The JavaServer Faces configuration scheme is the deployment descriptor
for a JSF-enabled Web application. The JSF configuration file is used to register
and configure objects and to define the navigation rules used in a Web application.
The faces configuration file is typically named faces-config.xml file and
is usually located in the WEB-INF folder of your Web project.
The JSF configuration file is where you register JavaBeans™ that
are used in your Web application, specify navigation rules, register custom
components, register converters, and register validators.
The root element
of the file is the
<faces-config> tag. Each JavaBean you
register will have a
<managed-bean> tag, contained by
the root element. The
<managed-bean> element has three
sub-elements:
- <managed-bean-name> - This tag defines the name of
the JavaBean.
- <managed-bean-class> - This tag specifies the JavaBean
class.
- <managed-bean-scope> - This tag defines the scope
of the JavaBean.
Navigation rules are defined in the
<navigation-rule> element.
This element contains the sub-elements.
- <from-view-id> - This tag defines the rule.
- <navigation-case> - This tag defines the conditions
that must exist for this case to be executed.
- <from-outcome> - This tag contains a logical outcome
string returned by the execution of an application action method.
- <to-view-id> - This tag contains the view identifier
of the next view that should be displayed if this navigation rule is matched.
A Web application can have multiple application configuration
resource files. If the files are not located in the default directory WEB-INF
and/or are not named faces-config.xml, you need to specify paths to these
files in the deployment descriptor.