Difference between binding and value tag

[Yosi Pramajaya]

Hey guys, what's the different between binding and value tag?
It's all the same, doesn't it? Modifying and setting the value of a bean property.
What say you?

[leo donahue]

I assume you're talking about the difference between these?

<h:outputText value="Java" />
<h:outputText value="#{bean.property}" />

The first one is just a value you supply.
The second one is a binding to a value that comes from your bean property.

[Tim Holloway]

I think originally value tags didn't exist and binding was the only choice. Then a bunch of stale web pages kept Binding in view long after it was no longer the best solution.

Binding is a lot more cumbersome than value expressions. It introduces JSF-specific logic and constructs into what would otherwise be POJOs.

There are uses for bindings, however, just not as many as people actually use. Their primary benefit is that if you're not using a static View template, you can bind the View template to an "anchor" object that serves as container for the dynamic components and then construct the dynamic components in a backing bean, attaching them to their bound parent.

[Yosi Pramajaya]

Thanks buddy, you both were really helpful.
But, if I want to make this code work :
<h:inputText <h:inputText id="loginName" xxx="#{facesLogin.name}"/>
and then I want to use the facesLogin.name in another page
like this:
<div> Hi, #{facesLogin.name} </div>

How can I do that? xxx will be binding or value tag? or can be both of them?

[Tim Holloway]

<h:inputText id="loginName" value="#{facesLogin.name}"/>  

Would be the proper value binding.

Your second example isn't actually JSF, it's EL going directly out to the view, so neither value nor binding apply. In JSF, you'd bind a value property like this:

<h:outputText value="Hi,"/> 
<h:outputText value="#{facesLogin.name}"/> 

Or you could split the difference:

<h:outputText value="Hi, #{facesLogin.name}"/> 

That only works on output. Input value expressions have to reference a single property which will then be set when the form is submitted.

[Yosi Pramajaya]

Thank you Tim Holloway,
I think my problem has been resolved.