EJB-JSF Application : Data does not persist to the database

Question

Hi,
I am developing a JSF - EJB application and the data that I send from JSP Page through JSF Managed Bean --> Session Bean --> Java Persistence does not persist in database.
Here is my scenario ( Iam using JDeveloper IDE to create this application) -
SCENARIO START
The scenario consists of two web pages, one enlisting all the users stored in the database, the other contains a form for adding a user
1.) INDEX.JSP
2.) ADDUSER.JSP
Step 1: Create the USERS Table in database
CREATE TABLE users
user_id serial,
username varchar(255) NOT NULL,
first_name varchar(255),
last_name varchar(255),
password char(64) NOT NULL,
CONSTRAINT pk_users PRIMARY KEY (user_id)
Step 2: Add Database Connection To JDeveloper
Go to Database Connection Navigator and create a New Database Connection using the Wizard
Step 3: Create a New Application in JDeveloper and select JSF, EJB from Application Template
Step 4: ENTITY BEAN - In the EJB Node Right Click and Select EJB � New Entites from Table (JPA/EJB3.0)
Use The Wizard and create Entity Bean from Users Table which creates an Entity Bea POJO file as follows �
User.java -
package lux.domain;
import java.io.Serializable;
import javax.persistence.Column;
import javax.persistence.Entity;
import javax.persistence.GeneratedValue;
import javax.persistence.GenerationType;
import javax.persistence.Id;
import javax.persistence.NamedQuery;
import javax.persistence.SequenceGenerator;
import javax.persistence.Table;
@Entity
@NamedQuery(name = "User.findAll", query = "select o from User o")
@Table(name = "USERS")
public class User implements Serializable {
@Column(name="FIRST_NAME")
private String firstName;
@Column(name="LAST_NAME")
private String lastName;
@Column(nullable = false)
private String password;
@Column(nullable = false)
private String username;
@Id
@GeneratedValue(strategy=GenerationType.SEQUENCE, generator="users_seq_generator")
@SequenceGenerator(name="users_seq_generator", sequenceName="users_user_id_seq")
@Column(name="USER_ID", nullable = false)
private Long userId;
public User() {
public String getFirstName() {
return firstName;
public void setFirstName(String firstName) {
this.firstName = firstName;
public String getLastName() {
return lastName;
public void setLastName(String lastName) {
this.lastName = lastName;
public String getPassword() {
return password;
public void setPassword(String password) {
this.password = password;
public String getUsername() {
return username;
public void setUsername(String username) {
this.username = username;
public Long getUserId() {
return userId;
public void setUserId(Long userId) {
this.userId = userId;
Step 5: STATELESS SESSION BEAN - In the EJB Node Right Click and Select EJB � New Entites from Table (JPA/EJB3.0)
Again Right Click on Model and create Session Bean from Wizard which creates two files �
UserDAOBean.java � Stateless Session Bean
UserDAO.java � Local Interface
package lux.facade;
import java.security.MessageDigest;
import java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.logging.Level;
import java.util.logging.Logger;
import javax.ejb.Stateless;
import javax.persistence.EntityManager;
import javax.persistence.PersistenceContext;
import javax.persistence.Query;
import lux.domain.User;
@Stateless(name="UserDAO")
public class UserDAOBean implements UserDAO {
@PersistenceContext(unitName="Model")
private EntityManager em;
public UserDAOBean() {
public User getUser(int UserId) {
User u = new User();
u = em.find(User.class, UserId);
return u;
public List<User> getAllUsers() {
Query q = em.createQuery("SELECT u FROM User u");
List<User> users = q.getResultList();
return users;
public void createUser(User u) {
String hashedPw = hashPassword(u.getPassword());
u.setPassword(hashedPw);
em.persist(u);
public void updateUser(User u) {
String hashedPw = hashPassword(u.getPassword());
u.setPassword(hashedPw);
em.merge(u);
public void deleteUser(User u) {
em.remove(u);
private String hashPassword(String password) {
StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
try {
MessageDigest messageDigest = MessageDigest.getInstance("SHA");
byte[] bs;
bs = messageDigest.digest(password.getBytes());
for (int i = 0; i < bs.length; i++) {
String hexVal = Integer.toHexString(0xFF & bs);
if (hexVal.length() == 1) {
sb.append("0");
sb.append(hexVal);
} catch (NoSuchAlgorithmException ex) {
Logger.getLogger(UserDAOBean.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
return sb.toString();
Step 6: Create a Deployment file in the Model and Deploy this to a JAR file
Step 7: Now Right Click on View/Controller Node and create a Java File �
UserController.java -
package lux.controllers;
import javax.ejb.EJB;
import javax.faces.model.DataModel;
import javax.faces.model.ListDataModel;
import lux.domain.User;
import lux.facade.UserDAO;
public class UserController {
@EJB UserDAO userDao;
private User user;
private DataModel model;
public String createUser() {
this.user = new User();
return "create_new_user";
public String saveUser() {
String r = "success";
try {
userDao.createUser(user);
} catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
r = "failed";
return r;
public DataModel getUsers() {
model = new ListDataModel(userDao.getAllUsers());
return model;
public User getUser() {
return user;
public void setUser(User user) {
this.user = user;
Step 8: Configure page flow in faces-config.xml
1. Create the JSP file adduser.jsp by right-clicking View-Controller
node and selecting New > JSP. Use the wizard to create JSF � JSP Page, fill in
File Name adduser.jsp, click Finish. -
<%@page contentType="text/html"%>
<%@page pageEncoding="UTF-8"%>
<%@taglib prefix="f" uri="http://java.sun.com/jsf/core"%>
<%@taglib prefix="h" uri="http://java.sun.com/jsf/html"%>
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<title>New user</title>
</head>
<body>
<f:view>
<h:form>
<h:messages/>
<h:panelGrid columns="2">
<h:outputText value="Username"/>
<h:inputText
id="Username"
value="#{user.user.username}"
required="true"/>
<h:outputText value="First name"/>
<h:inputText
id="FirstName"
value="#{user.user.firstName}" />
<h:outputText value="Last name"/>
<h:inputText
id="LastName"
value="#{user.user.lastName}" />
<h:outputText value="Password" />
<h:inputSecret
id="Password"
value="#{user.user.password}"
required="true" />
<h:panelGroup/>
<h:commandButton
action="#{user.saveUser}"
value="Save"/>
</h:panelGrid>
</h:form>
</f:view>
</body>
</html>
2. Repeat the previous step for another JSP file failed.jsp.
3. On failed.jsp add the string
Save failed
Next we configure the page flow.
1. Open faces-config.xml.
2. Create index.jsp -
<%@page contentType="text/html"%>
<%@page pageEncoding="UTF-8"%>
<%@taglib prefix="f" uri="http://java.sun.com/jsf/core"%>
<%@taglib prefix="h" uri="http://java.sun.com/jsf/html"%>
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<title>User Listing</title>
</head>
<body>
<f:view>
<h:form>
<h:outputText value="User Listing"/>
<h:commandLink action="#{user.createUser}" value="Create a user"/>
<h:dataTable value="#{user.user}"
var="dataTableItem" border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">
<h:column>
<f:facet name="header">
<h:outputText value="Username"/>
</f:facet>
<h:outputText value="#{dataTableItem.username}" />
</h:column>
<h:column>
<f:facet name="header">
<h:outputText value="First name"/>
</f:facet>
<h:outputText value="#{dataTableItem.firstName}" />
</h:column>
<h:column>
<f:facet name="header">
<h:outputText value="Last name"/>
</f:facet>
<h:outputText value="#{dataTableItem.lastName}" />
</h:column>
</h:dataTable>
</h:form>
</f:view>
</body>
</html>
3. Drag an arrow from index.jsp to adduser.jsp and replace the arrow�s label to create_new_user.
4. Repeat the previous step for failed, by dragging and arrow from adduser.jsp to failed.jsp renaming the label to f
ailed
5. Finally repeat the step for adduser.jsp, by dragging from adduser.jsp to index.jsp renaming the label to success.
This creates the following faces-config.xml file �
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
<faces-config>
<managed-bean>
<managed-bean-name>user</managed-bean-name>
<managed-bean-class>lux.controllers.UserController</managed-bean-class>
<managed-bean-scope>session</managed-bean-scope>
<managed-property>
<property-name>username</property-name>
<value>#{username}</value>
</managed-property>
<managed-property>
<property-name>firstName</property-name>
<value>#{firstName}</value>
</managed-property>
<managed-property>
<property-name>lastName</property-name>
<value>#{lastName}</value>
</managed-property>
<managed-property>
<property-name>password</property-name>
<value>#{password}</value>
</managed-property>
</managed-bean>
<navigation-rule>
<from-view-id>/index.jsp</from-view-id>
<navigation-case>
<from-outcome>create_new_user</from-outcome>
<to-view-id>/adduser.jsp</to-view-id>
</navigation-case>
</navigation-rule>
<navigation-rule>
<from-view-id>/adduser.jsp</from-view-id>
<navigation-case>
<from-outcome>failed</from-outcome>
<to-view-id>/failed.jsp</to-view-id>
</navigation-case>
<navigation-case>
<from-outcome>success</from-outcome>
<to-view-id>/index.jsp</to-view-id>
</navigation-case>
</navigation-rule>
</faces-config>
Step 9: Create a Deployment file in the View-Controller and Deploy this to a WAR file
Step 10: Create a Deployment file in the View-Controller and create an EAR file and add Model�s JAR and View-Controller�s
WAR files to it.
Step 11: Run the JSP Files
SCENARIO END
Now, When I execute Index.jsp, it does not list values from database and when I click on Create User link, it takes me to adduser.jsp page. When I fill values in this page and click Save button, it takes me to Save Failed page and data does not persist to the database.
WHAT IS WRONG OUT HERE ???

Answer 1

If you set a breakpoint in your createUser method - does this code get executed?
We have a couple of tutorials that might show you how to do this.
EJB/JSF with ADF-binding tutorial:
http://www.oracle.com/technology/obe/obe1013jdev/10131/ejb_and_jpa/master-detail_pagewith_ejb.htm
EJB/JSF without ADF binding:
http://www.oracle.com/technology/obe/JavaEE_tutorial_10131/index.htm