T or F? - <s:link/> in dataTable must use @DataModel or REST

[jfrankman]

Just a simple yes or no question. From my reading about s:link it looks like if you want to use it in a clickable list you must either use it conjunction with the @DataModel annotation in your session bean or you must use a RESTful approach by sending in the id of the component on the list and look it up again on the server side.

I found that if I used s:link in a dataTable it did not inject the object in the DataTable into the session bean. Once I changed the link to an <h:commandLink> the selected object on the data table would be properly injected into my session bean.

This injects the selected object from datatable:

<h:commandLink value="Edit" action="#{officeTransmittalAction.editClientTransmittalLineItem}" />

This does not inject the selected object from the datatable without @DataModel

<s:link value="Edit" action="#{officeTransmittalAction.editClientTransmittalLineItem}" />

<rich:dataTable value="#{clientTransmittal.lineItemsList}"
 var="lineItem"
 rendered="#{not empty clientTransmittal.lineItemsList}"
 rowClasses="rvgRowOne,rvgRowTwo"
 id="countytranslineitemsesTable">

 <h:column>
 <f:facet name="header">description</f:facet>
 <h:outputText value="#{lineItem.description}" />
 <rich:spacer />
 </h:column>
 <h:column>
 <f:facet name="header">
 <rich:spacer />
 </f:facet>
 <h:commandLink value="Edit"
 action="#{officeTransmittalAction.editClientTransmittalLineItem}" />
 </h:column>
 </rich:dataTable>

@Stateful
@Name("officeTransmittalAction")
@Scope(ScopeType.SESSION)
public class OfficeTransmittalsActionImpl implements OfficeTransmittalsAction {

 @In(required=false,value = "lineItem") @Out(required = false, value = "lineItem")
 private ClientTransmittalLineItemVO clientTransmittalLineItemx;

 public String editClientTransmittalLineItem()
 {
 return null;
 }

}

[pmuir]

True. You've got something weird going on with your commandLink approach - that doesn't inject the datamodelselection using @In either.

[jfrankman]

I don't use the h:commandLink in conjunction with the @DataModel or @DataModelSelection. I just use a regular @In annotation in my session bean:

@In(required=false,value = "lineItem") @Out(required = false, value = "lineItem")
 private ClientTransmittalLineItemVO clientTransmittalLineItemx;

I also wrap my data table inside of a form. Is this a valid approach?

[pmuir]

No.

[jfrankman]

Do you mean

A. "No", this should not work there is still something weird going on

or

B. "No", I should not be doing it this way even if it does work.

If "A" I would like to figure out way it still works. Unfortunately, we hired an overpriced and under-qualified consultant and he showed us to do it this way. I only came across the @DataModel recently and am still experimenting with it.

If "B" should I assume that I should always use @DataModel or RESTful for clickable lists?

Thanks for your input.

[pmuir]

I was answering your question

Is this a valid approach?

No

So A & B. I have no idea why it works, I suspect some magic glue code somewhere somewhere else.

I would recommend to always use the restful approach.

[jfrankman]

Ok. Thanks again for your input. One more clarification: Are you saying that I should always use a RESTful approach no matter what, or do you still recommend using @DataModel for some situations.

BTW, By RESTful I assume you mean to inject only the object's id and look it up again on the server side. If I misunderstand the term let me know.

[pmuir]

Restful = page parameters. This would always be my approach assuming you don't mind passing the object's identifier to the client.

[jfrankman]

Ok. It is little more work to do it this way, but I think it is much simpler to understand and diagnose if something goes wrong. I notice that the seam-gen always generates the code this way. If I do go with the RESTful approach then there isn't any need for the @DataModel, right?

[mheidt]

I'm in search for a best practice as well.

My problem is the following.
Assume you have a datatable like jfrankman.

I already implemented the delete operation with this extended-EL feature by passing the row-variables...in this case lineItem.

But now I'm stuck with the update. The variable passed to the action-method only holds the old value, at least the Clob (the only editable field) is still null.

Then I tried the Injection...still holding the old value.

What is the seam-way to do it?

I don't want to code a lot of actionListeners for all column-fields...

[mheidt]

The issue was the clob.
A string field was being passed as extended EL-parameter.