This presentation is a short overview of OmniFaces utility library for JavaServer Faces (JSF).

1. Introduction to OmniFaces
Anghel Leonard

2. What we will cover ?
• OmniFaces "placemark" on "JSFmap“
• What is/isn’t OmniFaces ?
• How should I use OmniFaces ?
• Sounds like I should be an advanced JSF developer. Should I ?
• How much time do I need to learn OmniFaces ?
• Where can I find OmniFaces?
• How can I download, install and configure OmniFaces ?

3. OmniFaces "placemark" on "JSFmap"

4. What is/isn’t OmniFaces ? (I)
• OmniFaces is an utility library for JSF 2 developed by two JSF EG
members: Bauke Scholtz and Arjan Tijms.
• It can be used with JSF implementations, Mojarra and Apache
MyFaces, and it is intended to work in cooperation with existing JSF
libraries (e.g. PrimeFaces, RichFaces, ICEfaces, etc).
• OmniFaces main purpose is to help developers to find answers to
day-by-day JSF related questions.
• Typically, the sources of these questions are represented by JSF
uncovered features, missing utilities methods, twisted use cases,
JSF bugs, JSF specific behaviors, etc, reported on StackOverflow.

5. What is/isn’t OmniFaces ? (II)
• In addition, OmniFaces is also a "silent teacher" that helps
developers to build a strong logic and learn "healthy" programming
techniques.
• The OmniFaces source code is available for download/study on
GitHub and it is developed in pure JSF API.
• OmniFaces is not a framework or another JSF implementation like
Apache MyFaces.
• OmniFaces is not a component library like, PrimeFaces.

6. How should I use OmniFaces ? (I)
Consult OmniFaces Showcase
• If you think that your JSF issue can be solved via a custom
component, custom converter/validator, tag handler, exception
handler, custom function, utility method, custom context, event
listener, faces view, filter, render kit, resource handler, view handler,
caching mechanism, shortcut method, etc, then you better check out
OmniFaces Showcase, because OmniFaces may already have an
"out of the box" solution for you.
• The OmniFaces Showcase is divided in sections, and each section
contains a set of artifacts grouped by their type (e.g. components,
converters, validators, taghandlers, etc).

7. How should I use OmniFaces ? (II)
Ask/report on StackOverflow
• Moreover, you can post your issue on StackOverflow, and maybe
the answer will consist in a new OmniFaces artifact.
Inspire from OmniFaces source code
• Even if you don’t find something that is exemplified and documented
in the Showcase, you may exploit the OmniFaces source code and
inspire from it.

8. Sounds like I should be an
advanced JSF developer. Should I ? (I)
OmniFaces is useful to all JSF fans.

9. Sounds like I should be an
advanced JSF developer. Should I ? (II)
• This means that OmniFaces doesn't required a certain level of JSF
knowledge, and, since it is developed on top of JSF API, it doesn't
require any third-party artifacts (e.g. libraries, frameworks) to be
known.
• Think like this: OmniFaces comes as an answer to your question
(issue), so, basically you are aware about what should be done, but
you just don't know how to do it. So, in order to use the OmniFaces
solution, you should have (or obtain) enough JSF knowledge to
understand how to use it in your project. Simple as that!

10. Sounds like I should be an
advanced JSF developer. Should I ? (III)
• Novices issues usually doesn’t require an utility library (being more
the result of inexperience), so, most probably, OmniFaces will start
to make your life easier from the moment when you will face JSF
issues in the production field.
• So, if you are (looking for) a junior/senior JSF developer job (or
Java/JEE developer that works with JSF also), then OmniFaces is a
must in your arsenal.
• Ideally, if you are a JSF “guru”, you will not need OmniFaces too
often.

11. How much time do I need
to learn OmniFaces ?
• By its nature, OmniFaces is not something that must be learned as a
framework or as a programming language, which means that you
don't need to follow long tutorials or read a lot of documentation.
• Basically, you can use OmniFaces one time in your life or every day;
is not a matter of learning it, and most important is to know what
OmniFaces can do, and use it at the right time.
• Most probably, your first contact with OmniFaces will consist in
solving a JSF issue via an OmniFaces component, tag handler,
utility method, validator, converter, etc. From that moment, the
curiosity will make you to discover more about what OmniFaces can
do.

12. Where can I find OmniFaces? (I)
OmniFaces home page - http://omnifaces.org/

13. Where can I find OmniFaces? (II)
• The below links are the ones that most probably will be fix in time.
Other links (e.g. nightly build, links specific for different versions, etc)
can be found on below pages:
OmniFaces home page - http://omnifaces.org/
• All the next links can be accessed via OmniFaces home page also:
OmniFaces Showcase http://showcase.omnifaces.org/
OmniFacesAPI documentation http://omnifaces.org/docs/javadoc/current/
OmniFacesVDL documentation http://omnifaces.org/docs/vdldoc/current/
OmniFacesWiki pages https://github.com/omnifaces/omnifaces/wiki
OmniFaces source code https://github.com/omnifaces/omnifaces
OmniFaces issues https://github.com/omnifaces/omnifaces/issues
http://stackoverflow.com/
OmniFaces general feedback http://devrates.com/project/show/95941/Omnifaces

14. How can I download, install and
configure OmniFaces ? (I)
• If you download OmniFaces as a JAR then just place the JAR into
your project WEB-INF/lib folder
• If you need OmniFaces as a Maven dependency then use (e.g. for
OmniFaces 2.0, replace version with 2.0):
<dependency>
<groupId>org.omnifaces</groupId>
<artifactId>omnifaces</artifactId>
<version>version</version>
</dependency>

15. How can I download, install and
configure OmniFaces ? (II)
• In JSF pages provide the OmniFaces XML namespaces, as follows:
OmniFaces UI components/taghandlers
xmlns:o=http://omnifaces.org/ui
OmniFaces EL functions
xmlns:of="http://omnifaces.org/functions"

16. References
• Bauke Scholtz - http://balusc.blogspot.com/
• Arjan Tijms - http://arjan-tijms.omnifaces.org/
• JSF ZEEF page - https://jsf.zeef.com/bauke.scholtz
• OmniFaces ZEEF page - https://omnifaces.zeef.com/bauke.scholtz
• OmniFaces Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OmniFaces