Issue passing parameters using f:viewParam - jsf

Question

I have a JSF page that displays numerous data items pulled from a DB given an account. The page has a SelectOneMenu that lists all accounts in the DB to choose from and a commandButton to trigger reloading the page with the newly selected account. My issue is when I click the commandButton the page reloads but is not taking the newly selected account. The "else" in method pullData() is being executed.
My JSF page:
<f:metadata>
<f:viewParam name="account" value="#{accountAnalysisBean.account}" />
<f:viewParam name="start" value="#{accountAnalysisBean.start}" />
<f:viewParam name="end" value="#{accountAnalysisBean.end}" />
<f:event type="preRenderView" listener="#{accountAnalysisBean.pullData}" />
</f:metadata>
<h:form>
<p:panelGrid columns="6">
<f:facet name="header">
<p:selectOneMenu id="pickAccount" value="#{accountAnalysisBean.pickAccount}" required="true">
<f:selectItems value="#{editAccountBean.allAccounts}" />
</p:selectOneMenu>
<p:calendar id="start" value="#{accountAnalysisBean.start}" />
<p:calendar id="end" value="#{accountAnalysisBean.end}" />
<p:commandButton value="Get Account" actionListener="#{accountAnalysisBean.updateAccount}" />
<f:param name="start" value="#{accountAnalysisBean.start}"/>
<f:param name="end" value="#{accountAnalysisBean.end}"/>
<f:param name="account" value="#{accountAnalysisBean.pickAccount}"/>
</p:commandButton>
</f:facet>
</p:panelGrid>
</h:form>
My Bean:
#ManagedBean
#RequestScoped
public class AccountAnalysisBean {
private String account = "";
private String id = "";
private String pickAccount = "";
private Date start;
private Date end;
//----getters and setters----
public void pullData() {
if (account != "") {
//pull various fields from database given account value
} else {
//set default null values
}
}
public String updateAccount(ActionEvent actionEvent) {
fix = DAOFactory.getInstance("fix_site2.jdbc");
datalist = fix.getMyDataDAO();
account = datalist.findAccountID(pickAccount); //returns an ID from a DB given account selected from menu
return "/AccountAnalysis.xhtml?includeViewParams=true";
}
//remainder of code omitted for clarity
}
I am using JSF 2.2 and PrimeFaces 4

Answer 1

Let's walk through what's likely happening here:
<f:viewParam/> will set the value in your AccountAnalysisBean bean on initial page load, using the defined setter
As soon as the page is done loading, AccountAnalysisBean is destroyed: it's a #RequestScoped bean.
So, as at the time you're clicking on your commandButton, you're starting with a fresh copy of AccountAnalysisBean with nothing in it.
Consider:
Making AccountAnalysisBean a #ViewScoped bean
Getting rid of that actionListener and use the action attribute instead. Going by the code sample you have here, you don't really need it.