JSF2 h:dataTable dynamically generated rows not binding to backing beans

Question

I'm having problems saving/updating rows within a table.

I have a method myBean.addRule to dynamically add new rows to the table.
This seems to work ok....I click it and a new row appears in the UI to enter new data.

But problems seem to arise when I save myBean.saveRules.

It looks like only the most recently added row is getting bound to my backing beans and updated.

For example if I have 3 rows of data:
- remove some text from row 1 and hit the save button this update is NOT saved.
- If I change text on row 3 this change is saved (Most recently added row).

Am I missing some binding attribute on any of my components that would fix this?

<a4j:repeat value="#{myBean.ruleSet}" var="rule" id="ruleIterator">

    <h:dataTable value="#{rule}" var="currentRuleItem">

        <h:column>

                <h:panelGrid columns="2" cellspacing="5">
                    <h:outputLabel value="#{msg.FrequencyOfSpending}" />

                    <h:selectOneMenu id="ruleFrequencyOptions" value="#{currentRuleItem.ruleControls.ControlOne.controlParams.Period.valueSelected}" styleClass="commonSelect">
                    <f:selectItems value="#{currentRuleItem.ruleControls.ControlOne.controlParams.Period.validValues}" itemLabelEscaped="true" />
                    <f:ajax event="valueChange" listener="#{currentRuleItem.ruleControls.ControlOne.controlParams.Period.valueSelectedChange}" onerror="handleAjaxError" render="rulesGroup" />
                    </h:selectOneMenu>
                </h:panelGrid>

                <h:panelGroup id="rulesGroup">
                    <a4j:repeat value="#{currentRuleItem.ruleParams.Action.properties}" var="RuleParamProperty" id="budgetRuleIterator">

                    <h:panelGrid columns="4" cellspacing="5" columnClasses="ruleParamCheckbox, ruleParamAction, ruleParamActionFrequency, ruleParamActionInput">

                    <h:selectBooleanCheckbox value="#{RuleParamProperty.selected}" immediate="true">
                        <a4j:ajax event="click" listener="#{RuleParamProperty.selectedChange}"  onerror="handleAjaxError" />
                    </h:selectBooleanCheckbox>

                    <h:outputText value="#{msg[RuleParamProperty.name]}" />

                    <h:panelGrid columns="3">
                        <h:outputText value="#{msg.Action_1}" />
                        <h:outputText value="#{msg[currentRuleItem.ruleControls.ControlOne.controlParams.Period.valueSelected]}" class="italic-text" />   
                        <h:outputText value="#{msg.Action_3}" />
                    </h:panelGrid>

                    <h:inputText value="#{RuleParamProperty.inputValue}" />

                    </h:panelGrid>

                    </a4j:repeat>
                </h:panelGroup>

            </h:column>

    </h:dataTable>

    <!--******* Link here to generate row with exact same format as all code above ***-->
    <h:panelGrid columns="2">
        <img id="AddIcon" src="#{facesContext.externalContext.requestContextPath}/images/icons/add.png" alt="#{msg.addControl}" />
        <h:commandLink value="#{msg.addControl}" action="#{myBean.addRule}" />
    </h:panelGrid>

</a4j:repeat>

<h:panelGrid columns="2" cellspacing="5">
    <h:commandButton value="#{msg.sc_cancel}" immediate="true" action="#{myBean.cancel}" />
    <h:commandButton value="#{msg.ua_save}" action="#{myBean.saveRules}" />
</h:panelGrid>

// my bean method
public void addRule()
{   
    iRuleSet.get("RuleControl1").add(createRule());     
}

I have not include my backing bean code as it's extremely complicated, I can edit and show snippets if required.

Thanks in advance

Answer 1

Ok so after many frustrating hours reading all sorts of articles about different tag handlers (c:forEach, ui:include, etc) and components (ui:repeat, h:datatable, etc..), the differences between them, the problems that can arise from mixing and mashing them, etc.........

It's fixed (I think!)

I removed all my ui:repeat and replaced them with Richfaces a4j:repeat which provides the additional attribute keepSaved. I also removed my h:dataTable and replaced it with aj4:repeat.

Now for the life of me, I cannot find anywhere that explains what keepSaved does!!
The Richfaces 4 API Docs are as per usual, dreadful!
The description beside it reads just like most attributes....No Description!

Could anyone shed some like on what this component attribute does?

Thanks

Solution:

<a4j:repeat value="#{myBean.ruleSet}" var="rule" id="ruleIterator">

    <a4j:repeat value="#{rule}" var="currentRuleItem">

        <h:column>

                <h:panelGrid columns="2" cellspacing="5">
                    <h:outputLabel value="#{msg.FrequencyOfSpending}" />

                    <h:selectOneMenu id="ruleFrequencyOptions" value="#{currentRuleItem.ruleControls.ControlOne.controlParams.Period.valueSelected}" styleClass="commonSelect">
                    <f:selectItems value="#{currentRuleItem.ruleControls.ControlOne.controlParams.Period.validValues}" itemLabelEscaped="true" />
                    <f:ajax event="valueChange" listener="#{currentRuleItem.ruleControls.ControlOne.controlParams.Period.valueSelectedChange}" onerror="handleAjaxError" render="rulesGroup" />
                    </h:selectOneMenu>
                </h:panelGrid>

                <h:panelGroup id="rulesGroup">

                <a4j:repeat value="#{currentRuleItem.ruleParams.Action.properties}" var="RuleParamProperty" id="budgetRuleIterator" keepSaved="true">

                    <h:panelGrid columns="4" cellspacing="5" columnClasses="ruleParamCheckbox, ruleParamAction, ruleParamActionFrequency, ruleParamActionInput">

                    <h:selectBooleanCheckbox value="#{RuleParamProperty.selected}" immediate="true">
                        <a4j:ajax event="click" listener="#{RuleParamProperty.selectedChange}"  onerror="handleAjaxError" />
                    </h:selectBooleanCheckbox>

                    <h:outputText value="#{msg[RuleParamProperty.name]}" />

                    <h:panelGrid columns="3">
                        <h:outputText value="#{msg.Action_1}" />
                        <h:outputText value="#{msg[currentRuleItem.ruleControls.ControlOne.controlParams.Period.valueSelected]}" class="italic-text" />   
                        <h:outputText value="#{msg.Action_3}" />
                    </h:panelGrid>

                    <h:inputText value="#{RuleParamProperty.inputValue}" />

                    </h:panelGrid>

                    </a4j:repeat>
                </h:panelGroup>

            </h:column>

    </a4j:repeat>

    <!--******* Link here to generate row with exact same format as all code above ***-->
    <h:panelGrid columns="2">
      <img id="AddIcon" src="#{facesContext.externalContext.requestContextPath}/images/icons/add.png" alt="#{msg.addControl}" />
      <a4j:commandLink value="#{msg.addControl}" action="#{myBean.addRule}">
        <f:param name="ruleType" value="BudgetRule" />
      </a4j:commandLink>
    </h:panelGrid>

</a4j:repeat>

<h:panelGrid columns="2" cellspacing="5">
    <h:commandButton value="#{msg.sc_cancel}" immediate="true" action="#{myBean.cancel}" />
    <h:commandButton value="#{msg.ua_save}" action="#{myBean.saveRules}" />
</h:panelGrid>

// my bean method
public void addRule()
{   
    iRuleSet.get("RuleControl1").add(createRule());     
}