p:commandButton doesn't dislpay p:dialog

Question

i have a problem with the display of a dialog on a click. It's a obvious one but i can't spot the bug. I've been stuck on this for days, it's crazy. Can you help me please.

<h:form id="form">

<p:commandButton
    rendered="#{characterBean.characterSession.characterName ne null}"
    value="#{characterBean.characterSession.title.titleName}"
    icon="fa fa-fw fa-edit" onclick="PF('dlg').show();"
    update="@form"/>

<p:dialog id="titleDetail" header="#{i18n['title.yourTitles']}"
    widgetVar="dlg" dynamic="true" closable="false" resizable="false"
    showEffect="fade" hideEffect="fade">
    <h:panelGroup>
        <p:messages autoUpdate="true" />
        <h:selectOneMenu id="titleSelect" converter="#{titleConverter}"
            value="#{characterBean.characterSession.title}">
            <f:selectItems value="#{characterBean.titleUnlocked}" var="t"
                itemValue="#{t}" itemLabel="#{t.titleName}" />
        </h:selectOneMenu>
        <hr />
        <h:panelGrid columns="2" style="width: 100%; text-align:center">
            <p:commandButton value="#{i18n['general.submit']}"
                icon="fa fa-check"
                actionListener="#{characterBean.updateCharacterTitle}"
                oncomplete="PF('dlg').hide();" update="@form" />

            <p:commandButton value="#{i18n['general.cancel']}"
                icon="fa fa-close" action="#{characterBean.submitCancel}"
                oncomplete="PF('dlg').hide();" update="@form" process="@this" />
        </h:panelGrid>
        <p:remoteCommand name="updateForm()" process="@this" update="@form" />
    </h:panelGroup>
</p:dialog>

</h:form>

Answer 1

The core problem is essentially this:

<h:form>
    <p:commandButton onclick="PF('dlg').show();" update="@form"/>

    <p:dialog widgetVar="dlg">
        ...
    </p:dialog>
</h:form>

• The default state of <p:dialog> is hidden.
• The onclick shows the dialog.
• The update updates the entire content of the <h:form> .
• The <p:dialog> is also included in the update.
• So, the <p:dialog> gets hidden again.

There are several solutions:

1. Don't let update include the <p:dialog> .

    <h:form> <h:panelGroup id="outsideDialog"> <p:commandButton onclick="PF('dlg').show();" update="outsideDialog"/> </h:panelGroup> <p:dialog widgetVar="dlg"> ... </p:dialog> </h:form> 

2. Replace onclick by oncomplete as it runs after the update .

    <h:form> <p:commandButton update="@form" oncomplete="PF('dlg').show();" /> <p:dialog widgetVar="dlg"> ... </p:dialog> </h:form> 

3. Move <p:dialog> outside the <h:form> and give it its own <h:form> .

    <h:form> <p:commandButton update="@form :dlg" oncomplete="PF('dlg').show();" /> </h:form> <p:dialog id="dlg" widgetVar="dlg"> <h:form> ... </h:form> </p:dialog> 

   or, depending on whether you actually need to update the dialog's contents or not

    <h:form> <p:commandButton onclick="PF('dlg').show();" update="@form" /> </h:form> <p:dialog widgetVar="dlg"> <h:form> ... </h:form> </p:dialog> 

The recommended solution is 3.

See also:

• Execution order of events when pressing PrimeFaces p:commandButton
• How to use <h:form> in JSF page? Single form? Multiple forms? Nested forms?
• p:commandbutton action doesn't work inside p:dialog