inputText inside a datatable does not get re-rendered

[rooky]

I have a datatable where some fields can be editable depending on the row selection. For example, the comment?s field is editable only for the selected row. Everything works great, except when the information is automatically refreshed.

<t:dataTable id="userList" value="#{myBean.employeeList}" var="user">

 ....

 <t:column>
 <f:facet name="header">
 <t:outputText value="Comments" />
 </f:facet>
 <t:inputText id="comment"
 value="#{user.comment}"
 rendered="${myBean.selectedUser}">
 <a4j:support actionListener="#{myBean.processCommentChange}"
 event="onchange" reRender="userList">
 <f:param name="userId" value="#{user.id}" />
 </a4j:support>
 </t:inputText>

 <t:outputText value="#{user.comment}"
 rendered="${myBean.selectedUser}" >
 </t:outputText>

 </t:column>

 ....
</t:dataTable>

<a4j:poll interval="30000" reRender="userList"
 actionListener="#{myBean.pollAction}" />

The problem is when my table is re-rendered, the inputText field with the attribute rendered=true (e.i. the comment field that is selected) does not get refreshed. Everything else gets re-rendered correctly. I even tried specifying the comment field to be re-render. E.g.

<a4j:poll interval="30000" reRender="userList,comment"
 actionListener="#{myBean.pollAction}" />

I am using ajax4jsf 1.1.0 and richfaces 3.0.0

[sergeysmirnov]

Does #{myBean} has a request scope? If so, that the value of selectedUser by default (i.e at the moment myBean is just created)?

[rooky]

Yes, myBean has a request scope. All the values of my table are being updated correctly every 30 seconds, except for the inputText. It seems like the inputText is NOT being reRendered.

[sergeysmirnov]

My guess is compliantly opposite right now.

let's find the source of the problem step-by-step. On the first step, surround a4j:poll with a4j:region. I.e.:

<a4j:region>
 <a4j:poll interval="30000" reRender="userList"
 actionListener="#{myBean.pollAction}" />
</a4j:region>

Does it change something?

[rooky]

Sergey,
Adding the <a4j:region> tags around the <a4j:poll> works!. I still don't understand why though.
Thanks a lot!

[ilya_shaikovsky]

the behaviour changed because only the components inside region (poll in your case) was decoded on server in this case. Before you wrap it all the tree was decoded and values applied.

[sergeysmirnov]

"jorgecar" wrote:
Sergey,
Adding the <a4j:region> tags around the <a4j:poll> works!. I still don't understand why though.
Thanks a lot!

This is like a JSF works. It works the same way with Ajax or without Ajax. If the component tree is not replaced with brand new one (this happens during Ajax request or if action method returns null or validation failed etc), the value of the input component takes from the component tree node, but not from the property of the backing bean as you are expecting. Therefore, when you change the value of the property of the backing bean, it just does make any sense for JSF.

This behavior always was a headache for developers. Look at almost three year old post, for example:
http://forum.java.sun.com/thread.jspa?forumID=427&threadID=528778

So, when you used to believe that input field is NOT re-rendered, it actually re-rendered not with the value you expected, but with the value input field holds. It looks like nothing happens.

When the region added, the input component is not processed on the server (as far as it is outside the region) and it takes the new value from the backing bean when it rerendered.