Chapter 14. Developing Custom Components

In the previous chapter, we looked at how a custom renderer can be developed for an existing component to change how the component is represented and how the user can enter a value for it. A custom renderer is often all that's needed to get the customized behavior you want for your application, but occasionally you must also develop a custom component. Before you do, remember to look to see if someone else has already developed what you need, for instance among the resources listed at http://java.sun.com/j2ee/javaserverfaces.

If you can't find an existing component that fits your needs, this chapter describes how to develop a custom component, either by extending an existing standard component or developing a brand new component type.