Question

I am using <rich:fileupload> and I need to send some extra parameters to my Controller. I tried to use <f:param> for this.

Here is the view:

<rich:fileUpload 
    fileUploadListener="#{fileUploadController.listener}"
    maxFilesQuantity="#{fileUploadController.uploadsAvailable}"
    addControlLabel="Hinzufügen"
    uploadControlLabel="Hochladen"
    cancelEntryControlLabel="Abbrechen"
    doneLabel="Fertig"
    clearAllControlLabel="Alle entfernen"
    noDuplicate="true"
    stopControlLabel="Stop"
    clearControlLabel="Entfernen"
    id="upload"                             
    immediateUpload="#{fileUploadController.autoUpload}"  
    ajaxSingle="true"
    acceptedTypes="jpg" 
    allowFlash="#{fileUploadController.useFlash}"
    rerender="info">

    <a4j:support event="onuploadcomplete" reRender="info" status="globalStatus" />

    <f:param 
    value="#{imageFormat}"  
    name="#{fileUploadController.imageFormat}"/>

</rich:fileUpload>

Here is the FileUploadController backing bean:

    private String imageFormat;

    public void setImageFormat(String imageFormat) {
        this.imageFormat = imageFormat;
    }

    public String getImageFormat() {
        return imageFormat;
    }

However, the setter is never called, so the variable is always null. The #{imageFormat} has the correct value, I verified it with an <h:outputText>.

I can’t use <a4j:param>, because there is no button to hook on.

We are using JSF 1.2, not JSF 2.0.

Answer 1

To perform some operations on specific phases of upload, you can attach to an event of rich:fileUpload. Along with standard events, rich:fileUpload provides a number of specific events:

• The “onadd” event handler called on an add file operation
• The “onupload” which gives you a possibility to cancel the upload at
  client side
• The “onuploadcomplete” which is called after all files from the list
  are uploaded
• The “onuploadcanceled” which is called after upload has been canceled
  via cancel control
• The “onerror” which is called if the file upload was interrupted
  according to any errors

To invoke server side logic using AJAX when event occurs, use ‘a4j:status’ or ‘a4j:jsFunction’, for example using ‘a4j:status’:

<rich:fileUpload
        yourParameters="...">
    <a4j:support event="onuploadcomplete" reRender="something" action="#{fileUploadController.setImageFormat(imageFormat)}"/>
</rich:fileUpload>

and using ‘a4j:jsFunction’ (also demonstrated how to use setPropertyActionListener, it is for case if your EL resolver does not support method invocations with parameters (refer to BalusC comment))

<rich:fileUpload onupload="setImageFormat();"
        yourParameters="..."></rich:fileUpload>

<a4j:jsFunction name="setImageFormat">
    <f:setPropertyActionListener value="#{imageFormat}" target="#{fileUploadController.imageFormat}"/>
</a4j:jsFunction>