How to create a JSF converter for XMLGregorianCalendar - jsf

Question

I have created a client for my SOAP web service using JSF and RichFaces. Below is my view:
<h:form>
<h:panelGrid id="panel" width="80%" columns="2" columnClasses="col1,col2">
<rich:panel>
<h:outputLabel value="Application Name " />
<h:selectOneMenu value="#{userComplaintBean.appName}">
<f:selectItem itemValue="1" itemLabel="Select" />
<f:selectItem itemValue="App1" itemLabel="App1" />
<f:selectItem itemValue="App2" itemLabel="App2" />
<f:selectItem itemValue="App3" itemLabel="App3" />
<f:selectItem itemValue="App4" itemLabel="App4" />
<f:selectItem itemValue="App5" itemLabel="App5" />
</h:selectOneMenu>
<br />
<h:outputLabel value="Complaint Description " />
<h:inputTextarea value="#{userComplaintBean.complaintDesc}" />
<br />
<h:outputLabel value="Date Expected "/>
<rich:calendar datePattern="yyyy/MM/dd" />
<br/>
<h:commandButton value="submit" action="#{userComplaintBean.save()}" />
</rich:panel>
</h:panelGrid>
</h:form>
Below is my managed bean:
#ManagedBean(name = "userComplaintBean")
#RequestScoped
public class UserComplaintBean {
UserComplaintVO userComplaintVO;
UserComplaintWS userComplaintWS;
UserComplaintWSImplService userComplaintWSImplService;
private int id;
private String appName;
private String complaintDate;
private String complaintDesc;
private Date tentativeDate;
public XMLGregorianCalendar getComplaintDate() throws DatatypeConfigurationException {
XMLGregorianCalendar xgc = null;
GregorianCalendar gc;
DateFormat dateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss");
Date date = new Date();
complaintDate = dateFormat.format(date);
gc = (GregorianCalendar) GregorianCalendar.getInstance();
gc.setTime(date);
xgc = DatatypeFactory.newInstance().newXMLGregorianCalendar(gc);
return xgc;
}
public void setComplaintDate(String complaintDate) {
this.complaintDate = complaintDate;
}
/*
public XMLGregorianCalendar getTentativeDate() throws DatatypeConfigurationException {
XMLGregorianCalendar xgc = null;
GregorianCalendar gc;
String td;
DateFormat dateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss");
td = dateFormat.format(tentativeDate);
gc = (GregorianCalendar) GregorianCalendar.getInstance();
gc.setTime(tentativeDate);
xgc = DatatypeFactory.newInstance().newXMLGregorianCalendar(gc);
return xgc;
}
public void setTentativeDate(Date tentativeDate) {
this.tentativeDate = tentativeDate;
}
*/
public String save() throws DatatypeConfigurationException {
userComplaintWSImplService = new UserComplaintWSImplService();
userComplaintWS = userComplaintWSImplService.getUserComplaintWSImplPort();
UserComplaintVO userComplaintVO = new UserComplaintVO();
userComplaintVO.setAppName(getAppName());
userComplaintVO.setComplaintDate(getComplaintDate());
userComplaintVO.setComplaintDesc(getComplaintDesc());
//userComplaintVO.setTentativeDate(getTentativeDate());
userComplaintWS.userComplaintMethod(userComplaintVO);
System.out.println("Complaint Saved...");
return "Success";
}
}
Here I am taking complaintDate from <rich:calendar> which I need to convert to XMLGregorianCalendar format and I am not able to do it.
How can I do the abovementioned conversion?

Answer 1

You're basically making a major design mistake. You shouldn't be mingling a SOAP-specific model into your JSF-specific model. The <rich:calendar> takes a java.util.Date. You should design your model in such way that you provide exactly what the view expects. You should do the SOAP-specific model conversion only afterwards, in the business service method during processing the JSF form submit as preparation for the SOAP request.
Thus, ideally you should be using:
private Date copmlaintDate; // +getter+setter
with
<rich:calendar value="#{userComplaintBean.complaintDate}" />
and then in save() method
GregorianCalendar gc = new GregorianCalendar();
gc.setTime(complaintDate);
XMLGregorianCalendar xgc = DatatypeFactory.newInstance().newXMLGregorianCalendar(gc);
But if you have really a hard head in for some reason, then you could always hack it around as follows, given that your environment supports EL 2.2 (your action method syntax confirms that this is the case):
private XMLGregorianCalendar copmlaintDate; // +getter (no setter necessary!)
with
<rich:calendar value="#{userComplaintBean.complaintDate.toGregorianCalendar().time}" />
Otherwise, you could always add a new getter, returning the concrete java.util.Calendar instance:
public Calendar getComplaintDateAsCalendar() {
return complaintDate.toGregorianCalendar();
}
with
<rich:calendar value="#{userComplaintBean.complaintDateAsCalendar.time}" />

Answer 2

Although I don't fully understand the reason behind using an XMLGregorianCalendar for keeping the date instances instead of the good old java.util.Date, the way to go is to create your own #FacesConverter that will do the desired transformation for you. Also, beware of doing business logic / performing potentially lengthy calculations in the getter methods that you're doing righ now. One of the ways of achieving that is to extend the JSF-builtin DateTimeConverter.
The kickoff Converter example is provided next:
#FacesConverter("XMLGregorianCalendarConverter")
public class XMLGregorianCalendarConverter extends DateTimeConverter {
#Override
public Object getAsObject(FacesContext context, UIComponent component, String value) {
if(value == null || value.equals("")) {
return null;
}
Date date = super.getAsObject(context, component, value);
GregorianCalendar gc = new GregorianCalendar();
cg.setTime(date);
XMLGregorianCalendar xgc = DatatypeFactory.newInstance().newXMLGregorianCalendar(gc);
if(xgc == null) {
throw new ConverterException(new FacesMessage("Error converting to XMLGregorianCalendar."));
}
return xgc;
}
#Override
public String getAsString(FacesContext context, UIComponent component, Object value) {
if (!(value instanceof XMLGregorianCalendar) || (value == null)) {
return null;
}
Date date = ((XMLGregorianCalendar)value).toGregorianCalendar().getTime();
return super.getAsString(context, component, date);
}
}