[MYFACES-3525] javax.faces.INTERPRET_EMPTY_STRING_SUBMITTED_VALUES_AS_NULL value affects display behavior for required fields

• Type: Bug
• Status: Closed
• Priority: Major
• Resolution: Fixed
• Affects Version/s: 2.0.12, 2.1.18, 2.2.12, 2.3.0-beta
• Fix Version/s: 2.0.25, 2.1.9, 2.2.13, 2.3.0
• Assignee: Leonardo Uribe
• Reporter: VS
• Created: 10/Apr/12 15:25
• Updated: 29/Aug/22 09:12
• Resolved: 11/Jan/18 20:37

Description

Inconsistent behavior for required field validation when javax.faces.INTERPRET_EMPTY_STRING_SUBMITTED_VALUES_AS_NULL is set to true versus false

To observe behavior:
1. Set javax.faces.INTERPRET_EMPTY_STRING_SUBMITTED_VALUES_AS_NULL to true in web.xml

2. Create JSF Page:

<h:form>
<h:messages showSummary="true"/>
<h:inputText value="#

{page1Controller.firstName}

"
required="true"
requiredMessage="You must enter a first name"/>
<h:commandButton value="Submit"/>
</h:form>

3. Create Managed Bean:

@ManagedBean
public class Page1Controller

{ public String getFirstName() { return "Default Value"; }

public void setFirstName(String value)

{ // no-op (for example purposes only) }

4. Load JSF page, blank out value in the input field and click Submit

5. Error message is displayed, however the value in the input field (which you formerly blanked out) is now reset back to its original value.

6. Change the javax.faces.INTERPRET_EMPTY_STRING_SUBMITTED_VALUES_AS_NULL setting to false and re-run the test.

7. Note that the value in the input field remains blank.

Behavior is inconsistent and should be fixed (javax.faces.INTERPRET_EMPTY_STRING_SUBMITTED_VALUES_AS_NULL setting of true or false should not result in inconsistent behavior with required fields)

---

To state in a different way:

When INTERPRET_EMPTY_STRING_SUBMITTED_VALUES_AS_NULL is TRUE, and you blank out a value for a required field that had previously been populated by the model, submit the form, you will see the OLD data from the model in the field. However, if that field had had a format validation applied to it and the user submits the form with a format validation error, the OLD data is NOT shown in the field (instead, the submitted/invalid data is shown). The same should happen for required field validation errors. The field should show the "blank" data and not the original model data. In order to get the correct behavior, the developer has to currently set INTERPRET_EMPTY_STRING_SUBMITTED_VALUES_AS_NULL to false. But they should not have to do this... whether INTERPRET_EMPTY_STRING_SUBMITTED_VALUES_AS_NULL is true or false, the behavior of showing the blank field that the user submitted should be the same.

Issue Links

• is duplicated by: MYFACES-2497 INTERPRET_EMPTY_STRING_SUBMITTED_VALUES_AS_NULL on required fields
• is duplicated by: MYFACES-3181 wrong behaviour in combination with javax.faces.INTERPRET_EMPTY_STRING_SUBMITTED_VALUES_AS_NULL
• is duplicated by: MYFACES-3667 UIInput renders the old value after required validation error if field is empty