ModuleConfigFactory factoryObject = ModuleConfigFactory.createFactory();
        ModuleConfig config = factoryObject.createModuleConfig(prefix);

        // Configure the Digester instance we will use
        Digester digester = initConfigDigester();

        List urls = splitAndResolvePaths(paths);
        URL url;

        for (Iterator i = urls.iterator(); i.hasNext();) {
            url = (URL) i.next();
            digester.push(config);
            this.parseModuleConfigFile(digester, url);
        }

        getServletContext().setAttribute(Globals.MODULE_KEY
            + config.getPrefix(), config);

        return config;
    }

    /**
     * <p>Parses one module config file.</p>
     *
     * @param digester Digester instance that does the parsing
     * @param path     The path to the config file to parse.
     * @throws UnavailableException if file cannot be read or parsed
     * @since Struts 1.2
     * @deprecated use parseModuleConfigFile(Digester digester, URL url)
     *             instead
     */
    protected void parseModuleConfigFile(Digester digester, String path)
        throws UnavailableException {
        try {
            List paths = splitAndResolvePaths(path);

            if (paths.size() > 0) {
                // Get first path as was the old behavior
                URL url = (URL) paths.get(0);

                parseModuleConfigFile(digester, url);
            } else {
                throw new UnavailableException("Cannot locate path " + path);
            }
        } catch (UnavailableException ex) {
            throw ex;
        } catch (ServletException ex) {
            handleConfigException(path, ex);
        }
    }

    /**
     * <p>Parses one module config file.</p>
     *
     * @param digester Digester instance that does the parsing
     * @param url      The url to the config file to parse.
     * @throws UnavailableException if file cannot be read or parsed
     * @since Struts 1.3
     */
    protected void parseModuleConfigFile(Digester digester, URL url)
        throws UnavailableException {

        try {
            digester.parse(url);
        } catch (IOException e) {
            handleConfigException(url.toString(), e);
        } catch (SAXException e) {
            handleConfigException(url.toString(), e);
        }
    }

    /**
     * <p>Simplifies exception handling in the parseModuleConfigFile
     * method.<p>
     *
     * @param path The path to which the exception relates.
     * @param e    The exception to be wrapped and thrown.
     * @throws UnavailableException as a wrapper around Exception
     */
    private void handleConfigException(String path, Exception e)
        throws UnavailableException {
        String msg = internal.getMessage("configParse", path);

        log.error(msg, e);
        throw new UnavailableException(msg);
    }

    /**
     * <p>Handle errors related to creating an instance of the specified
     * class.</p>
     *
     * @param className The className that could not be instantiated.
     * @param e         The exception that was caught.
     * @throws ServletException to communicate the error.
     */
    private void handleCreationException(String className, Exception e)
        throws ServletException {
        String errorMessage =
            internal.getMessage("configExtends.creation", className);

        log.error(errorMessage, e);
        throw new UnavailableException(errorMessage);
    }

    /**
     * <p>General handling for exceptions caught while inheriting config
     * information.</p>
     *
     * @param configType The type of configuration object of configName.
     * @param configName The name of the config that could not be extended.
     * @param e          The exception that was caught.
     * @throws ServletException to communicate the error.
     */
    private void handleGeneralExtensionException(String configType,
        String configName, Exception e)
        throws ServletException {
        String errorMessage =
            internal.getMessage("configExtends", configType, configName);

        log.error(errorMessage, e);
        throw new UnavailableException(errorMessage);
    }

    /**
     * <p>Handle errors caused by required fields that were not
     * specified.</p>
     *
     * @param field      The name of the required field that was not found.
     * @param configType The type of configuration object of configName.
     * @param configName The name of the config that's missing the required
     *                   value.
     * @throws ServletException to communicate the error.
     */
    private void handleValueRequiredException(String field, String configType,
        String configName) throws ServletException {
        String errorMessage =
            internal.getMessage("configFieldRequired", field, configType,
                configName);

        log.error(errorMessage);
        throw new UnavailableException(errorMessage);
    }

    /**
     * <p>Initialize the plug ins for the specified module.</p>
     *
     * @param config ModuleConfig information for this module
     * @throws ServletException if initialization cannot be performed
     * @since Struts 1.1
     */
    protected void initModulePlugIns(ModuleConfig config)
        throws ServletException {
        if (log.isDebugEnabled()) {
            log.debug("Initializing module path '" + config.getPrefix()
                + "' plug ins");
        }

        PlugInConfig[] plugInConfigs = config.findPlugInConfigs();
        PlugIn[] plugIns = new PlugIn[plugInConfigs.length];

        getServletContext().setAttribute(Globals.PLUG_INS_KEY
            + config.getPrefix(), plugIns);

        for (int i = 0; i < plugIns.length; i++) {
            try {
                plugIns[i] =
                    (PlugIn) RequestUtils.applicationInstance(plugInConfigs[i]
                        .getClassName());
                BeanUtils.populate(plugIns[i], plugInConfigs[i].getProperties());

                // Pass the current plugIn config object to the PlugIn.
                // The property is set only if the plugin declares it.
                // This plugin config object is needed by Tiles
                try {
                    PropertyUtils.setProperty(plugIns[i],
                        "currentPlugInConfigObject", plugInConfigs[i]);
                } catch (Exception e) {
                    ;

                    // FIXME Whenever we fail silently, we must document a valid
                    // reason for doing so.  Why should we fail silently if a
                    // property can't be set on the plugin?

                    /**
                     * Between version 1.138-1.140 cedric made these changes.
                     * The exceptions are caught to deal with containers
                     * applying strict security. This was in response to bug
                     * #15736
                     *
                     * Recommend that we make the currentPlugInConfigObject part
                     * of the PlugIn Interface if we can, Rob
                     */
                }

                plugIns[i].init(this, config);
            } catch (ServletException e) {
                throw e;
            } catch (Exception e) {
                String errMsg =
                    internal.getMessage("plugIn.init",
                        plugInConfigs[i].getClassName());

                log(errMsg, e);
                throw new UnavailableException(errMsg);
            }
        }
    }

    /**
     * <p>Initialize the form beans for the specified module.</p>
     *
     * @param config ModuleConfig information for this module
     * @throws ServletException if initialization cannot be performed
     * @since Struts 1.3
     */
    protected void initModuleFormBeans(ModuleConfig config)
        throws ServletException {
        if (log.isDebugEnabled()) {
            log.debug("Initializing module path '" + config.getPrefix()
                + "' form beans");
        }

        // Process form bean extensions.
        FormBeanConfig[] formBeans = config.findFormBeanConfigs();

        for (int i = 0; i < formBeans.length; i++) {
            FormBeanConfig beanConfig = formBeans[i];

            processFormBeanExtension(beanConfig, config);
        }

        for (int i = 0; i < formBeans.length; i++) {
            FormBeanConfig formBean = formBeans[i];

            // Verify that required fields are all present for the form config
            if (formBean.getType() == null) {
                handleValueRequiredException("type", formBean.getName(),
                    "form bean");
            }

            // ... and the property configs
            FormPropertyConfig[] fpcs = formBean.findFormPropertyConfigs();

            for (int j = 0; j < fpcs.length; j++) {
                FormPropertyConfig property = fpcs[j];

                if (property.getType() == null) {
                    handleValueRequiredException("type", property.getName(),
                        "form property");
                }
            }

            // Force creation and registration of DynaActionFormClass instances
            // for all dynamic form beans
            if (formBean.getDynamic()) {
                formBean.getDynaActionFormClass();
            }
        }
    }

    /**
     * <p>Extend the form bean's configuration as necessary.</p>
     *
     * @param beanConfig   the configuration to process.
     * @param moduleConfig the module configuration for this module.
     * @throws ServletException if initialization cannot be performed.
     */
    protected void processFormBeanExtension(FormBeanConfig beanConfig,
        ModuleConfig moduleConfig)
        throws ServletException {
        try {
            if (!beanConfig.isExtensionProcessed()) {
                if (log.isDebugEnabled()) {
                    log.debug("Processing extensions for '"
                        + beanConfig.getName() + "'");
                }

                beanConfig =
                    processFormBeanConfigClass(beanConfig, moduleConfig);

                beanConfig.processExtends(moduleConfig);
            }
        } catch (ServletException e) {
            throw e;
        } catch (Exception e) {
            handleGeneralExtensionException("FormBeanConfig",
                beanConfig.getName(), e);
        }
    }

    /**
     * <p>Checks if the current beanConfig is using the correct class based on
     * the class of its ancestor form bean config.</p>
     *
     * @param beanConfig   The form bean to check.
     * @param moduleConfig The config for the current module.
     * @return The form bean config using the correct class as determined by
     *         the config's ancestor and its own overridden value.
     * @throws UnavailableException if an instance of the form bean config
     *                              class cannot be created.
     * @throws ServletException     on class creation error
     */
    protected FormBeanConfig processFormBeanConfigClass(
        FormBeanConfig beanConfig, ModuleConfig moduleConfig)
        throws ServletException {
        String ancestor = beanConfig.getExtends();

        if (ancestor == null) {
            // Nothing to do, then
            return beanConfig;
        }

        // Make sure that this bean is of the right class
        FormBeanConfig baseConfig = moduleConfig.findFormBeanConfig(ancestor);

        if (baseConfig == null) {
            throw new UnavailableException("Unable to find " + "form bean '"
                + ancestor + "' to extend.");
        }

        // Was our bean's class overridden already?
        if (beanConfig.getClass().equals(FormBeanConfig.class)) {
            // Ensure that our bean is using the correct class
            if (!baseConfig.getClass().equals(beanConfig.getClass())) {
                // Replace the bean with an instance of the correct class
                FormBeanConfig newBeanConfig = null;
                String baseConfigClassName = baseConfig.getClass().getName();

                try {
                    newBeanConfig =
                        (FormBeanConfig) RequestUtils.applicationInstance(baseConfigClassName);

                    // copy the values
                    BeanUtils.copyProperties(newBeanConfig, beanConfig);

                    FormPropertyConfig[] fpc =
                        beanConfig.findFormPropertyConfigs();