Question

I need to have inputTexts inside primefaces datatable when form is in editable mode.

Everything works properly except form cleaning with immediate=”true” (without form validation). Then primefaces datatable behaves unpredictable. After filling in datatable with new data – it still stores old values.

Short example – to show differences between h:dataTable and p:dataTable – but it works the same way when there is only one of three tables from the example:
test.xhtml

<h:body>
    <h:form id="form">

        <p:dataTable var="v" value="#{test.list}" id="testTable">
            <p:column headerText="Test value">
                <p:inputText value="#{v}"/>
            </p:column>
        </p:dataTable>

        <h:dataTable var="v" value="#{test.list}" id="testTable1">
            <h:column>
            <f:facet name="header">
                <h:outputText value="Test value" />
            </f:facet>
                <p:inputText value="#{v}" />
            </h:column>
        </h:dataTable>

        <p:dataTable var="v" value="#{test.list}" id="testTable2">
            <p:column headerText="Test value">
                <h:outputText value="#{v}" />
            </p:column>
        </p:dataTable>

        <p:commandButton value="Clear" actionListener="#{test.clear()}" immediate="true" update=":form:testTable :form:testTable1 :form:testTable2"/>
        <p:commandButton value="Update" actionListener="#{test.update()}" update=":form:testTable :form:testTable1 :form:testTable2"/>
    </h:form>
</h:body>

And java:

import java.io.Serializable;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

import javax.annotation.PostConstruct;
import javax.faces.bean.ViewScoped;
import javax.inject.Inject;
import javax.inject.Named;

@Named
@ViewScoped
public class Test implements Serializable {

    private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

    private List<String>            list;



    @PostConstruct
    private void init(){
        update();
    }

    public List<String> getList() {
        return list;
    }

    public void setList(List<String> list) {
        this.list = list;
    }

    public void clear() {
        list = new ArrayList<String>();
    }

    public void update() {
        list = new ArrayList<String>();
        list.add("Item 1");
        list.add("Item 2");     
    }
}

In the example above I have 3 configurations:
1. p:dataTable with p:inputText
2. h:dataTable with p:inputText
3. p:dataTable with h:outputText

And 2 buttons: first clears data, second applies data

Workflow:

1. Try to change data in inputTexts in p:dataTable and h:dataTable

2. Clear data of list (arrayList of string) – click “clear” button (imagine that you click cancel on form because you don’t want to store data to database)

3. Load new data – click “update” button (imagine that you are openning new form with new data)

Question:
Why p:dataTable with p:inputText still stores manually changed data, not the loaded ones?
Is there any way to force p:dataTable to behaving like h:dataTable in this case?

Answer 1

The solution is: primefaces resetInput

In my example it would be:

 <p:commandButton value="Clear" actionListener="#{test.clear()}" immediate="true"
          update=":form:testTable :form:testTable1 :form:testTable2"> 
    <p:resetInput target=":form:testTable" />
 </p:commandButton>

EDIT:
In some cases – if the above would not work – try the one from primefaces extensions:

<pe:resetInput for=":form:testTable" />