Servlet filter which is mapped on /home is not invoked when I open /home.xhtml - jsf

Question

I am new to Java Enterprise Edition. I started learning from some YouTube videos, and recently started reading http://docs.oracle.com/javaee/6/tutorial/doc/ I finished chapter 15.
I tried to make my own filter.
I didn't use Java Servlet class. Because I want to use JSF pages, and as far as I know it is only possible to use Managed Beans with JSF pages, Whereas Servlet classes work with JSP. It is OK.
As far as I know the usefulness of login filter:
https://stackoverflow.com/tags/servlet-filters/info
[...] This is particularly useful when you have multiple pages for which
you'd like to check the logged-in user. Instead of copypasting the
same logic over all pages, you can use a Filter to have it in a single
place.
It is useful (as I know) in the case when a user type the URL directly into the browser for a page which require logged in user, so the filter will redirect him to the login page or continue if he is logged in.
I searched for any simple example to learn from but didn't find. I will put my simple example:
I have two JSF pages
one is named home.xhtml (which require logged in user)
the other one is named login.xhtml (filter must redirect to it if non-logged users seek home)
login.xhtml:
<h:form>
<h:panelGrid columns="2">
<h:outputLabel value="name:"/> <h:inputText value="#{user.name}"/>
<h:outputLabel value="password:"/> <h:inputSecret value="#{user.password}"/>
</h:panelGrid>
<h:commandButton id="btn" value="login" action="#{user.login()}"/>
</h:form>
home.xhtml:
<h:body>
Hello #{user.name}. You are welcome
</h:body>
User:
#ManagedBean
#SessionScoped
public class User implements Serializable
{
String name;
String password;
Authentication authentication;
public User()
{
authentication = new Authentication();
}
//Getters and Setters for name and password.
public String login()
{
if (this.getName().equals("user") &&(this.getPassword().equals("1234")))
{
authentication.setLoggedIn(true);
FacesContext context = FacesContext.getCurrentInstance();
context.getExternalContext().getSessionMap().put("auth", authentication);
return "home";
}
else
{
authentication.setLoggedIn(false);
FacesContext context = FacesContext.getCurrentInstance();
context.getExternalContext().getSessionMap().put("auth", authentication);
return "login";
}
}
}
Authentication:
#ManagedBean
#SessionScoped
public class Authentication implements Serializable
{
private boolean authenticated;
public Authentication()
{
authenticated = false;
}
public boolean isLoggedIn()
{
return authenticated;
}
public void setLoggedIn(boolean authenticated)
{
this.authenticated = authenticated;
}
}
LoginFilter:
#WebFilter(value = "/home")
public class LoginFilter implements Filter
{
#Override
public void init(FilterConfig filterConfig) throws ServletException
{
//throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Not supported yet.");
}
#Override
public void doFilter(ServletRequest request, ServletResponse response, FilterChain chain) throws ServletException, IOException
{
HttpServletRequest req = (HttpServletRequest) request;
Authentication auth = (Authentication) req.getSession().getAttribute("auth");
if (auth != null && auth.isLoggedIn())
{
System.out.println("Filter is working");
chain.doFilter(request, response);
} else
{
System.out.println("Filter is working");
HttpServletResponse res = (HttpServletResponse) response;
res.sendRedirect(req.getContextPath() + "/login.xhtml");
}
}
#Override
public void destroy()
{
//throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Not supported yet.");
}
}
faces-config:
<navigation-rule>
<from-view-id>/login.xhtml</from-view-id>
<navigation-case>
<from-outcome>home</from-outcome>
<to-view-id>/home.xhtml</to-view-id>
<redirect/>
</navigation-case>
<navigation-case>
<from-outcome>login</from-outcome>
<to-view-id>/login.xhtml</to-view-id>
<redirect/>
</navigation-case>
</navigation-rule>
web.xml:
<context-param>
<param-name>javax.faces.PROJECT_STAGE</param-name>
<param-value>Development</param-value>
</context-param>
<servlet>
<servlet-name>Faces Servlet</servlet-name>
<servlet-class>javax.faces.webapp.FacesServlet</servlet-class>
<load-on-startup>1</load-on-startup>
</servlet>
<servlet-mapping>
<servlet-name>Faces Servlet</servlet-name>
<url-pattern>/faces/*</url-pattern>
</servlet-mapping>
<session-config>
<session-timeout>
30
</session-timeout>
</session-config>
<welcome-file-list>
<welcome-file>faces/login.xhtml</welcome-file>
</welcome-file-list>
Now when I type the URL of home.xhtml page (after clearing history & cookies) into the browser it is assumed to redirect me to login page. But instead it goes to home with empty value for name:
Hello #{user.name}. You are welcome is rendered as Hello . You are welcome
Even System.out.println("Filter is working"); not print anything.

Answer 1

Are you sure the filter is called? If there is nothing printed to System.out I guess not. The problem might be the servlet mapping.
You specified this:
#WebFilter(value = "/home")
public class LoginFilter implements Filter {...}
I think this only matches the url /home. Try to use /* or /home* (which is very limiting, I would not recommend it) instead.
Another thing: If you get Hello #{user.name}. You are welcome as output, then the FacesServlet is probably not called. This might have two reasons:
You use the wrong mapping. Try to call the page with /faces/home.xhtml or /home.jsf instead. The url depends on the type of mapping you have in the web.xml.
The FacesServlet is not configured correctly/at all in the web.xml.