Possible to create a custom renderer for rendering standard component ?

Question

This is in context for creating dynamic Data tables. Is it possible to create a custom Renderer for rendering component (standard) without creating a custom component?
namanc

Answer 1

Let's assume you want to create a custom renderer which will be used to render the error-messages (the h:messages tag). The component-family in this case is: javax.faces.Messages, the renderer-type javax.faces.Messages.
Therefor in your application's faces-config.xml add this renderer-statement (inside a render-kit, obviuosly):
<faces-config>
  <!-- other stuff like components, managed beans, navigation-rules,... -->
  <render-kit>
    <renderer>
      <component-family>javax.faces.Messages</component-family>
      <renderer-type>javax.faces.Messages</renderer-type>
      <renderer-class>my.very.special.MessagesRenderer</renderer-class>
    </renderer>
  </render-kit>
  <!-- other renderers... -->
</faces-config>The code for MessagesRenderer is very dependent on your needs, therefor I will not post something here. Basically you need to extend javax.faces.render.Renderer. For help in that camp, surf to the online tutorials or get yourself a book (I learned a lot from Kito Mann's "JSF in Action"). Additionally grab the source for Sun's RI AND Myfaces and dig into that java-code. There is a huge learning potential looking at that source-material.
hth
Alexander