Calling JSF bound method via javascript

[Don Cracker]

Hi

I am trying to invoke a commandButton with an action (i.e. invoke a bound method on a backing bean) from javascript. I am doing this because the method binding will not work if I place the <h:commandButton> tag within a jQuery component.

So, within my jQuery component (a modal dialog) I have an anchor that initiates the JS method:

<a id="clickMeYouWilly" onclick="clickTheButton()">CLICK ME</a>

And outside the jQuery element, I define a hidden JSF commandButton:

         <h:commandButton id="linkContcatPersonButton2" action="#{stakeholder.linkContactPerson}" style="display: none"></h:commandButton>

Now the important part - the javascript:

                function clickTheButton() {
                    alert(document.getElementById('defaultForm:linkContcatPersonButton2'));
                    document.getElementById('defaultForm:linkContcatPersonButton2').click();
                }

defaultForm is the id of my JSF <h:form>.

The alert method is invoked, and displays an object reference... BUT the click() on the object just NEVER manages to work... i.e. the bound backing bean method never ever gets reached.
Any suggestions? I've tried making the anchor a commandButton with onclick defined - but that has the same result. I am using JSF 1.2 (project conrestraint).
Any help would be very greatly appreciated.

[Joe ONeil]

function callbutton(){
document.getElementById("Frm1" + ":vendbtn").click();
}

if you want to make the button invisible you can do this

<h:form id="Frm1">

<t:commandButton id="vendbtn" value="" action="#{poDetail.loadVendorAddresses}" immediate="true"
style="visibility:hidden;" />
</h:form>
immediate ="true // skip validation and you will not beable to pick up values from the page
the style hides the button and there is no tab location