Creating Forte FieldWidgets Dynamically at Runtime

Question

Hi Everyone,
Could someone please help me with the following problem I have when
creating Forte fieldwidgets dynamically at run-time. I am using Forte
ver. 3.0.G.2.
(-1-) I have a window class with an empty gridfield, <grfMain>, inside a
viewport. The idea is to populate the gridfield with DataField
fieldwidgets dynamically at runtime. Depending on some input criteria,
sometimes some of the DataFields need to map to IntegerNullables, some
to DoubleNullables and some to DateTimeNullables. (Please note that I
cannot use the Forte window workshop to create these fieldwidgets,
because different types of fieldwidgets will be needed at different
times, in different numbers, at run-time. ) Here is a sample of how I am
currently trying to achieve this:
dfDate : DataField = new;
dfDate.MaskType = MK_Template;
dfDate.DateTemplate = new( value='dd/mm/yyyy' );
dfDate.Row = 1;
dfDate.Column = 2;
dfDate.Parent = <grfMain>;
dfInt : DataField = new;
dfInt.MaskType = MK_INTEGER;
dfInt.Row = 2;
dfInt.Column = 2;
dfInt.Parent = <grfMain>;
dfReal : DataField = new;
dfReal.MaskType = MK_FLOAT;
dfReal.Row = 3;
dfReal.Column = 2;
dfReal.Parent = <grfMain>;
The code above is called after the window has been opened with the
Open() statement.
Looking at the code above, one obvious omission is that the "Mapped
Type" of the Datafields are not set up. In the Forte window workshop, an
interface is provided to set up the "Mapped Type" of the Datafield
widgets, but I'm not sure how to do that dynamically, and that is
basically my biggest problem here.
(-2-) If I now run the window class, the Datafield widgets get created,
and they all have the correct input maks, but no validation gets done
when one tabs away from the field. For example, Datafields with
MaskType=MK_INTEGER will gladly accept '--1--0++7', while Datafields
created in the window workshop (mapping to IntegerNullables) will do a
validation, and not allow one to tab out of the field before the extra
minus and plus signs are not removed.
I have the same problem with the Datafields which have
MaskType=MK_Template and DateTemplate='dd/mm/yyyy'. For the date, one
can enter something like '2*\**\****', and leave the field, while the
same type of datafield created in the window workshop (mapped to a
DateTimeNullable), will not allow you to leave the field before a valid
date has not been entered. To summarise, the input masks of my
dynamically created Datafields work fine, but no validation gets done
when the field looses the focus.
(-3-) As a test, I used the Forte debugger ("view"-"local variables") to
look at the differences between Datafields created dynamically, and
those created in the Forte window workshop. One very obvious difference
was that Datafield attribute "MapTypeName" was filled in for the window
workshop Datafields, but not for my dynamically created Datafields. The
problem is that Forte does not allow me to set this attribute
dynamically in my code. How else can I setup the Mapped Type
dynamically?
(-4-) In order to have a consistent look-and-feel throughout our Forte
project, we are making use of Domain classes for DATE and DECIMAL data
entry fields. My questions are:
(4.1) How must I go about creating Datafields dynamically that make use
of these Domain classes?
(4.2) Is it also a matter of setting up the "MapTypeName" attribute,
which I cannot seem to do?
(4.3) Is the mapping done differently for Domain classes?
(-5-) Another interesting thing to note for Datafields created in the
Forte Window Workshop, is that if the mapped type is IntegerNullable
with Input Mask = Integer, or DoubleNullable with Input Mask = Float,
then the Object that the Datafield widget maps to, must first be
instantiated before the Loose-Focus validations will start to work. For
example, if a Datafield widget called "dfTestInt" was created in the
Forte window workshop, which maps to an IntegerNullable, and Input Mask
= Integer, then the following line is needed before the window is
displayed: dfTestInt = new;
Without this line, one can enter something like '2---3+++7', and leave
the field.
This is not true for Datafields where the mapped type is
DateTimeNullable with say Input Mask Template='dd\mm\yyyy'. In this case
validations are done even thought the object being mapped to, has not
been instantiated yet. In other words you will never be able to enter
'2*/**/****', and leave the field for datafield created in the window
workshop. Maybe in this case the validation is being done by the
template itself?
Thanks in advance
Riaan
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Answer 1

what I mean is rendering JSF components on the fly, becuase some time you don't know things at design time. Lets say I am designing a page in creator that shows the total number of dependants that belongs to a primary inusrance member in text boxes. Of course we don't know in advance how many dependants we have for a specific member unless we go to databse and fetch all the data at runtime. Desiging some thing dynamic like that is very easy in CGI or ASP/JSP but JSF model seems very static due to it's design time feature.
So is it possible with JSF or not?