using insertChildren AND getting child attributes

Question

I am actually trying to create a custom composite table component because h:datatable or p:datatable do not fit my needs. Nevertheless it shall be used like a primefaces datatable. After I found JSF composite component childrens and Expose items of a list while iterating within composite component I saw the finish line, but now I got stuck.

My xhtml:

<h:body>
    <sm:datatable mode="columntoggle" id="mytable" value="#{managerBean.objects}" var="object">
        <sm:column header="KeyHeader" property="key">
            <h:outputText value="#{object.key}"/>    
        </sm:column>
        <sm:column header="ValueHeader" property="value">
            <h:outputText value="#{object.value}"/>    
        </sm:column>
    </sm:datatable>
</h:body>

And this is the datatable composite:

<cc:interface>
    <cc:attribute name="id" />
    <cc:attribute name="mode" />
    <cc:attribute name="var" />
    <cc:attribute name="value" type="java.util.List"/>
</cc:interface>

<cc:implementation>
    <table data-role="table" data-mode="#{cc.attrs.mode}" id="my-table">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <ui:repeat value="#{component.getCompositeComponentParent(component).children}" var="child">
                    <th>
                        <h:outputText value="#{child.attrs.header}"/>
                    </th>
                </ui:repeat>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <ui:repeat value="#{cc.attrs.value}" var="object">
                <tr>
                    <c:forEach items="#{cc.children}" var="child" varStatus="loop">
                        <cc:insertChildren/>
                    </c:forEach>
                </tr>
            </ui:repeat>
        </tbody>
    </table>
</cc:implementation>

And that's the column composite

<cc:interface>
    <cc:attribute name="header" />
    <cc:attribute name="property" />
    <cc:facet name="content"/>
</cc:interface>

<cc:implementation>
    <td><cc:insertChildren/></td>
</cc:implementation>

thead works standalone

tbody works standalone

Putting them together like above I only get tbody. thead always stays empty Any suggestions? Thanks for your help in Advance!

Answer 1

This is not a bug, it actually works as designed in mojarra. Using cc:insertChildren moves the children to the parent tag of the cc:insertChildren tag. This problem is equivalent to another problem and has the same solution. See my answer to this question.

Basically, you put a <ui:fragment> around the <cc:insertChildren>, bind that fragment to a property in a FacesComponent bean.

Answer 2

#{cc.children} which is equivalent to #{component.getCompositeComponentParent(component).children} should both work but for some reason fail to work in some versions , I guess this part of JSF is still little buggy .

Have you tried

 #{cc.getFacets().get('javax.faces.component.COMPOSITE_FACET_NAME').children}

Please refer this thread as well,

In JSF2, how to know if composite component has children?

Answer 3

I was having the same issue. My workaround was to use a renderFacet, instead of insertChildren.

To iterate over the inserted elements I have used: #{cc.facets.yourFacetName.children} and to insert the elements themselves I have used: <composite:renderFacet name="yourFacetName"/>.

Answer 4

I've found iterating over children and using <composite:insertChildren /> in the same component to be near impossible. At least in the Mojarra 2.2.6 implementation.

The intermediate facet approach did not work for me either.

Eventually, my solution was to:

1. retain the child component (tab) as is
2. remove all code from the composite:implementation of parent (tab group) component
3. implement encodeAll() in the the faces component corresponding to parent

This question is over a year old. Please share if there's a simpler solution in sight.