[Beginner Question] How to put data from <rich:calendar /> into submitted request

[rob_]

Hi,

I'm currently bound to a JSF1-based project, using rich-faces-3.x. Unluckily I was unable to get the data from added <rich:calendar/> in my backing bean.

My idea adding the following calendars in the xhtml-template:

<a4j:outputPanel id="dateF" layout="block" >

  <rich:calendar value="#{MyBean.currentNws.validFrom}"

      id="calDateF"

      locale="de/DE"

      popup="true"

      datePattern="dd.M.yy"

      showApplyButton="true" cellWidth="24px" cellHeight="22px" style="width:200px">

  </rich:calendar>

</a4j:outputPanel>

<a4j:outputPanel id="dateT" layout="block">

  <rich:calendar value="#{MyBean.currentNws.validUntil}"

      id="calDateT"

      locale="de/DE"

      popup="true"

      datePattern="dd.M.yy"

       showApplyButton="true" cellWidth="24px" cellHeight="22px" style="width:200px">

  </rich:calendar>

</a4j:outputPanel>

<!-- ... -->

<h:commandLink styleClass="button" action="#{MyBean.save}" value="Save" rendered="true"/>

The corresponding backing bean looks like this:

final String requestDateFrom = FacesContext.getCurrentInstance().getExternalContext().getRequestParameterMap().get("dateF");

final String requestDateTo = FacesContext.getCurrentInstance().getExternalContext().getRequestParameterMap().get("dateT");

final SimpleDateFormat dateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("dd.MM.yy"); // format used in frontend

try {

    // parse "from" date

    if (!ValidityHelper.isEmpty(requestDateFrom)) {

        nws.setValidFrom(dateFormat.parse(requestDateFrom));

    }

    // parse "to"/"until" date

    if (!ValidityHelper.isEmpty(requestDateFrom)) {

    nws.setValidUntil(dateFormat.parse(requestDateUntil));

        // add start date for this case

        if (ValidityHelper.isEmpty(requestDateFrom)) {

            nws.setValidFrom(new Date());

        }

    }

} catch (ParseException exception) {

   // ...

}

Unluckily "dateF" and "dateT" seem to be empty...

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Regs,

Rob