Using Spring with JSF: the managed bean tutorial

title: 'Using Spring with JSF: the managed bean tutorial'
date: 2009-03-06T00:06:49+00:00
author: Marco Molteni
layout: post
permalink: /spring-jsf-tutorial
main-class: java
categories: Spring
color: '#7AAB13'
title: "Using Spring with JSF: The Managed Bean Tutorial"
date: 2009-03-06T00:06:49+00:00
author: Marco Molteni
layout: post
permalink: /spring-jsf-tutorial
main-class: java
categories: Spring
color: '#7AAB13'

Using Spring with JSF: The Managed Bean Tutorial

Two J2EE technologies are becoming dominant in the Java environment: Spring and JavaServer Faces (JSF).

Spring beans can be easily integrated into a JSF project. They can coexist with JSF managed beans or interact directly with the view.

Steps to Use Spring in a JSF Project

1. Add Required Libraries

Ensure that Spring libraries are accessible in your project.

2. Configure web.xml

Declare the Spring listener in web.xml:

<listener> 
    <listener-class> 
        org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoaderListener 
    </listener-class> 
</listener> 

To use request values between the view (JSP/JSF) and the bean, add a second listener:

<listener> 
    <listener-class> 
        org.springframework.web.context.request.RequestContextListener 
    </listener-class> 
</listener> 

3. Configure faces-config.xml

Typically, faces-config.xml defines the managed beans. To enable the use of Spring beans, add the following lines:

<application> 
    <variable-resolver> 
        org.springframework.web.jsf.DelegatingVariableResolver 
    </variable-resolver> 
</application> 

4. Define Beans in applicationContext.xml

Declare your beans in applicationContext.xml like a standard Spring application, with an important difference: the scope property.

<bean name="personMB" class="ch.genidea.ofac.web.jsf.Person" scope="request"> 
    <property name= ... /> 
</bean> 

By default, the scope property is set to singleton. In a web application, you have three options:

• request: The bean exists for the lifecycle of a single HTTP request.
• session: The bean is tied to an HTTP session.
• global session: Typically used in a portlet context.

5. Use the Bean in a JSP Page

You can now call the bean directly in your JSP/JSF page:

<h:outputText value="First name" /> 
<h:inputText value="#{personMB.firstName}" id="personName" /> 
 
<h:outputText value="Family name" /> 
<h:inputText value="#{personMB.lastName}" id="personFamilyName" /> 

By following these steps, you can successfully integrate Spring beans into your JSF application, enhancing modularity and maintainability.