rich suggestions - why input is null? (seam framework)

Question

Hi, I'm trying to build a rich suggestions and i do not understand WHY the input value is null... I mean, why inputText value is not taken when i enter something.

The .xhtml code:

<h:inputText value="#{suggestion.input}" id="text">
</h:inputText>
<rich:suggestionbox id="suggestionBoxId" for="text" tokens=",[]"
                    suggestionAction="#{suggestion.getSimilarSpacePaths()}" var="result"
                    fetchValue="#{result.path}"
                    first="0"
                    minChars="2"
                    nothingLabel="No similar space paths found"
                    columnClasses="center"
        >
    <h:column>
        <h:outputText value="#{result.path}" style="font-style:italic"/>
    </h:column>
</rich:suggestionbox>

and action class:

@Name("suggestion")
@Scope(ScopeType.CONVERSATION)
public class Suggestion {
@In
protected EntityManager entityManager;

private String input;

public String getInput() {
    return input;
}

public void setInput(final String input) {
    this.input = input;
}

public List<Space> getSimilarSpacePaths() {
    List<Space> suggestionsList = new ArrayList<Space>();
    if (!StringUtils.isEmpty(input) && !input.equals("/")) {
        final Query query = entityManager.createNamedQuery("SpaceByPathLike");
        query.setParameter("path", input + '%');
        suggestionsList = (List<Space>) query.getResultList();
    }
    return suggestionsList;
}

}

So, input beeing null, suggestionList is always empty... Why input's value is not posted?

Answer 1

I'm not sure if this is valid, but Java uses getters and setters to encapsulate it's fields with JSP. Since you're trying to use Java in an xhtml file, I presume that's what you're doing.

Notice how you #{suggestion.input}? In JSP, that would result in a suggestion.getInput(), which is the getter you created.

In much the same way, you would call suggestion.SimilarSpacePaths.

JSP defaults to null or an empty string (I'm not sure which) when it can't evaluate a value properly. There are debugging plugins out there for JSP though, so you can tell this without having to compile and check on the webpage.

Did that help?

Answer 2

Well, The key is to use a method with parameter for the rich suggestion ! That parameter is actually what the user types in that inputText.... So, instead of the above class it should be:

@Name("suggestion")
public class Suggestion {


@In
 protected EntityManager entityManager;

 public List<String> getSimilarSpacePaths(final Object input) {
  //prepare the list with the strings
        //...
     return suggestionsList;
     }
    }

and the .xhtml:

<h:inputText id="text" size="80" value="#{accountHome.instance.creationPath}">
</h:inputText>
<rich:suggestionbox id="suggestionBoxId" for="text" tokens=",[]"
     suggestionAction="#{suggestion.getSimilarSpacePaths}" var="result"
     fetchValue="#{result}"
     first="0"
     minChars="2"
     nothingLabel="No similar space paths found"
     columnClasses="center"
     width="350"
  >
 <h:column>
  <h:outputText value="#{result}" style="font-style:italic"/>
 </h:column>
 <a:support ajaxSingle="true" event="onselect">
  <f:setPropertyActionListener value="#{result}" target="#{accountHome.instance.creationPath}"/>
 </a:support>
</rich:suggestionbox>

Maybe will be usefull for others :)