How to update bean properties when using an immediate link

Question

Hello,
I have a page with a find link next to an input text field. The input text field requires a valid code to be entered. If the user doesn't know the code they need to press the find link to go to a search page and select the code. The input text code field needs to have a value entered so it has its required attribute set because the validator I have and attached to the input text field does not get called unless something is entered in the field. If I don't set the link to immediate the required constraint prevents the search page from being invoked but if I do set it to immediate the values typed on the page are not updated to the bean properties they are bound to.
I have read many posts but I fail to see a way to resolve this. The update model phase is apparently skipped because of the immediate attribute and so the values typed in by the user are lost.
Please help.
Thanks,
Randall

Answer 1

A UIInput holds the submitted value.
When updating models it is cleared to null but when some error occurs it keeps to hold the submitted value.
The TextRenderer uses the submitted value if the value is null.
Therefore, you can see the submitted value is redrawn when some error occurs.
Unfortunately, this mechanizm does not work beyond requests
because the default application action listener always create a new viewroot based on the navigation rules.
An general solution of your problem is not so easy.
I think it may be to customize the action listener or the lifecycle.
A temporal solution may be that the link action copys the submitted value to the managed-beans.