vaadin-framework/documentation/components/components-fields.asciidoc

---
title: Field Components
order: 4
layout: page
---

[[components.fields]]
= Field Components

((("[classname]#Field#", id="term.components.fields", range="startofrange")))


__Fields__ are components that have a value that the user can change through the
user interface. <<figure.components.fields>> illustrates the inheritance
relationships and the important interfaces and base classes.

[[figure.components.fields]]
.Field components
image::img/field-diagram-hi.png[width=60%, scaledwidth=100%]

Field components are built upon the framework defined in the [classname]#Field#
interface and the [classname]#AbstractField# base class.
[classname]#AbstractField# is the base class for all field components. In
addition to the component features inherited from
[classname]#AbstractComponent#, it implements a number of features defined in
[classname]#Property#, [classname]#Buffered#, [classname]#Validatable#, and
[classname]#Component.Focusable# interfaces.

The description of the field interfaces and base classes is broken down in the
following sections.

[[components.fields.field]]
== The [classname]#Field# Interface

The [classname]#Field# interface inherits the [classname]#Component#
superinterface and also the [classname]#Property# interface to have a value for
the field. [classname]#AbstractField# is the only class implementing the
[classname]#Field# interface directly. The relationships are illustrated in
<<figure.components.fields.field>>.

[[figure.components.fields.field]]
.[classname]#Field# interface inheritance
image::img/field-interface-hi.png[width=60%, scaledwidth=100%]

You can set the field value with the [methodname]#setValue()# and read with the
[methodname]#getValue()# method defined in the [classname]#Property# interface.
The actual value type depends on the component.

The [classname]#Field# interface defines a number of properties, which you can
access with the corresponding setters and getters.

[methodname]#required#:: When enabled, a required indicator (usually the asterisk * character) is
displayed on the left, above, or right the field, depending on the containing
layout and whether the field has a caption. If such fields are validated but are
empty and the [methodname]#requiredError# property (see below) is set, an error
indicator is shown and the component error is set to the text defined with the
error property. Without validation, the required indicator is merely a visual
guide.

[methodname]#requiredError#:: Defines the error message to show when a value is required, but none is entered.
The error message is set as the component error for the field and is usually
displayed in a tooltip when the mouse pointer hovers over the error indicator.

[[components.fields.databinding]]
== Data Binding and Conversions

Fields are strongly coupled with the Vaadin data model. The field value is
handled as a [classname]#Property# of the field component, as documented in
<<dummy/../../../framework/datamodel/datamodel-properties#datamodel.properties,"Properties">>.
Selection fields allow management of the selectable items through the
[classname]#Container# interface.

Fields are __editors__ for some particular type. For example,
[classname]#TextField# allows editing [classname]#String# values. When bound to
a data source, the property type of the data model can be something different,
say an [classname]#Integer#. __Converters__ are used for converting the values
between the representation and the model. They are described in
<<dummy/../../../framework/datamodel/datamodel-properties#datamodel.properties.converter,"Converting
Between Property Type and Representation">>.


[[components.fields.valuechanges]]
== Handling Field Value Changes

[classname]#Field# inherits [classname]#Property.ValueChangeListener# to allow
listening for field value changes and [classname]#Property.Editor# to allow
editing values.

When the value of a field changes, a [classname]#Property.ValueChangeEvent# is
triggered for the field. You should not implement the
[methodname]#valueChange()# method in a class inheriting
[classname]#AbstractField#, as it is already implemented in
[classname]#AbstractField#. You should instead implement the method explicitly
by adding the implementing object as a listener.


[[components.fields.buffering]]
== Field Buffering

Field components implement the [interfacename]#Buffered# and
[interfacename]#BufferedValidatable# interfaces. When buffering is enabled for a
field with [methodname]#setBuffered(true)#, the value is not written to the
property data source before the [methodname]#commit()# method is called for the
field. Calling [methodname]#commit()# also runs validators added to the field,
and if any fail (and the [parameter]#invalidCommitted# is disabled), the value
is not written.


[source, java]
----
form.addComponent(new Button("Commit",
    new Button.ClickListener() {
    @Override
    public void buttonClick(ClickEvent event) {
        try {
            editor.commit();
        } catch (InvalidValueException e) {
            Notification.show(e.getMessage());
        }
    }
}));
----
See the http://demo.vaadin.com/book-examples-vaadin7/book#component.field.buffering.basic[on-line example, window="_blank"].

Calling [methodname]#discard()# reads the value from the property data source to
the current input.

If the fields are bound in a [classname]#FieldGroup# that has buffering enabled,
calling [methodname]#commit()# for the group runs validation on all fields in
the group, and if successful, all the field values are written to the item data
source. See
<<dummy/../../../framework/datamodel/datamodel-itembinding#datamodel.itembinding.buffering,"Buffering
Forms">>.


[[components.fields.validation]]
== Field Validation

The input for a field component can be syntactically or semantically invalid.
Fields implement the [interfacename]#Validatable# interface, which allows
checking validity of the input with __validators__ that implement the
[interfacename]#Validator# interface. You can add validators to fields with
[methodname]#addValidator()#.


[source, java]
----
TextField field = new TextField("Name");
field.addValidator(new StringLengthValidator(
    "The name must be 1-10 letters (was {0})",
    1, 10, true));
field.setNullRepresentation("");
field.setNullSettingAllowed(true);
layout.addComponent(field);
----
See the http://demo.vaadin.com/book-examples-vaadin7/book#component.field.validation.basic[on-line example, window="_blank"].

Failed validation is indicated with the error indicator of the field, described
in
<<dummy/../../../framework/application/application-errors#application.errors.error-indicator,"Error
Indicator and Message">>, unless disabled with
[methodname]#setValidationVisible(false)#. Hovering mouse on the field displays
the error message given as a parameter for the validator. If validated
explicitly with [methodname]#validate()#, as described later, the
[classname]#InvalidValueException# is thrown if the validation fails, also
carrying the error message. The value [literal]#++{0}++# in the error message
string is replaced with the invalid input value.

Validators validate the property type of the field after a possible conversion,
not the presentation type. For example, an [classname]#IntegerRangeValidator#
requires that the value type of the property data source is
[classname]#Integer#.

[[components.fields.validation.builtin]]
=== Built-in Validators

Vaadin includes the following built-in validators. The property value type is
indicated.

[classname]#BeanValidator#::
Validates a bean property according to annotations defined in the Bean Validation API 1.0 (JSR-303).
This validator is usually not used explicitly, but they are created implicitly when binding fields in a [classname]#BeanFieldGroup#.
Using bean validation requires an implementation library of the API.
See <<dummy/../../../framework/datamodel/datamodel-itembinding#datamodel.itembinding.beanvalidation,"Bean Validation">> for details.

[classname]#CompositeValidator#::
Combines validators using logical AND and OR operators.

[classname]#DateRangeValidator#: [classname]#Date#::
Checks that the date value is within the range at or between two given dates/times.

[classname]#DoubleRangeValidator#: [classname]#Double#::
Checks that the double value is at or between two given values.

[classname]#EmailValidator#: [classname]#String#::
Checks that the string value is a syntactically valid email address.
The validated syntax is close to the RFC 822 standard regarding email addresses.

[classname]#IntegerRangeValidator#: [classname]#Integer#::
Checks that the integer value is at or between two given values.

[classname]#NullValidator#::
Checks whether the value is or is not a null value.
+
For the validator to be meaningful, the component must support inputting null
values. For example, for selection components and [classname]#TextField#,
inputting null values can be enabled with [methodname]#setNullSettingAllowed()#.
You also need to set the representation of null values: in selection components
with [methodname]#setNullSelectionItemId()# and in [classname]#TextField# with
[methodname]#setNullRepresentation()#.

ifdef::web[]
+
Setting field as __required__ can be used for similar effect, and it also
enables an indicator to indicate that a value is required.
endif::web[]

[classname]#RegexpValidator#: [classname]#String#::
Checks that the value matches with the given regular expression.

[classname]#StringLengthValidator#: [classname]#String#::
Checks that the length of the input string is at or between two given lengths.

ifdef::web[]
+
The [parameter]#allowNull# parameter determines whether null values should be
allowed for the string, regardless of the string length. A null value has zero
length, so it will be invalid if the minimum length is greater than zero.
Allowing null value is meaningful only if inputting null values is enabled with
[methodname]#setNullSettingAllowed(true)#, and typically in such case, you want
to set the null representation to empty string with
[methodname]#setNullRepresentation("")#. Note that _this parameter is
deprecated_ and should normally be [parameter]#true#; then you can use
[methodname]#setRequired()# (for the false case) or [classname]#NullValidator#.
endif::web[]

Please see the API documentation for more details.

[[components.fields.validation.automatic]]
=== Automatic Validation

The validators are normally, when [literal]#++validationVisible++# is true for
the field, executed implicitly on the next server request if the input has
changed. If the field is in immediate mode, it (and any other fields with
changed value) are validated immediately when the focus leaves the field.


[source, java]
----
TextField field = new TextField("Name");
field.addValidator(new StringLengthValidator(
    "The name must be 1-10 letters (was {0})",
    1, 10, true));
field.setImmediate(true);
field.setNullRepresentation("");
field.setNullSettingAllowed(true);
layout.addComponent(field);
----
See the http://demo.vaadin.com/book-examples-vaadin7/book#component.field.validation.basic[on-line example, window="_blank"].


[[components.fields.validation.explicit]]
=== Explicit Validation

The validators are executed when the [methodname]#validate()# or
[methodname]#commit()# methods are called for the field.


[source, java]
----
// A field with automatic validation disabled
final TextField field = new TextField("Name");
field.setNullRepresentation("");
field.setNullSettingAllowed(true);
layout.addComponent(field);

// Define validation as usual
field.addValidator(new StringLengthValidator(
    "The name must be 1-10 letters (was {0})",
    1, 10, true));

// Run validation explicitly
Button validate = new Button("Validate");
validate.addClickListener(new ClickListener() {
    @Override
    public void buttonClick(ClickEvent event) {
        field.setValidationVisible(false);
        try {
            field.validate();
        } catch (InvalidValueException e) {
            Notification.show(e.getMessage());
            field.setValidationVisible(true);
        }
    }
});
layout.addComponent(validate);
----
See the http://demo.vaadin.com/book-examples-vaadin7/book#component.field.validation.explicit[on-line example, window="_blank"].


[[components.fields.validation.custom]]
=== Implementing a Custom Validator

You can create custom validators by implementing the [interfacename]#Validator#
interface and implementing its [methodname]#validate()# method. If the
validation fails, the method should throw either
[classname]#InvalidValueException# or [classname]#EmptyValueException#.


[source, java]
----
class MyValidator implements Validator {
    @Override
    public void validate(Object value)
            throws InvalidValueException {
        if (!(value instanceof String &&
                ((String)value).equals("hello")))
            throw new InvalidValueException("You're impolite");
    }
}

TextField field = new TextField("Say hello");
field.addValidator(new MyValidator());
field.setImmediate(true);
layout.addComponent(field);
----
See the http://demo.vaadin.com/book-examples-vaadin7/book#component.field.validation.customvalidator[on-line example, window="_blank"].


[[components.fields.validation.fieldgroup]]
=== Validation in Field Groups

If the field is bound to a [classname]#FieldGroup#, described in
<<dummy/../../../framework/datamodel/datamodel-itembinding#datamodel.itembinding,"Creating
Forms by Binding Fields to Items">>, calling [methodname]#commit()# for the
group runs the validation for all the fields in the group, and if successful,
writes the input values to the data source.

(((range="endofrange", startref="term.components.fields")))