Extra non bound Row in a data table

Question

We have the following question, which we believe is possible with creator:
In a data table, whose data source is a database table or Object List or EJB, is it possible to have the fisrt row (the row that comes after the column titles row) not bound to any data and used for another purpose? We want to use this row as a Query By Example (QBE) row, so that an application user may enter arbitrary search criteria into textbox columns in this row, column by column. When they click on a find button, data that meets the criteria is returned. We want something similar to the following html dislpay:
<table width="401" border="1">
<tr>
<th scope="col">Employee ID </th>
<th scope="col">First Name </th>
<th scope="col">Last Name </th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Text Box here for ID criteria </td>
<td>Text box here for First Name Criteria </td>
<td>Text Box here for last name criteria </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>101</td>
<td>David</td>
<td>Keen</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>102</td>
<td>Mary </td>
<td>Linda</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>103</td>
<td>Kevin</td>
<td>Lees</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>104</td>
<td>James </td>
<td>Bent</td>
</tr>
</table>
One possibility that we have considered is to dynamically create a table, using the following code. But this is not working as expected. First, the QBE row is not rendered( there is a message that says No Data Found). And second, the pagination controls do not display.
public HtmlPanelGrid getGridPanel1() {
//return gridPanel1;
Table dynamicTable = createTable();
gridPanel1.getChildren().add(dynamicTable);
return gridPanel1;
private Table createTable(){
Table table = new Table();
table.setId("table1");
table.setTitle("Dynamically Created Table");
table.setPaginateButton(true);
table.setPaginationControls(true);
// Create the Table Row group dynamically
createRowGroupQBE(table);
createRowGroupData(table);
return table;
private TableRowGroup createRowGroupQBE(Table tbe)
TableRowGroup rowGroup = new TableRowGroup();
rowGroup.setId("rowGroup1");
//rowGroup.setPaginated(false);
//rowGroup.setSourceVar("currentRow");
//rowGroup.setValueBinding("sourceData", getApplication());
//rowGroup.setRows(5);
//rowGroup.setRows(1);
// Add the table row group to the table as a child
tbe.getChildren().add(rowGroup);
// Create the first table Column
TableColumn tableColumn1 = new TableColumn();
tableColumn1.setId("tableColumn1");
tableColumn1.setHeaderText("Data Item");
// Add the first table Column to the table row group
rowGroup.getChildren().add(tableColumn1);
TextField staticText1 = new TextField();
// Add the static text to the table column1
tableColumn1.getChildren().add(staticText1);
// Create the first table Column
TableColumn tableColumn2 = new TableColumn();
tableColumn2.setId("tableColumn2");
tableColumn2.setHeaderText("Data Item Name");
// Add the first table Column to the table row group
rowGroup.getChildren().add(tableColumn2);
StaticText staticText2 = new StaticText();
// Add the static text to the table column2
tableColumn2.getChildren().add(staticText2);
// Create the first table Column
TableColumn tableColumn3 = new TableColumn();
tableColumn3.setId("tableColumn3");
tableColumn3.setHeaderText("System Code");
// Add the first table Column to the table row group
rowGroup.getChildren().add(tableColumn3);
StaticText staticText3 = new StaticText();
// Add the static text to the table column3
tableColumn3.getChildren().add(staticText3);
// Create the first table Column
TableColumn tableColumn4 = new TableColumn();
tableColumn4.setId("tableColumn4");
tableColumn4.setHeaderText("Description");
// Add the first table Column to the table row group
rowGroup.getChildren().add(tableColumn4);
StaticText staticText4 = new StaticText();
// Add the static text to the table column4
tableColumn4.getChildren().add(staticText4);
// Create the first table Column
TableColumn tableColumn5 = new TableColumn();
tableColumn5.setId("tableColumn5");
tableColumn5.setHeaderText("Column Heading");
// Add the first table Column to the table row group
rowGroup.getChildren().add(tableColumn5);
StaticText staticText5 = new StaticText();
// Add the static text to the table column5
tableColumn5.getChildren().add(staticText5);
return rowGroup;
private TableRowGroup createRowGroupData(Table tbe)
// Create the Table Row group dynamically
TableRowGroup dataRowGroup = new TableRowGroup();
dataRowGroup.setId("rowGroup2");
dataRowGroup.setSourceVar("currentRow");
dataRowGroup.setValueBinding("sourceData", getApplication().createValueBinding("#{newPage.dictionarySessionRemoteGetAllDictionaries1}"));
//dataRowGroup.setPaginated(true);
dataRowGroup.setRows(5);
// Add the table row group to the table as a child
tbe.getChildren().add(dataRowGroup);
// Create the first table Column
TableColumn dataTableColumn1 = new TableColumn();
dataTableColumn1.setId("dataTableColumn1");
// Add the first table Column to the table row group
dataRowGroup.getChildren().add(dataTableColumn1);
StaticText dataStaticText1 = new StaticText();
dataStaticText1.setValueBinding("text", getApplication().createValueBinding ("#{currentRow.value['dataItem']}"));
// Add the static text to the table column1
dataTableColumn1.getChildren().add(dataStaticText1);
// Create the first table Column
TableColumn dataTableColumn2 = new TableColumn();
dataTableColumn2.setId("dataTableColumn2");
// Add the first table Column to the table row group
dataRowGroup.getChildren().add(dataTableColumn2);
StaticText dataStaticText2 = new StaticText();
dataStaticText2.setValueBinding("text", getApplication().createValueBinding ("#{currentRow.value['dataItemName']}"));
// Add the static text to the table column2
dataTableColumn2.getChildren().add(dataStaticText2);
// Create the first table Column
TableColumn dataTableColumn3 = new TableColumn();
dataTableColumn3.setId("dataTableColumn3");
// Add the first table Column to the table row group
dataRowGroup.getChildren().add(dataTableColumn3);
StaticText dataStaticText3 = new StaticText();
dataStaticText3.setValueBinding("text", getApplication().createValueBinding ("#{currentRow.value['systemCode']}"));
// Add the static text to the table column3
dataTableColumn3.getChildren().add(dataStaticText3);
// Create the first table Column
TableColumn dataTableColumn4 = new TableColumn();
dataTableColumn4.setId("dataTableColumn4");
// Add the first table Column to the table row group
dataRowGroup.getChildren().add(dataTableColumn4);
StaticText dataStaticText4 = new StaticText();
dataStaticText4.setValueBinding("text", getApplication().createValueBinding ("#{currentRow.value['description']}"));
// Add the static text to the table column4
dataTableColumn4.getChildren().add(dataStaticText4);
// Create the first table Column
TableColumn dataTableColumn5 = new TableColumn();
dataTableColumn5.setId("dataTableColumn5");
// Add the first table Column to the table row group
dataRowGroup.getChildren().add(dataTableColumn5);
StaticText dataStaticText5 = new StaticText();
dataStaticText5.setValueBinding("text", getApplication().createValueBinding ("#{currentRow.value['columnHeading1']}"));
// Add the static text to the table column5
dataTableColumn5.getChildren().add(dataStaticText5);
return dataRowGroup;
Any ideas?

Answer 1

Here is a suggestion. I have not tried it myself
Add another method
    public void setSelected(RowKey rowkey, Object object) {
        if (rowKey != null) {
            tablePhaseListener.setSelected(rowKey, object);
    }