rich:tree value attribute does not work

[timgrant]

I am using the value attribute of a rich:tree control to hold the tree's selection across page transitions. Consider this template code:

<h:form id="myIndex">
 <rich:tree
 id="folderList"
 showConnectingLines="false"
 switchType="ajax"
 toggleOnClick="true"
 value="#{myMenuController.currentSelection}">

 <rich:recursiveTreeNodesAdaptor
 roots="#{myMenuController.sourceRoots}"
 nodes="#{item.directories}"
 var="item">

 <rich:treeNode>
 <h:commandLink
 action="#{mySearchController.showFiles( item )}"
 value="#{item.name}" />
 </rich:treeNode>

 </rich:recursiveTreeNodesAdaptor>
 </rich:tree>
</h:form>

And this controller code:

@Name( "myMenuController" )
@Scope( ScopeType.SESSION )
public class MyMenuController implements Serializable {

 private final DocumentIndexModel model;
 private TreeNode currentSelection;

 @Out
 private final List<FileSystemNode> sourceRoots;

 @Logger
 private Log logger;

 public MyMenuController() {
 model = new DocumentIndexModel();
 sourceRoots = model.getSourceRoots();
 }

 public TreeNode getCurrentSelection() {
 logger.debug( "getCurrentSelection() = " + currentSelection );
 return currentSelection;
 }

 public void setCurrentSelection( TreeNode currentSelection ) {
 logger.debug( "setCurrentSelection( " + currentSelection + " )" );
 this.currentSelection = currentSelection;
 }

 public List<FileSystemNode> getSourceRoots() {
 return sourceRoots;
 }
}

@Name( "mySearchController" )
@Scope( ScopeType.SESSION )
public class BusdocsSearchController {

 @Logger
 private Log logger;

 @Out( required = false )
 private List<FileSystemNode> searchResults;

 @Out( required = false )
 private String shortPath;

 public String showFiles( FileSystemNode node ) {
 logger.debug( "showFiles( " + node.getPath() + " )" );
 shortPath = node.getKey();
 searchResults = node.getFiles();
 return "showFiles";
 }

 public String getShortPath() {
 return shortPath;
 }

 public List<FileSystemNode> getSearchResults() {
 return searchResults;
 }
}

finally, pages.xml:

<page view-id="/view/main.xhtml">
 <navigation>
 <rule if-outcome="showFiles">
 <redirect view-id="/view/folder_view.xhtml" />
 </rule>
 </navigation>
</page>

Both main.xhtml and folder_view.xhtml use the same tree control.

I can see in the log where getCurrentSelection() is called, returning a null value; however, setCurrentSelection() is never called. The problem is that when I select a node, control is passed to the folder_view page and my tree selection is lost.

This method is working well for a rich:panelBar in the same template code. Everything else about the application works well, I only cannot keep the tree selection intact.

Any suggestions as to how I can keep the tree selection?

Thanks,
Tim