inputText / empty string versus NULL

[toni]

Hi,

I need the instance variables bound to my "inputText" fields to be set to NULL instead of an empty string, if the user leaves the input field blank.

However, in the database I can see that those values get set as an empty string.

How can I make sure that, if the user enters an empty string ("") or does not enter anything at all into a text field, the instance variable is set to NULL instead of to an empty string?

Toni

[trickyvail]

I'm not certain this will work but please try and post results.

Inside your entity bean change the setter method for the field you want to be null to something like this:

public void setField(String field)
{
 if("".equals(field))
 {
 this.field = null;
 }
 else
 {
 this.field = field;
 }
}

[supernovasoftware.com]

How about using a converter that trims the field and if field.trim().equals("") use null.

[goku2]

Try this

public void setField(String field) {
 if(field == null) {
 this.field = null;
 } else {
 if("".equals(field.trim())) {
 this.field = field;
 } else {
 //you could trim before asignement too.
 this.field = field;
 }
 }
}

To eliminate multiple spaces.

[matt.drees]

Haven't tried it, but found this while googling around (a more detailed version of what Jason is suggesting):

http://jroller.com/stritti/entry/jsf_stringconverter_for_null_values

I'd recommend not trying to solve this in your domain model. Tedious and ugly.

[toni]

Thanks Matt