How to pass class as method parameter with EL - jsf

Hi i'm new to jsf/el and i'm looking for a solution to pass a class ex : "Student.class" as a method parameter to my method defined in my backing bean. By the way i tested the same overloaded method using a string parameter without any issues but i prefer a Class parameter over a String parameter for my use case.
MyBean.java:
public void createPersonType(Class className) {
// Person factory code goes here
}
person.xhtml:
<... actionListener="#{myBean.createPersonType(Student.class)}" />
Any suggestions are welcome. Thank you.

This is not supported in EL.
Just use an enum instead if you want to enforce type safety.
public interface Person {
public enum Type {
STUDENT, TEACHER, ETC;
}
public Type getType();
}
public void createPersonType(Person.Type personType) {
// Person factory code goes here
}
<... actionListener="#{myBean.createPersonType('STUDENT')}" />
JSF will automatically convert the string to actual enum.
Instead of the string, you can also use <f:importConstants> (or <o:importConstants>).
<f:metadata>
<f:importConstants type="com.example.Person.Type" var="PersonType" />
</f:metadata>
...
<... actionListener="#{myBean.createPersonType(PersonType.STUDENT)}" />
See also:
How to reference constants in EL?
instanceof check in EL expression language

You could pass the whole class reference your.package.Student as a String. Your method would look like this:
public void createPersonType(String className) {
Class<?> class = Class.forName(className);
}

Related

Dynamically call method in EL, which is evaluated from a String

i have a submit button. This submit button has an "action" attribute. But this action attribute should always call another function (some kind of generic). So i want to call a function dynamically. This is because i need to reuse this component. I just don't know which Type the action attribute needs (Method, String, etc. ?) and how to refer correctly to the wanted "BeanWithMethodToCall".
#Named
#SessionScoped
public class BeanWithMethodToCall{
#Inject
private BeanWhichIsCalledFromEL elBean;
public void methodToCall(){
//do something
}
public void someLogic(){
// here the wanted method is set on the bean which is later on called from el
elBean.setMethodToCall("methodToCall");
}
}
#Named
#SessionScoped
public class BeanWhichIsCalledFromEL{
// i don't know the correct type of this :S
private String method;
public void setMethodToCall(String method){
this.method = method;
}
// i don't know the correct return type of this :S
public String getMethodToExecute(){
//this method is called in the action attribute in the xhtml
// and should return a dynamic function to call
}
}
In EL:
<h:commandButton value="Cancel" action="#{beanWhichIsCalledFromEL.getMethodToExecute()}">
<f:ajax render="#form"/>
</h:commandButton>
This seems tricky.. I hope somebody can help me. Do i need Reflection ? or an EL Resolver or anything else ??
Use the brace notation #{bean[foo]} to evaluate "dynamic" method and property names.
Your specific case can be solved as below:
<h:commandButton ... action="#{bean[bean.methodToExecute]}">
See also:
Dynamic ui include and commandButton

Access static property in JSF

I have a static List of Select Items in one of my backing beans:
private static List<SelectItem> countries = new ArrayList<SelectItem>();
with the following getters and setters:
public static List<SelectItem> getCountries() {
return countries;
}
public static void setCountries(List<SelectItem> countries) {
LoadSelectItemsBean.countries = countries;
}
I am having trouble with accessing the static List through my XHTML page. The code I have tried is as follows:
<ace:simpleSelectOneMenu id="countryField"
value="#{generalCarrierDataViewBean.carrierBean.countryId}">
<f:selectItems value="#{loadSelectItemsBean.countries}" />
<ace:ajax />
</ace:simpleSelectOneMenu>
The problem line is:
<f:selectItems value="#{loadSelectItemsBean.countries}" />
The exception which results is:
javax.el.PropertyNotFoundException: /pages/GeneralCarrierData.xhtml #394,64 value="#{loadSelectItemsBean.states}": Property 'states' not found on type com.oag.reference.util.LoadSelectItemsBean
Can anbody advise on how to correctly reference a static property from a backing bean?
Thanks
Properties are per definition not static. So getters and setters can simply not be static, although they can in turn reference a static variable. But the outside world does not see that.
You've 3 options:
Remove the static modifier from the getter. The whole setter is unnecessary, you can just remove it.
public List<SelectItem> getCountries() {
return countries;
}
Create an EL function if you really insist in accessing static "properties" (functions). Detail can be found in this answer: How to create a custom EL function to invoke a static method?
Turn the whole List<SelectItem> thing into an enum and make use of OmniFaces <o:importConstants>. Detail can be found in this answer: How to create and use a generic bean for enums in f:selectItems?
Just create a non-static method that returns the static property:
// here you have a static String
private static String static_str;
public static String getStatic_str() {
return static_str;
}
// in jsf page: #{myClass.str}
public String getStr() {
return static_str;
}

Can JSF converter work with objects of different types which implements the same interface, is it possible?

I have different objects which all implements the same interfaces. All of these objects need to be selectable by <p:selectCheckboxMenu/>. Default values for those objects and selected values are placed in same Map<?,?>, and few such Maps grouped together inside another Map. It sounds complicated but please look at the code below and all will be clear.
When I select an object, converter get a list of all objects from MyBean (CDI bean), looking by uuid required object and return it, without throwing any exception. The problem begins when I try to work with selected objects. For example this line of code inside:
onObjectChange() method from MyBean:
List<AllObjects> objects= objectContainer.getControllers().get("Object 1").get("selected");
throws an exception:
java.lang.ClassCastException: [Ljava.lang.Object; incompatible with java.util.List
And indeed when I hover mouse over objectContainer I see that it contains object of type selected=[Ljava.lang.Object;#dba1b6e7} But when I evaluate same line of code inside Expressions panel of Eclipse I get the required values: MyObject1#d8f0f5f8
I don't understand in general is it possible to do what am I doing, i.e. few different objects with same interface to be selectable by <p:selectCheckboxMenu/>. And if yes, why do I have this casting problem? My colleague said that it might be a problem with my converter and I tend to agree with she, but don't know is it correct and if yes, how to solve it.
UPDATE: It looks that problem not inside Converter but due to fact that I pass Collection to collect selected values dynamically, as a value of <ui:param/>. I pass it as List<AllObjects> and get it back as Object. I can cast it then to Object[] and every object inside it to appropriated object by using introspection and it works. But why it mutates initial object? It shouldn't do this.
Thank you in advance and my code below:
This is an interface:
public interfaces AllObjects{
public String getName();
}
There are multiple objects, MyObject, MyObject1, MyObject2 which implement interfaces above:
public MyObject implements AllObjects{
...
}
This is my bean and how my objects are initialized:
public MyBean {
Map<String, Map<String,List<AllObjects>>> objectContainer = new LinkedHashMap<String, Map<String,List<AllObjects>>>();
public void init(){
Map<String,List<AllObjects>> nameValuesPairs1 = new LinkedHashMap<String,List<AllObjects>>();
List<AllObjects> allSelectedObjects1 = new ArrayList<AllObjects>();
List<AllObjects> allDefaultObjects1 = new ArrayList<AllObjects>();
nameValuesPairs.put("default",allDefaultObjects1);
nameValuesPairs.put("selected",allSelectedObjects1);
Map<String,List<AllObjects>> nameValuesPairs2 = new LinkedHashMap<String,List<AllObjects>>();
List<AllObjects> allSelectedObjects2 = new ArrayList<AllObjects>();
List<AllObjects> allDefaultObjects2 = new ArrayList<AllObjects>();
nameValuesPairs.put("default",allDefaultObjects2);
nameValuesPairs.put("selected",allSelectedObjects2);
objectContainer.put("Object 1", nameValuesPairs1);
objectContainer.put("Object 2", nameValuesPairs2);
}
public void onObjectChange(){
...
List<AllObjects> objects= objectContainer .getControllers().get("Object 1").get("selected"); //throws exception
...
}
}
My *.xhtml page:
<h:panelGroup id="object_panel">
<ui:repeat id="objects_id" var="object" value="#{myBean.objectContainer.entrySet().toArray()}">
<p:selectCheckboxMenu
value="#{object.value['selected']}" label="#{object.key}"
converter="#{myObjectConverter}"
filter="true"
filterMatchMode="startsWith"
panelStyle="width:250px">
<f:selectItems value="#{object.value['default']}" var="value" itemValue="#{value}" itemLabel="#{value.name}" />
<p:ajax event="change" process="#this #parent" listener="#{myBean.onObjectChange}"/>
</p:selectCheckboxMenu>
</ui:repeat>
</h:panelGroup>
And converter:
public class ChartParameterConverter implements Converter, Serializable {
#Inject
private MyBean myBean;
#Override
public Object getAsObject(FacesContext context, UIComponent component, String value) throws ConverterException {
AllObjects result = null;
...
//here to result assigned MyObject1 or MyObject2 type depends on condition and it being returned
...
return result;
}
...
}
Ok, it looks that <ui:repeat> and <p:selectCheckboxMenu> not work well with DataModel which I used, Map<String,Map<String,List<MyObject>>>. I've changed my DataModel in the following way:
public ObjectContainer{
private String name;
private List<MyObject> defaultObjects;
private List<MyObject> selectedObbjects;
}
and pass to <ui:param> it as List<ObjectContainer>. so my *.xhtml page looks in the following way:
<p:selectCheckboxMenu
value="#{object.selectedObjects}" label="#{object.name}"
converter="#{myObjectConverter}"
filter="true"
filterMatchMode="startsWith"
panelStyle="width:250px">
<f:selectItems value="#{object.defaultObjects}" var="value" itemValue="#{value}" itemLabel="#{value.name}" />
<p:ajax event="change" process="#this #parent" listener="#{myBean.onObjectChange}"/>
</p:selectCheckboxMenu>
</ui:repeat>
And now everything works as it should.
And I throwed away my custom converter and use SelectItemsConverter from Omnifaces's library. Highly recommended change, code become much simpler and readable.
You could do a unique Tuple for each Object, The Tuple must be converted to unique String.. And you could have the posible values in a Array..
static Map<String,Object> uniques = new LinkedHashMap<>();
static{
//you could save the possible values in a Singleton Bean
uniques.put(key,value)...
}
In your Converter
getAsString -> Return a Key from Value
getAsObject -> Return a Value by Key

instanceof check in EL expression language

Is there a way to perform an instanceof check in EL?
E.g.
<h:link rendered="#{model instanceof ClassA}">
#{errorMessage1}
</h:link>
<h:link rendered="#{model instanceof ClassB}">
#{errorMessage2}
</h:link>
You could compare Class#getName() or, maybe better, Class#getSimpleName() to a String.
<h:link rendered="#{model['class'].simpleName eq 'ClassA'}">
#{errorMessage1}
</h:link>
<h:link rendered="#{model['class'].simpleName eq 'ClassB'}">
#{errorMessage2}
</h:link>
Note the importance of specifying Object#getClass() with brace notation ['class'] because class is a reserved Java literal which would otherwise throw an EL exception in EL 2.2+.
The type safe alternative is to add some public enum Type { A, B } along with public abstract Type getType() to the common base class of the model.
<h:link rendered="#{model.type eq 'A'}">
#{errorMessage1}
</h:link>
<h:link rendered="#{model.type eq 'B'}">
#{errorMessage2}
</h:link>
Any invalid values would here throw an EL exception during runtime in EL 2.2+.
In case you're using OmniFaces, since version 3.0 you could use #{of:isInstance()}.
<h:link rendered="#{of:isInstance('com.example.ClassA', model)}">
#{errorMessage1}
</h:link>
<h:link rendered="#{of:isInstance('com.example.ClassB', model)}">
#{errorMessage2}
</h:link>
That doesn't work in EL. Use the backing bean for this:
public class MyBean {
public boolean getIsClassA() {
if(model instanceof ClassA) {
return true;
}
return false;
}
}
And then do the check by calling the backing bean:
<h:link outcome="#{PageNameA}?faces-redirect=true&" rendered="#{myBean.isClassA}">
#{errorMessage}
</h:link>
it works:
rendered="#{node.getClass().getSimpleName() == 'Logt_anno'}"
Define a static function like:
public boolean isInstanceOf( Object obj, Class targetClass) {
return targetClass.isInstance(obj);
}
Define a custom EL function for it, and use that.
We could also pass a string name and do a forName() inside the method.
There is a way, see
JSF EL: instanceof reserved but not yet implemented?
However, the instanceof operator is still not implemented, at least in Mojarra 2.1. Please vote for the bug here:
http://java.net/jira/browse/JSP_SPEC_PUBLIC-113
The best workaround currently is probably to store the class name in a backing bean getter instead of creating a boolean test method for each class:
public String getSelectedNodeClassName()
{
return selectedNode.getClass().getSimpleName();
}
So it would be a mix of BalusC's and flash's solutions. It would however be much more readable in JSF than BalusC's plus it pretty much resembles the future instanceof operator use:
rendered="#{nodeManager.selectedNodeClassName eq 'ChapterNode'}"
This will not produce one method per class test on the backing bean as flash suggested. This could be slower than flash's though.
Not very elegant as it mixes JSP EL and the earlier expression syntax, but doesn't require any extra Java code:
<%# taglib prefix="c" uri="http://java.sun.com/jsp/jstl/core"%>
<c:set var="interfaceClass" value="<%=com.example.ClassA.class%>"/>
<c:set var="implementationClass" value="${model['class']}"/>
<c:if test="${interfaceClass.isAssignableFrom(implementationClass)}">
<%-- Your logic here. --%>
</c:if>
You could use a helper bean for that:
#ManagedBean
public class Helper {
public boolean isInstance(Object bean, String fullyQualifiedClassName) {
return Class.forName(fullyQualifiedClassName).isInstance(bean);
}
}
Usage:
<h:link rendered="#{helper.isInstance(model, 'package.ClassA')}">
#{errorMessage1}
</h:link>
This has the advantage that inheritance is taken into account and you can test for classes which you can't modify (both disadvantages of the solutions of BalusC).
If you like to use the simple class name (and don't fear name clashes), you could use a lookup map which you fill by hand or with a class path scanner like org.reflections:
#ManagedBean
#ApplicationScoped
public class Helper {
private Map<String, Class<? extends MyBaseClass>> classes =
new Reflections("myrootpackage").getSubTypesOf(MyBaseClass.class).stream()
.collect(Collectors.toMap(Class::getSimpleName, Function.identity()));
public boolean isInstance(Object bean, String simpleClassName) {
final Class<? extends MyBaseClass> c = this.classes.get(simpleClassName);
return c != null && c.isInstance(bean);
}
}
You could even move the helper function to an ELResolver:
public class InstanceOfELResolver extends ELResolver {
public Object invoke(final ELContext context, final Object base,
final Object method, final Class<?>[] paramTypes, final Object[] params) {
if ("isInstanceOf".equals(method) && params.length == 1) {
context.setPropertyResolved(true);
try {
return params[0] != null && Class.forName(params[0].toString()).isInstance(base);
} catch (final ClassNotFoundException e) {
return false;
}
}
return null;
}
// ... All other methods with default implementation ...
}
Usage:
<h:link rendered="#{model.isInstanceOf('package.ClassA')}">
#{errorMessage1}
</h:link>

JSF selectManyCheckbox

I'm having a hard time with a selectManyCheckbox.
Basically what I am doing is loading a List of Categories in a selectManyCheckbox type controller (have done this either with a List or with a List with convertEntity). My problem is with the selected elements (value="#{cardListProvider.categoriesHolder.selectedCategories}"). After some reading I understand it also has to be a List, but what kind? And how can I set the selected categories? I'm not saving them in DB but I need to run some action in the bean with them!
Here's what I have:
<h:selectManyCheckbox id="supportCategoryCardFilter"
value="#{cardListProvider.categoriesHolder.selectedCategories}" styleClass="greyText" required="false" >
<s:selectItems var="filterList" value="#{cardListProvider.categoriesList}" label="#{filterList.label}" />
<a:support id="supportCategoryCardFilter2" event="onchange"
reRender="someHolder, categoriesPanel" eventsQueue="onchange" action="#{cardListProvider.findCards(cardListProvider.categoriesHolder.selectedCategories)}" />
</h:selectManyCheckbox>
I have wasted several hours with this... Can anyone help me?
Thank you
You can bind to a String[] array like so:
public class CheckSelector {
private String[] chosen;
public String[] getChosen() { return chosen; }
public void setChosen(String[] chosen) { this.chosen = chosen; }
public SelectItem[] getChoices() {
return new SelectItem[] { new SelectItem("1"), new SelectItem("2"),
new SelectItem("3") };
}
}
The value of the selectManyCheckbox should be bound to chosen. Alternatively, you can use a List:
public class CheckSelector {
private List<String> chosen;
public List<String> getChosen() { return chosen; }
public void setChosen(List<String> chosen) { this.chosen = chosen; }
public List<SelectItem> getChoices() {
return Arrays.asList(new SelectItem("1"), new SelectItem("2"),
new SelectItem("3"));
}
}
The exact rules for value support are listed in the javadoc:
If the component has an attached Converter, use it.
If not, look for a ValueExpression for value (if any). The ValueExpression must point to something that is:
An array of primitives (such as int[]). Look up the registered by-class Converter for this primitive type.
An array of objects (such as Integer[] or String[]). Look up the registered by-class Converter for the underlying element type.
A java.util.List. Assume that the element type is java.lang.String, so no conversion is required.
If for any reason a Converter cannot be found, assume the type to be a String array.
I see you are using Seam so no need to use Strings or any primitive type, you can bind directly to List. You just have to add another tag inside your selectManyCheckbox component which is and it will automatically do everything.
Better than doing all by yourself, check Seam documentation
http://docs.jboss.org/seam/2.2.0.GA/reference/en-US/html/controls.html#d0e28378

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