How to achieve complex header in Bootsfaces datatable - jsf

Question

I am using Bootsfaces datatable to display my data. However, I want to achieve complex header as shown here: https://datatables.net/examples/basic_init/complex_header.html
I tried to add <th rowspan> and <th colspan> directly under header facet in the first dataTableColumn, but that have a ugly empty row at the top.
I also tried to add the whole header facet under <b:dataTable...> tag, before the fist <b:dataTableColumn>, but that header code won't be generated into the html. Any other suggestions? I do not want to switch to primefaces or richfaces as my framework as been fixed.
My code that trying to achieve the complex header looks like below:
<b:dataTable value="#{podStatusListBean.podStatusBeanList}"
var="podStatus"
id="podStatuses">
<b:dataTableColumn footer-style='background-color:orange'
footer-styleclass="{podStatusListBean.footerVisibility}">
<f:facet name="header">
<tr>
<th rowspan="2">Name</th>
<th colspan="2">HR Information</th>
<th colspan="3">Contact</th>
</tr>
</f:facet>
...

Answer 1

This is a new feature we've added to the next BootsFaces version (probably 1.2). As of June 15, 2017, the current version of BootsFaces 1.1.1 only supports complex headers on a per-column basis.
Complex headers per column (supported since BootsFaces 0.8.0):
Add a header facets to the <b:dataTableColumn />, pretty much the way you tried. But keep in mind that BootsFaces already generates the <tr> and <th> tags, so you can nest them a second time. But you can do something like this:
<b:dataTableColumn>
<f:facet name="header">
<ul
style="margin-bottom: 0; list-style-type: none; padding-left: 0">
<li>Price</li>
<li>Engine Power</li>
</ul>
</f:facet>
€ #{car.price}
<br />
#{car.enginePowerKW} KW (#{car.enginePower} hp)
</b:dataTableColumn>
</b:dataTable>
More complex headers (will be supported beginning with BootsFaces 1.2.0):
Add a header facet to the surrounding <b:dataTable /> tag. In this case you're responsible for defining the correct number of table headers. If you skip one, you'll be rewarded by a JavaScript error. In many cases it will even go by unnoticed, but the initialization of the datatable is incomplete, so you'd rather be careful.
<b:dataTable value="#{carPool.carPool}"
var="car"
page-length="5"
page-length-menu="5,10,20">
<f:facet name="header">
<tr>
<th rowspan="2">Car</th>
<th colspan="2">Appearance</th>
<th colspan="2">Technical Data</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Color</th>
<th>Year</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Power</th>
</tr>
</f:facet>
<b:dataTableColumn>
#{car.brand} #{car.type}
</b:dataTableColumn>
<b:dataTableColumn value="#{car.color}" />
<b:dataTableColumn value="#{car.year}" order="asc" />
<b:dataTableColumn value="#{car.price}" />
<b:dataTableColumn value="#{car.enginePower}"/>
</b:dataTable>