jsf jsf-2.2 glassfish-4 viewexpiredexception

ViewExpiredException error page not shown

I leave some tabs open with forms and when I press the command buttons (after some time when the session expires) I receive a java script alert saying:

serverError: class javax.faces.application.ViewExpiredException viewId:/register.xhtml - View /register.xhtml could not be restored.

On firefox (glassfish 4 locally)

I have added :

<error-page>
    <exception-type>javax.faces.application.ViewExpiredException</exception-type>
    <location>/index.xhtml?faces-redirect=true</location>
</error-page>

in my web.xml but I am not redirected to my index. Why is that ?

Edit: sample button

<h:commandButton value="Register" action="#{userController.register}">
    <f:ajax execute="@form" render="@form" />
</h:commandButton>

UserController is ViewScoped

Solution

That's expected behaviour, if you look at sections 13.3.6.3 and 13.3.6.4 of the JSF-2.2 spec, at least if you have

<context-param>
  <param-name>javax.faces.PROJECT_STAGE</param-name>
  <param-value>Development</param-value>
</context-param>

in your web.xml (it silently ignores the error in production mode). The JSF client-side code sends an AJAX request when you click that button and receives

<error>
    <error-name>...</error-name>
    <error-message>...</error-message>
</error>

with your ViewExpiredException in the response. The client-side code is then expected to react to that error information. Register a function with onerror (on the f:ajax tag) or addOnError (on the jsf.ajax object) to handle error yourself.

Since a lot of folks expect the server to direct the client on such an issue, omnifaces includes the FullAjaxExceptionHandler that basically resets your response and sends the error page you specified.