ui：repeat中的UISelectMany导致java.lang.ClassCastException：[Ljava.lang.Object; 无法转换为java.util.List

Question

I have used the HashMap method for binding a list of checkboxes to a Map<String, Boolean> with success. This is nice since it allows you to have a dynamic number of checkboxes.

I'm trying to extend that to a variable length list of selectManyMenu . Being that they are selectMany, I'd like to be able to bind to a Map<String, List<MyObject>> . I have a single example working where I can bind a single selectManyMenu to a List<MyObject> and everything works fine, but whey I put a dynamic number of selectManyMenus inside a ui:repeat and attempt to bind to the map, I end up with weird results. The values are stored correctly in the map, as verified by the debugger, and calling toString() , but the runtime thinks the map's values are of type Object and not List<MyObject> and throws ClassCastExceptions when I try to access the map's keys.

I'm guessing it has something to do with how JSF determines the runtime type of the target of your binding, and since I am binding to a value in a Map , it doesn't know to get the type from the value type parameter of the map. Is there any workaround to this, other than probably patching Mojarra?

In general, how can I have a page with a dynamic number of selectManyMenus? Without, of course using Primefaces' <p:solveThisProblemForMe> component. (In all seriousness, Primefaces is not an option here, due to factors outside of my control.)

The question UISelectMany on a List<T> causes java.lang.ClassCastException: java.lang.String cannot be cast to T had some good information that I wasn't aware of, but I'm still having issues with this SSCE:

JSF:

  <ui:define name="content">
    <h:form>
      <ui:repeat value="#{testBean.itemCategories}" var="category">
        <h:selectManyMenu value="#{testBean.selectedItemMap[category]}">
          <f:selectItems value="#{testBean.availableItems}" var="item" itemValue="#{item}" itemLabel="#{item.name}"></f:selectItems>
          <f:converter binding="#{itemConverter}"></f:converter>
          <f:validator validatorId="test.itemValidator"></f:validator>
        </h:selectManyMenu>
      </ui:repeat>
      <h:commandButton value="Submit">
        <f:ajax listener="#{testBean.submitSelections}" execute="@form"></f:ajax>
      </h:commandButton>
    </h:form>
  </ui:define>

Converter:

@Named
public class ItemConverter implements Converter {

  @Inject
  ItemStore itemStore;

  @Override
  public Object getAsObject(FacesContext context, UIComponent component, String value) {
    return itemStore.getById(value);
  }

  @Override
  public String getAsString(FacesContext context, UIComponent component, Object value) {
    return Optional.of(value)
                   .filter(v -> Item.class.isInstance(v))
                   .map(v -> ((Item) v).getId())
                   .orElse(null);
  }
}

Backing Bean:

@Data
@Slf4j
@Named
@ViewScoped
public class TestBean implements Serializable {

  private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

  @Inject
  ItemStore itemStore;

  List<Item> availableItems;

  List<String> itemCategories;

  Map<String, List<Item>> selectedItemMap = new HashMap<>();

  public void initialize() {
    log.debug("Initialized TestBean");

    availableItems = itemStore.getAllItems();

    itemCategories = new ArrayList<>();
    itemCategories.add("First Category");
    itemCategories.add("Second Category");
    itemCategories.add("Third Category");
  }

  public void submitSelections(AjaxBehaviorEvent event) {
    log.debug("Submitted Selections");

    selectedItemMap.entrySet().forEach(entry -> {
      String key = entry.getKey();
      List<Item> items = entry.getValue();

      log.debug("Key: {}", key);

      items.forEach(item -> {
        log.debug("   Value: {}", item);
      });

    });

  }

}

ItemStore just contains a HashMap and delegate methods to access Items by their ID field.

Item:

@Data
@Builder
public class Item {
  private String id;
  private String name;
  private String value;
}

ItemListValidator:

@FacesValidator("test.itemValidator")
public class ItemListValidator implements Validator {

  @Override
  public void validate(FacesContext context, UIComponent component, Object value) throws ValidatorException {
    if (List.class.isInstance(value)) {

      if (((List) value).size() < 1) {
        throw new ValidatorException(new FacesMessage(FacesMessage.SEVERITY_FATAL, "You must select at least 1 Admin Area", "You must select at least 1 Admin Area"));
      }
    }
  }

}

Error:

java.lang.ClassCastException: [Ljava.lang.Object; cannot be cast to java.util.List

Stacktrace snipped but occurs on this line:

List<Item> items = entry.getValue();

What am I missing here?

Answer 1

As hinted in the related question UISelectMany on a List<T> causes java.lang.ClassCastException: java.lang.String cannot be cast to T , generic type arguments are unavailable during runtime. In other words, EL doesn't know you have a Map<String, List<Item>> . All EL knows is that you have a Map , so unless you explicitly specify a converter for the selected values, and a collection type for the collection, JSF will default to String for selected values and an object array Object[] for the collection. Do note that the [ in [Ljava.lang.Object indicates an array.

Given that you want the collection type to be an instance of java.util.List , you need to specify the collectionType attribute with the FQN of the desired concrete implementation.

<h:selectManyMenu ... collectionType="java.util.ArrayList">

JSF will then make sure that the right collection type is being instantiated in order to fill the selected items and put in the model. Here's a related question where such a solution is being used but then for a different reason: org.hibernate.LazyInitializationException at com.sun.faces.renderkit.html_basic.MenuRenderer.convertSelectManyValuesForModel .

---

Update : I should have tested the above theory. This doesn't work in Mojarra when the collection behind collectionType is in turn wrapped in another generic collection/map. Mojarra only checks the collectionType if the UISelectMany value itself already represents an instance of java.util.Collection . However, due to it being wrapped in a Map , its (raw) type becomes java.lang.Object and then Mojarra will skip the check for any collectionType .

MyFaces did a better job in this in its UISelectMany renderer, it works over there.

As far as I inspected Mojarra's source code, there's no way to work around this other way than replacing Map<String, List<Long>> by a List<Category> where Category is a custom object having String name and List<MyObject> selectedItems properties. True, this really kills the advantage of Map of having dynamic keys in EL, but it is what it is.

Here's a MCVE using Long as item type (just substitute it with your MyObject ):

private List<Category> categories;
private List<Long> availableItems;

@PostConstruct
public void init() {
    categories = Arrays.asList(new Category("one"), new Category("two"), new Category("three"));
    availableItems = Arrays.asList(1L, 2L, 3L, 4L, 5L);
}

public void submit() {
    categories.forEach(c -> {
        System.out.println("Name: " + c.getName());

        for (Long selectedItem : c.getSelectedItems()) {
            System.out.println("Selected item: " + selectedItem);
        }
    });

    // ...
}

public class Category {

    private String name;
    private List<Long> selectedItems;

    public Category(String name) {
        this.name = name;
    }

    // ...
}

<h:form>
    <ui:repeat value="#{bean.categories}" var="category">
        <h:selectManyMenu value="#{category.selectedItems}" converter="javax.faces.Long">
            <f:selectItems value="#{bean.availableItems}" />
        </h:selectManyMenu>
    </ui:repeat>
    <h:commandButton value="submit" action="#{bean.submit}">
        <f:ajax execute="@form" />
    </h:commandButton>
</h:form>

Do note that collectionType is unnecessary here. Only the converter is still necessary.

Unrelated to the concrete problem, I'd like to point out that selectedItemMap.entrySet().forEach(entry -> { String key ...; List<Item> items ...;}) can be simplified to selectedItemMap.forEach((key, items) -> {}) and that ItemListValidator is unnecessary if you just use required="true" on the input component.