Simple, direct way how to use SelectItems with Seam. (without custom annotations)

How to add EMPTY element into SelectItems.

@Name("listBean")
.......
     private List listOfYourObjects;
     private Map<String,Object> model;
.......
     private void fillMaps(){
          model = getModel();
          model.clear();
          model.put("(Empty)","-1");             // Add EMPTY element if needed
          for (Object o: listOfYourObjects) {
               String label = o.toString();
               model.put(label, o );
          }
     }
     public Map<String,Object> getModel(){          // f:selectItems value
          if (model==null){
               model = new TreeMap<String,Object>();
          }
          return model;
     }
     public Converter getConverter() {
          return new ReferenceConverter(listOfYourObjects);
     }
.......

ReferenceConverter implementation

package ###########;

import java.io.Serializable;
import java.util.List;

import javax.faces.component.UIComponent;
import javax.faces.context.FacesContext;
import javax.faces.convert.Converter;
import javax.faces.convert.ConverterException;

public class ReferenceConverter  implements Converter, Serializable{
     private static final long serialVersionUID = -6268456071880135380L;
     private static final String EMPTY = "__EMPTY__";
     
     private List<Object> values;

     public ReferenceConverter(List vals) {
          this.values = vals;
     }

     public String getAsString(FacesContext facesContext,
               UIComponent  component, 
               Object       obj) 
     {
          if (obj == null) return EMPTY;
          if ("-1".equals(obj)) return EMPTY;

          String val = "" + obj.hashCode();
          return val;
     }

     public Object getAsObject(FacesContext facesContext,
               UIComponent  component, 
               String       str) 
     throws ConverterException 
     {
          if (str == null || str.length()==0 || EMPTY.equals(str)) {
               return null;
          }

          int hash = Integer.parseInt(str); 
          for (Object val : values) {
               if ( val!=null && val.hashCode()==hash ) {
                    return val;
               }
          }

          return null;
     }
}

Usage on page:

     <h:selectOneMenu value="#{value}" converter="#{listBean.converter}">
          <f:selectItems value="#{listBean.model}" ></f:selectItems>
     </h:selectOneMenu>