Injecting in Converter/Validator requires a JSF 2.3 faces-config.xml file

[ConstantinAlin]

Injecting in Converter/Validator requires a JSF 2.3 faces-config.xml file, even if the application uses a JSF 2.3 configuration bean:

ConfigurationBean.java

@FacesConfig(version = FacesConfig.Version.JSF_2_3)
public class ConfigurationBean {
}

As pointed by Arjan Tijms in this topic, an empty JSF 2.3 faces-config.xml file is not involved into enabling CDI injection and EL resolution using CDI and switching into a JSF 2.3 mode, thus, it should not be required when using CDI injection into Converter/Validator.

Consider the following example:

index.xhtml

<h:form>
	Phone number:
	<h:inputText id="phoneId" value="#{phoneNumberBean.number}"
			converter="phoneNumberConverter"
			validator="phoneNumberValidator" />
	<h:message for="phoneId"/>
	<h:commandButton value="Send" action="#{phoneNumberBean.pingNumberAction()}"/>
</h:form>
Ping number: #{phoneNumberBean.number}

PhoneNumberConverter.java

@FacesConverter(value = "phoneNumberConverter", managed = true)
public class PhoneNumberConverter implements Converter {

    @Inject
    private PhonePrefixServiceBean phonePrefixServiceBean;

    @Override
    public Object getAsObject(FacesContext context, UIComponent component, String value) {
        if (!value.contains("-")) {
            return phonePrefixServiceBean.computePrefix() + "-" + value;
        }
        return value;
    }

    @Override
    public String getAsString(FacesContext context, UIComponent component, Object value) {
        return String.valueOf(value);
    }
}

PhoneNumberValidator.java

@FacesValidator(value = "phoneNumberValidator", managed = true)
public class PhoneNumberValidator implements Validator {

    @Inject
    private PhonePrefixServiceBean phonePrefixServiceBean;

    @Override
    public void validate(FacesContext fc, UIComponent uic, Object o) throws ValidatorException {
        String pn = String.valueOf(o);
        if (!phonePrefixServiceBean.getPrefix().contains(pn.substring(0, 4))) {
            throw new ValidatorException(new FacesMessage(null, "Wrong prefix!"));
        }
    }
}

PhonePrefixServiceBean.java

@Named
@ApplicationScoped
public class PhonePrefixServiceBean implements Serializable {

    private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

    private final List prefix;

    public PhonePrefixServiceBean() {
        prefix = new ArrayList<>();
        prefix.add("0721");
        prefix.add("0723");
        prefix.add("0909");
    }

    public String computePrefix() {
        return (String) prefix.get(new Random().nextInt(3));
    }

    public List getPrefix() {
        return prefix;
    }
}

Exception thrown

Without a JSF 2.3 faces-config.xml file or with a faces-config.xml version 2.2 file, the application throws the following exception:

FATAL:   JSF1073: javax.faces.FacesException caught during processing of PROCESS_VALIDATIONS 3 : UIComponent-ClientId=, Message=null
FATAL:   No associated message
javax.faces.FacesException
	at com.sun.faces.lifecycle.ProcessValidationsPhase.execute(ProcessValidationsPhase.java:85)
	at com.sun.faces.lifecycle.Phase.doPhase(Phase.java:100)
	at com.sun.faces.lifecycle.LifecycleImpl.execute(LifecycleImpl.java:201)
	at javax.faces.webapp.FacesServlet.service(FacesServlet.java:670)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapper.service(StandardWrapper.java:1606)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:258)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:160)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.doInvoke(StandardPipeline.java:654)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardPipeline.invoke(StandardPipeline.java:593)
	at com.sun.enterprise.web.WebPipeline.invoke(WebPipeline.java:99)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:155)
	at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.doService(CoyoteAdapter.java:371)
	at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:238)
	at com.sun.enterprise.v3.services.impl.ContainerMapper$HttpHandlerCallable.call(ContainerMapper.java:480)
	at com.sun.enterprise.v3.services.impl.ContainerMapper.service(ContainerMapper.java:180)
	at org.glassfish.grizzly.http.server.HttpHandler.runService(HttpHandler.java:206)
	at org.glassfish.grizzly.http.server.HttpHandler.doHandle(HttpHandler.java:180)
	at org.glassfish.grizzly.http.server.HttpServerFilter.handleRead(HttpServerFilter.java:242)
	at org.glassfish.grizzly.filterchain.ExecutorResolver$9.execute(ExecutorResolver.java:119)
	at org.glassfish.grizzly.filterchain.DefaultFilterChain.executeFilter(DefaultFilterChain.java:284)
	at org.glassfish.grizzly.filterchain.DefaultFilterChain.executeChainPart(DefaultFilterChain.java:201)
	at org.glassfish.grizzly.filterchain.DefaultFilterChain.execute(DefaultFilterChain.java:133)
	at org.glassfish.grizzly.filterchain.DefaultFilterChain.process(DefaultFilterChain.java:112)
	at org.glassfish.grizzly.ProcessorExecutor.execute(ProcessorExecutor.java:77)
	at org.glassfish.grizzly.nio.transport.TCPNIOTransport.fireIOEvent(TCPNIOTransport.java:539)
	at org.glassfish.grizzly.strategies.AbstractIOStrategy.fireIOEvent(AbstractIOStrategy.java:112)
	at org.glassfish.grizzly.strategies.WorkerThreadIOStrategy.run0(WorkerThreadIOStrategy.java:117)
	at org.glassfish.grizzly.strategies.WorkerThreadIOStrategy.access$100(WorkerThreadIOStrategy.java:56)
	at org.glassfish.grizzly.strategies.WorkerThreadIOStrategy$WorkerThreadRunnable.run(WorkerThreadIOStrategy.java:137)
	at org.glassfish.grizzly.threadpool.AbstractThreadPool$Worker.doWork(AbstractThreadPool.java:593)
	at org.glassfish.grizzly.threadpool.AbstractThreadPool$Worker.run(AbstractThreadPool.java:573)
	at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:748)
Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
	at beans.PhoneNumberConverter.getAsObject(PhoneNumberConverter.java:18)
	at com.sun.faces.renderkit.html_basic.HtmlBasicInputRenderer.getConvertedValue(HtmlBasicInputRenderer.java:171)
	at javax.faces.component.UIInput.getConvertedValue(UIInput.java:1122)
	at javax.faces.component.UIInput.validate(UIInput.java:1030)
	at javax.faces.component.UIInput.executeValidate(UIInput.java:1334)
	at javax.faces.component.UIInput.processValidators(UIInput.java:757)
	at javax.faces.component.UIForm.processValidators(UIForm.java:269)
	at javax.faces.component.UIComponentBase.processValidators(UIComponentBase.java:1298)
	at javax.faces.component.UIComponentBase.processValidators(UIComponentBase.java:1298)
	at javax.faces.component.UIViewRoot.processValidators(UIViewRoot.java:1332)
	at com.sun.faces.lifecycle.ProcessValidationsPhase.execute(ProcessValidationsPhase.java:77)
	... 31 more

Testing environment:

JSF 2.3.2, Payara Server 5.0.0.174

[Quix0r]

In faces-config.xml (written from my memory) you can use JSF 2.3 XSD and version="2.3". Have you tried this, too? When I last did this with JSF 2.3 (downloaded here from "Releases" link) all my context-parameter were not processed.

[ConstantinAlin]

@Quix0r You are right. If I add a JSF 2.3 faces-config.xml file, with version=2.3, the above use case works. However, I'm not looking for a quick fix, but merely to point out that a faces-config.xml file should not be required during CDI injection.

[arjantijms]

@ConstantinAlin

It should indeed not be required, but this is a bug in Mojarra 2.3.2. We should fix this soon.

Sorry for the inconvenience!

[ConstantinAlin]

@arjantijms Great! I'm just happy to help in any way I can and I will continue testing JSF 2.3.

[arjantijms]

@ConstantinAlin I just pushed a fix and tested it via the already existing tests in the project. It should work now, but would be good if you could double test it. Thx!

[ConstantinAlin]

@arjantijms Confirmed. No empty faces-config.xml required. Tested with JSF 2.3.3-SNAPSHOT build from MOJARRA_2_3X_ROLLING.

[arjantijms]

@ConstantinAlin

\0/

Great that it's fixed now. It was indeed my "fault"; I forgot to update the code at one location. Sorry for all the confusion.