a4j:commandButton, actionListener, event.data always false

[arnieaustin]

I have a a4j:commandButton labeled "add" that brings up a rich:popupPanel to perform an add action in a modal dialog. The Save and Update buttons:

<a4j:commandButton id="cmdSaveModalCommentEdit" 
    value="#{messages.getString('application.lbl.cmdSave')}" 
    action="#{infoPersonCommentEdit.save}" 
    render="panelModalInfoPersonCommentEdit" execute="@form" 
    data="#{infoPersonCommentEdit.okToClose}" 
    oncomplete="if (!event.data) { return false; } else { #{rich:component('modalInfoPersonCommentEdit')}.hide(); };"  
    rendered="#{empty infoPersonCommentDTOCDI.id}" > 
    <f:param name="cid" value="#{javax.enterprise.context.conversation.id}"/>
</a4j:commandButton>

<a4j:commandButton id="cmdUpdateModalCommentEdit" 
    value="#{messages.getString('application.lbl.cmdUpdate')}" 
    action="#{infoPersonCommentEdit.update}" 
    render="panelModalInfoPersonCommentEdit" execute="@form" 
    data="#{infoPersonCommentEdit.okToClose}" 
    oncomplete="if (!event.data) { return false; } else { #{rich:component('modalInfoPersonCommentEdit')}.hide(); };"  
    rendered="#{not empty infoPersonCommentDTOCDI.id and !infoPersonCommentDTOEdit.readOnly}" >
    <f:param name="cid" value="#{javax.enterprise.context.conversation.id}"/>
</a4j:commandButton>

Control whether the modal closes based on a variable (okToClose) on the backing bean. During an add, the saveListener executes, saves the new record, and sets OkToClose to Boolean.TRUE. But during oncomplete event.data is false (normally, it would only be false after the listener's execution if there was a validation error) so the dialog isn't closed, but is then repainted as it would be in Update mode. If I then update the field values and click update, the update listener fires and the dialog closes; like it is supposed to.

The dialog is opened from a contextual menu that is a per-row column of a data grid:

<h:outputLabel id="labelActionTabComment" for="menuActionTabComment" value="#{messages.getString('application.lbl.cmdClick')}" />
    
<rich:contextMenu id="menuActionTabComment" style="width:10%;" target="labelActionTabComment" mode="client" showEvent="click" >
    <rich:menuItem id="menuInfoPersonCommentEdit" 
        actionListener="#{infoPersonCommentList.editListener}" 
        execute="@this" mode="ajax"
        data="#{infoPersonCommentList.okToOpen}" 
        oncomplete="if (event.data) { #{rich:component('modalInfoPersonCommentEdit')}.show(); } "  
        label="#{messages.getString('application.lbl.linkEdit')}"  
        render="panelModalInfoPersonCommentEdit" >
        <f:param name="cid" value="#{javax.enterprise.context.conversation.id}" />
    </rich:menuItem>
    <rich:menuItem id="menuInfoPersonCommentView" 
        actionListener="#{infoPersonCommentList.viewListener}"  
        execute="@this" mode="ajax"
        label="#{messages.getString('application.lbl.linkView')}" 
        data="#{infoPersonCommentList.okToOpen}" 
        oncomplete="if (event.data) { #{rich:component('modalInfoPersonCommentEdit')}.show(); } "  
        render="panelModalInfoPersonCommentEdit" >
        <f:param name="cid" value="#{javax.enterprise.context.conversation.id}" />
    </rich:menuItem>
</rich:contextMenu>

Starting an update operation brings up the dialog and after the update the modal is closed.

I can't see what's going on. I've verified that the Conversation is injected into each bean and is passed via f:param as shown above. It almost seems like the the data isn't being serialized at the right time? or is the bean instance used during serialization new and not the one that was run during the save operation?

[michpetrov]

You can check when the getter/setter is being called. The data parameter is retrieved in Apply Request Values phase and then in Render Response phase.

[arnieaustin]

Ok, find that the data getter is being called only during the initial render, and not after the action is finished.

What am I missing?

Attached modal page, search for cmdSaveModalCommentEdit.

[michpetrov]

This concerns server side so the problem is probably not on the page, what versions of JSF and RichFaces are you using?

[liuliu]

hi,

i have the same problem with last RF 4.5.12 and jsf mojarra 2.2.12

[liuliu]

After some more investigations, I find my problem.

<popup>

<form rendered="#{bean.renderform}">

     <a4j:commandButton action="#{bean.doSth}" data="#{bean.toClose}" oncomplete="if'(event.data) popup.close();">

</form>

<popup>

In the action doSth, I changed the value of renderform to false, so the data is not re-evaluated. I dont know if it is a normal behavior or a bug. but it works with jsf2.1 and RF 4.3.

[michpetrov]

That's working as intended, if the component becomes unrendered during the request then certain actions will not happen.

[liuliu]

I can understand why it is not work. but I dont think it is normal. the popup.hide() is the result of the action doSth. In my case, I have to let the form rended. It is a cost for buildview.

[michpetrov]

The process that deals with the @action and the process that handles @oncomplete are independent of each other, since there doesn't need to be an action to begin with. The cost to build is there if you decide to rerender the panel, which you don't have to do when you expect to hide it.

[arnieaustin]

I've been away from my project but am back and need to fix this problem. I am on RF 4.5.12, JSF 2.2 and Wildfly 9.0.2.

Michael, you said: "You can check when the getter/setter is being called. The data parameter is retrieved in Apply Request Values phase and then in Render Response phase."

I added some logging and even though I don't exactly know which phase the getter was being called in, but it is only called ONCE (okToClose=false). Then my actionListener method is called and the okToClose parameter is then true, so the dialog should close but it doesn't because event.data is false on the client side. Since the getter is only being called once, is something amiss?

Why would the data get retrieved during APV phase? Why isn't it happening AFTER Invoke Application Logic - which to me makes more sense since something may have actually changed after logic execution.

In any case, this is my situation: I need the data pulled AFTER the actionListener has done its work - and I had this working when I first built my modal form which is why I'm confused and frustrated because it just stopped working as expected.

Is there a way to get this to work as desired? I'm still using this markup:

<a4j:commandButton id="cmdSaveModalCommentEdit"

    value="#{messages.getString('application.lbl.cmdSave')}"

    actionListener="#{infoPersonCommentEdit.saveListener}"

    render="panelModalInfoPersonCommentEdit" execute="@form"

    data="#{infoPersonCommentEdit.okToClose}"

    oncomplete="alert('data is ' + event.data);if (!event.data) { return false; } else { #{rich:component('modalInfoPersonCommentEdit')}.hide(); };" 

    rendered="#{empty infoPersonCommentDTOCDI.id}" >

    <f:param name="cid" value="#{javax.enterprise.context.conversation.id}"/>   

</a4j:commandButton>

Any clarification and help is much appreciated.

[michpetrov]

I'm guessing it's retrieved twice because the second time it might be skipped just like you're observing. If the component is not visited the second time then as I said it's likely become unrendered.

[arnieaustin]

Ok. No guidance then as to some Dark Majik spell I can use to get it work as expected?

[michpetrov]

Have you tried removing the rendered attribute?

[arnieaustin]

Uh, why would I want to do that?

[michpetrov]

To see if that's what's causing the issue.