Mastering JavaServer Faces 2.2

Configuring phase listeners

As the name suggests, a phase listener is capable to listen to the start and end of each of the six JSF life-cycle phases (a detailed diagram of how JSF phases interact with each other is available in Appendix, The JSF Life Cycle):

• Restore the View phase
• Apply the Request Values phase
• Process the Validations phase
• Update the Model Values phase
• Invoke the Application phase
• Render the Response phase

You can easily capture the events of each phase by following these three steps:

1. Implementing the PhaseListener interface.
2. Overriding the afterPhase, beforePhase, and getPhaseId methods.
3. Configuring the phase listener in faces-config.xml.

A good point to start is a simple but useful PhaseListener that can be used to debug the phases. ...