types of text fields tags provided by JSF
In JavaServer Faces (JSF), text fields are essential components used to capture user input. JSF provides three main types of text field tags to accommodate different data types and input scenarios. Here’s an explanation followed by a Java example for each type:
Table of Contents
Explanation
- 1. <h:inputText> Tag:
- The <h:inputText> tag is used to create a single-line text input field.
- It is typically used for capturing short text inputs such as names, emails, or simple numeric values.
- Supports attributes like value (to bind to a managed bean property), required (to enforce mandatory input), and converter (to convert and validate input values).
- 2. <h:inputTextarea> Tag:
- The <h:inputTextarea> tag is used to create a multi-line text input field.
- It allows users to input larger amounts of text, such as comments or descriptions.
- Supports attributes similar to <h:inputText>, including rows (number of visible rows) and cols (number of visible columns).
- 3. <h:inputSecret> Tag:
- The <h:inputSecret> tag is used to create a password input field.
- It hides the entered text (typically shown as asterisks or dots) to provide security for sensitive information like passwords.
- Supports attributes similar to <h:inputText>, but does not support the valueChangeListener attribute.
Java Example
Here are examples demonstrating the use of each text field tag in JSF:
”<h:inputText>”
xml
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"
xmlns:h="http://xmlns.jcp.org/jsf/html">
<h:head>
<title>Input Text Example</title>
</h:head>
<h:body>
<h:form>
<h:outputLabel for="nameInput" value="Name:" />
<h:inputText id="nameInput" value="{userBean.name}" required="true" />
<h:message for="nameInput" style="color: red;" />
<br/>
<h:outputLabel for="ageInput" value="Age:" />
<h:inputText id="ageInput" value="{userBean.age}" required="true" converterMessage="Please enter a valid number">
<f:convertNumber />
</h:inputText>
<h:message for="ageInput" style="color: red;" />
<br/>
<h:commandButton value="Submit" action="{userBean.save}" />
</h:form>
</h:body>
</html>
”<h:inputTextarea>”
xml
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"
xmlns:h="http://xmlns.jcp.org/jsf/html">
<h:head>
<title>Input Textarea Example</title>
</h:head>
<h:body>
<h:form>
<h:outputLabel for="commentInput" value="Comments:" />
<br/>
<h:inputTextarea id="commentInput" value="{feedbackBean.comments}" rows="5" cols="30" />
<br/>
<h:commandButton value="Submit Feedback" action="{feedbackBean.submit}" />
</h:form>
</h:body>
</html>
”<h:inputSecret>”
xml
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"
xmlns:h="http://xmlns.jcp.org/jsf/html">
<h:head>
<title>Input Secret Example</title>
</h:head>
<h:body>
<h:form>
<h:outputLabel for="passwordInput" value="Password:" />
<h:inputSecret id="passwordInput" value="{loginBean.password}" required="true" />
<br/>
<h:commandButton value="Login" action="{loginBean.login}" />
</h:form>
</h:body>
</html>
Explanation of Examples
- <h:inputText> Example: This example demonstrates a form with an input field for name and age using <h:inputText>. The required=”true” attribute ensures mandatory input, and the <f:convertNumber /> tag inside <h:inputText> converts the age input into a number.
- <h:inputTextarea> Example: This example shows a textarea input for comments using <h:inputTextarea>. It allows users to input multiple lines of text, and the rows=”5″ and cols=”30″ attributes define the size of the textarea.
- <h:inputSecret> Example: This example illustrates a password input field for password using <h:inputSecret>. The entered password is masked for security, and the required=”true” attribute enforces mandatory input.
These examples demonstrate how to use the three main types of text field tags (<h:inputText>, <h:inputTextarea>, <h:inputSecret>) provided by JSF to handle different types of user input effectively in web applications. Each tag offers specific features and attributes tailored to their respective input requirements.