JSF seems to not call a simple action method

Question

I have a situation where it seems JSF is not performing one of it's basic functions--calling an action method in a backing bean based on a simple JSF EL expression.
Here's the relevant part of my JSP (the h:subview tags are there because another JSP includes this one):
-- my.jsp: ------------------------------------------------------------
<%@ page language="java" %>
<%@ taglib uri="http://java.sun.com/jsf/html" prefix="h" %>
<%@ taglib uri="http://java.sun.com/jsf/core" prefix="f" %>
<f:subview id="work-area">
<h:form id="peers-work">
     <h:commandButton id="edit" value="Edit"     action="#{peerBean.edit}" styleClass="actionButton" />
</h:form>
</f:subview>
--------------------------------------------------------------My faces-config.xml defines the "peerBean" as follows:
-- faces-config.xml: ------------------------------------------------------------
<faces-config>
  <managed-bean>
    <description>Session bean for performing Peer operations.</description>
    <managed-bean-name>peerBean</managed-bean-name>
    <managed-bean-class>com.myApp.PeerBean</managed-bean-class>
    <managed-bean-scope>session</managed-bean-scope>
  </managed-bean>
  <navigation-rule>
    <from-view-id>/my.jsp</from-view-id>
    <navigation-case>
      <from-outcome>success</from-outcome>
      <to-view-id>/editPeer.jsp</to-view-id>
    </navigation-case>
    <navigation-case>
        <from-outcome>fail</from-outcome>
        <to-view-id>/error.jsp</to-view-id>
      </navigation-case>
    </navigation-rule>
</faces-config>
--------------------------------------------------------------And here's the action method in PeerBean:
-- PeerBean.java ----------------------------------------
public class PeerBean extends BaseBean implements Serializable {
    public PeerBean() {
    public String edit() {
        logger.debug("in edit().");
        Peer peer = this.getPeer(this.getId() );
        String outcome = "success"; // optimism!
        if (peer == null) {
            outcome = "fail";
        } else {
            this.setId(peer.getId() );
            this.setName(peer.getName() );
            this.setDescription(peer.getDescription() );
        return outcome;
--------------------------------------------------------------It compiles and runs fine, but when I click on the "Edit" button in my.jsp, the page submits but never enters the "edit" method (based on the fact that the logger call in the method does not write anything to the log.), and it simply re-displays my.jsp (even though it should go to the "success" or "fail" page, according to the navigation rules). I see a bunch of debug messages in the logs from the code that loads the page, but no indication that the edit method is touched. There are no stack traces or errors reported in any of the logs that Tomcat creates for this application.
Elsewhere in my application, I am able to use commandButton elements to trigger backing bean actions just like I'm trying to do above, and in other places it works fine. I don't know why the above case does not work.
Also, is there a way to put JSF in a debug mode that shows info such as the navigation outcome processing, JSF EL processing, etc.?
Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Scott

Answer 1

I see. Thanks for the response.
I already have message and messages tag in the JSF, but no error message is displayed. Also, there is no error message in the tomcat log.
I actually found your tutorial ( http://balusc.blogspot.com/2008/01/jsf-tutorial-with-eclipse-and-tomcat.html ) yesterday, so when I saw your response, your name looked familiar but I did not immediately remember why. I Will be going through the tutorial now.
My application goes as far as the INVOKE APPLICATION phase, but never enters/executes the action method, can anyone please suggest any reason that could be the cause.
Please see code below:
JSF - status.jsp
============
<%@ page language="java" contentType="text/html;charset=UTF-8"%>
<%@ taglib prefix="f" uri="http://java.sun.com/jsf/core"%>
<%@ taglib prefix="h" uri="http://java.sun.com/jsf/html"%>
<f:loadBundle basename="com.fujimitsu.moneytransfer.resources.UIResources" var="bundle"/>
<html>
    <f:view>
    <head>
        <title><h:outputText value="#{bundle.registerStatus}"/> </title>
         <link href="../css/stylesheet.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"/>
    </head>
        <body>
            <f:verbatim><p>JavaServer Faces Page</p>
            <p>
                 </p><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="800">
                      <tr>
                           <td>
                                <h:graphicImage url="/images/resources.jpg" alt="#{bundle.img_alt_info}"/>
                           </td>
                      </tr>
                      <tr>
                           <td>
                                <h:messages globalOnly="false" styleClass="validationMessage" layout="table"/>
                                <p>
                                     <h:form id="statusManagedBeanForm">
                                          <h:panelGrid columns="3">
                                               <h:outputText value="#{bundle['statusField.status']}"/>
                                               <h:inputText id="status" value="#{statusManagedBean.status}"/>
                                               <h:message for="status" styleClass="validationMessage"/>
                                               <h:outputText value="#{bundle['statusDescField.statusDesc']}"/>
                                               <h:inputText id="statusDesc" value="#{statusManagedBean.statusDesc}"/>
                                               <h:message for="statusDesc" styleClass="validationMessage"/>
                                               <h:outputText value="Created By:"/>
                                               <h:inputText id="createdBy" binding="#{statusManagedBean.createdBy}"/>
                                               <h:message for="createdBy" styleClass="validationMessage"/>
                                          </h:panelGrid>
                                          <h:commandButton action="#{statusManagedBean.createStatusAction}" type="submit" value="Submit"/>
                                     </h:form>
                                </p>
                           </td>
                      </tr>
                 </table>
            </f:verbatim>
        </body>
    </f:view>
</html>
HTML code of status.jsp before the submit button is clicked
===========================================
<form id="statusManagedBeanForm" name="statusManagedBeanForm" method="post" action="/moneytransferFaces/pages/status.jsf" enctype="application/x-www-form-urlencoded">
<input type="hidden" name="statusManagedBeanForm" value="statusManagedBeanForm" />
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Status</td>
<td><input id="statusManagedBeanForm:status" type="text" name="statusManagedBeanForm:status" /></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Status Desc</td>
<td><input id="statusManagedBeanForm:statusDesc" type="text" name="statusManagedBeanForm:statusDesc" /></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Created By:</td>
<td><input id="statusManagedBeanForm:createdBy" type="text" name="statusManagedBeanForm:createdBy" /></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<input type="submit" name="statusManagedBeanForm:j_id_jsp_948632549_16" value="Submit" /><input type="hidden" name="javax.faces.ViewState" id="javax.faces.ViewState" value="j_id4:j_id5" />
</form>
HTML code of status.jsp after the submit button is clicked
==========================================   
Please note:   action="/moneytransferFaces/pages/status.jsf"   ,  is this what it is supposed to be?
<form id="statusManagedBeanForm" name="statusManagedBeanForm" method="post" action="/moneytransferFaces/pages/status.jsf" enctype="application/x-www-form-urlencoded">
<input type="hidden" name="statusManagedBeanForm" value="statusManagedBeanForm" />
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Status</td>
<td><input id="statusManagedBeanForm:status" type="text" name="statusManagedBeanForm:status" /></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Status Desc</td>
<td><input id="statusManagedBeanForm:statusDesc" type="text" name="statusManagedBeanForm:statusDesc" /></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Created By:</td>
<td><input id="statusManagedBeanForm:createdBy" type="text" name="statusManagedBeanForm:createdBy" /></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<input type="submit" name="statusManagedBeanForm:j_id_jsp_948632549_16" value="Submit" /><input type="hidden" name="javax.faces.ViewState" id="javax.faces.ViewState" value="j_id1:j_id3" />
</form>
STATUS BEAN
===========
package com.fujimitsu.moneytransfer.beans;
import javax.faces.component.html.HtmlInputText;
public class Status {
     private String status;
     private String statusDesc;
     private HtmlInputText createdBy;
     public Status() {
     public HtmlInputText getCreatedBy() {
          return createdBy;
     public void setCreatedBy(HtmlInputText createdBy) {
          this.createdBy = createdBy;
     public String getStatus() {
          return status;
     public void setStatus(String status) {
          this.status = status;
     public String getStatusDesc() {
          return statusDesc;
     public void setStatusDesc(String statusDesc) {
          this.statusDesc = statusDesc;
     public String createStatusAction() {
          this.setStatusDesc("testing createStatusAction()...");
          return "success";
FACES CONFIG
============
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!--
     Copyright 2003 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.
     SUN PROPRIETARY/CONFIDENTIAL. Use is subject to license terms.
-->
<!DOCTYPE faces-config PUBLIC
  "-//Sun Microsystems, Inc.//DTD JavaServer Faces Config 1.0//EN"
  "http://java.sun.com/dtd/web-facesconfig_1_0.dtd">
<faces-config>
     <application>
          <locale-config>
               <default-locale>en</default-locale>
          </locale-config>
     </application>
     <managed-bean>
          <managed-bean-name>statusManagedBean</managed-bean-name>
          <managed-bean-class>
               com.fujimitsu.moneytransfer.beans.Status
          </managed-bean-class>
          <managed-bean-scope>session</managed-bean-scope>
     </managed-bean>
     <navigation-rule>
          <from-view-id>/pages/status.jsf</from-view-id>
          <navigation-case>
               <from-outcome>success</from-outcome>
               <to-view-id>/pages/home.jsf</to-view-id>
          </navigation-case>
     </navigation-rule>
     <navigation-rule>
          <from-view-id>/pages/status.jsp</from-view-id>
          <navigation-case>
               <from-outcome>success</from-outcome>
               <to-view-id>/pages/home.jsp</to-view-id>
          </navigation-case>
     </navigation-rule>
     <lifecycle>
          <phase-listener>
               com.fujimitsu.moneytransfer.utils.PrintTreePhaseListener
          </phase-listener>
     </lifecycle>
</faces-config>
web.xml
======
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE web-app PUBLIC
  "-//Sun Microsystems, Inc.//DTD Web Application 2.3//EN"
  "http://java.sun.com/dtd/web-app_2_3.dtd">
<web-app>
     <!--A short name that is intended to be displayed by tools.-->
     <display-name>The simplest JSF application.</display-name>
     <servlet>
          <servlet-name>Faces Servlet</servlet-name>
          <servlet-class>javax.faces.webapp.FacesServlet</servlet-class>
     </servlet>
     <servlet-mapping>
          <servlet-name>Faces Servlet</servlet-name>
          <url-pattern>/faces/*</url-pattern>
     </servlet-mapping>
    <servlet-mapping>
          <servlet-name>Faces Servlet</servlet-name>
        <url-pattern>*.jsf</url-pattern>
    </servlet-mapping>
    <servlet-mapping>
          <servlet-name>Faces Servlet</servlet-name>
        <url-pattern>*.faces</url-pattern>
    </servlet-mapping>
</web-app>
DIRECTORY STRUCTURE
====================
appName
            pages
            WEB-INF
            .........Thanks.