Create Data Binding Programmatically

Overview

Under MVC approach, getting component's attribute value by calling getter methods causes lots of routine code in a composer. But under MVVM approach, all attributes' values are saved to ViewModel's properties automatically without calling any methods because of data binding. Through using a binder to add data binding for components, we also can enjoy this benefit in a composer. This section introduces basic usages of a binder.

Binder API Usage

There are 3 basic steps to create data bindings:

1. Initialize the binder
2. Store data objects as attributes
3. Add data bindings

Basic steps example

public class DynamicBindingComposer extends SelectorComposer {
	...

	@Override
	public void doAfterCompose(Component comp) throws Exception {
		super.doAfterCompose(comp);
		
		binder.init(grid,this, null);
		
		comp.setAttribute("person", person);
		
		binder.addPropertyLoadBindings(firstNameBox, "value", "person.firstName", null, null, null, null, null);
		binder.addPropertySaveBindings(firstNameBox, "value", "person.firstName", null, null, null, null, null,null,null);
		// add more data bindings...
		
		binder.loadComponent(grid, true); //optionally, call for loading data beans for first time
	}

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Here we give some common examples, for more details please refer to Javadoc: Binder.

Property binding in a ZUL

<textbox value="@bind(vm.person.firstName)"/>

Programmatic property binding

binder.addPropertyLoadBindings(firstNameBox, "value", "vm.person.firstName", null, null, null, null, null);
binder.addPropertySaveBindings(firstNameBox,"value","vm.person.firstName", null, null, null, null, null,null,null);

		String[] command = {"submit"};
		binder.addPropertyLoadBindings(firstNameLabel, "value", "vm.person.firstName", null, command, null, null, null);

Form Binding

		binder.addFormLoadBindings(grid, "fx", "vm.person", null, null, null);
		binder.addFormSaveBindings(grid, "fx", "vm.person", command, null, null, null, null);

		binder.addPropertyLoadBindings(firstNameBox, "value", "fx.firstName", null, null, null, null, null);
		binder.addPropertySaveBindings(firstNameBox, "value", "fx.firstName", null, null, null, null, null
		,"vm.emptyValidator",null);

	<div apply="org.zkoss.bind.BindComposer"
	viewModel="@id('vm') @init('org.zkoss.reference.developer.mvvm.advance.DynamicFormBindingVM')"
	validationMessages="@id('vmsgs')">
		...
				<row>
					First Name:
					<textbox id="fn"/>
					<label id="fnError" style="color:red" />
				</row>

		binder.addPropertyLoadBindings(fNameErrorLabel, "value", "vmsgs[fn]", null, null, null, null, null);

Add Data Binding for Collections

Assume that we hope end users can edit an item directly in a Listbox. Hence we could put a Textbox in each Listcell and make the Textbox bind to a object of Listbox's model. This data binding cannot be made by writing annotation in a zul because those Textboxs are dynamically created.

	<window apply="org.zkoss.reference.developer.mvvm.advance.DynamicCollectionBindingComposer"
		width="600px">
		...
		<div apply="org.zkoss.bind.BindComposer"
			viewModel="@id('vm') @init('org.zkoss.reference.developer.mvvm.advance.DynamicCollectionBindingVM')">
			<listbox model="@load(vm.personList)" selectedItem="@bind(vm.selectedPerson)" rows="10">

			</listbox>
			...
		</div>
		...
	</window>

Use ItemRenderer

	class MyListboxRenderer implements ListitemRenderer{

		public void render(Listitem listitem, Object data, int index)
				throws Exception {

			//TODO explain why
			listitem.setAttribute("each", data);
			
			//first name
			Listcell fnCell = new Listcell();
			listitem.appendChild(fnCell);
			Textbox fnBox = new Textbox();
			fnBox.setInplace(true);
			fnCell.appendChild(fnBox);
			binder.addPropertyLoadBindings(fnBox, "value", "each.firstName", null, null, null, null, null);
			binder.addPropertySaveBindings(fnBox, "value", "each.firstName", null, null, null, null, null, null, null);

			//last name
			...

			//age
			...

			//delete button
			...
		}
		
	}