JSF Project Stage

Friday, 27 May 2011 13:14

Java Server Faces project stage

JSF 2.0 has introduced a new feature called project stage . Project stage is a new configuration option that allows the application developer/deployer to specify a hint to the JSF implementation regarding the role of the current deployment. Valid values include:

• Development
• Production
• SystemTest
• UnitTest

This hint allows the JSF implementation to optimize its behavior for the current stage. For example, the JSF implementation might provide more verbose development-time diagnostics than would be practical for a production environment.

Doing this enables better error messages, including in the client side JavaScript, at the cost of some performance.

To enabled Project Stage in your web application put the following snippet in your web.xml file.

<context-param>
        <param-name>javax.faces.PROJECT_STAGE</param-name>
        <param-value>Development</param-value>
</context-param>

Access project stage using expression language

You can access the project stage using unified expression language :

#{facesContext.application.projectStage}
#{initParam['javax.faces.PROJECT_STAGE']}

Project stage enum source

JSF source of ProjectStage enumeration in JSF 2.0

public enum ProjectStage
{
    Development,
    Production,
    SystemTest,
    UnitTest;
    
    public static final String PROJECT_STAGE_JNDI_NAME = "java:comp/env/jsf/ProjectStage";
    public static final String PROJECT_STAGE_PARAM_NAME = "javax.faces.PROJECT_STAGE";
}

Writing conditional code with� javax.faces.PROJECT_STAGE configuration

Getting the project stage from the FacesContext application object instance.

FacesContext facesContext = FacesContext.getCurrentInstance();
Application application = facesContext.getApplication();
if (application.getProjectStage() == ProjectStage.Development) {
    // Define development settings
}

Interrogating directly the FacesContext using the project stage enumeration

FacesContext facesContext = FacesContext.getCurrentInstance();
if (facesContext.isProjectStage(ProjectStage.Development)) {
    // Define development settings
}

Troubleshooting project stage issues

Impossible to change project stage away from development

Migrate to JSF 2.1.2 The bug JAVASERVERFACES-2079 has been fixed in JSF 2.1.2

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