType.java — SQL-to-Java type mappings
• src/main/java/org/tinystruct/data/component/Condition.java — Fluent SQL query builder
• src/main/java/org/tinystruct/http/SSEPushManager.java — SSE connection management
• src/main/java/org/tinystruct/system/logging/LogFormatter.java — Custom log formatter with ANSI console colors and StackWalker-based caller tracing
• src/main/java/org/tinystruct/system/logging/LoggerConfigurer.java — Programmatic logging configurator from application properties
• src/test/java/org/tinystruct/application/ActionRegistryTest.java — Registry test examples
• src/test/java/org/tinystruct/system/HttpServerHttpModeTest.java — HTTP integration test patterns