Hi all,

This is really just a request for information, but  it just seems like I'm making things way too hard on myself.

I typically use inputText boxes for date input, so that may be coloring what  sems to go on in my code.
Basically, I can't seem to get data from the VF page to the controller without using an apex:actionFunction.

For example, this APEX class has to have data and a method for processing the <apex:actionFunction> tag:

public class OpportunityHistoryController {
  ...
  public String From_Date {get;set;}  // 
  ...
  public void dateChange() {
      System.debug('DATECHANGE WAS MADE:');
      ...
    }

   ...

 And next, the VF page markup calls the controller function:

<apex:page controller="OpportunityHistoryController" id="opportunityHistPage">
<apex:form id="OpportunityForm">
<script>
function DynamicDatePicker(d_id) {
 DatePicker.pickDate(false,d_id.id,false);
 dateChange(d_id);
 }
function checkDateFormat() {}
</script>
   <apex:pageBlock title="Opportunity History Statement" id="pb1">
    
    <apex:actionFunction action="{!dateChange}" reRender="condisplay" name="dateChange">
     <apex:param value="" assignTo="{!dummy}" name="assignvalue"/>
    </apex:actionFunction>
     
    From: <apex:inputText value="{!From_Date}" id="f" onfocus="DynamicDatePicker(this);" onchange="checkDateFormat(this.id);" onblur="setFocusOnLoad()" size="20" disabled="false"/>

     ...

 Now, why the <apex:actionFunction> is needed, I have no clue - all I know is that most of my code seems to not update values between the page and the controller unless there is some linkage between the two.  In fact, the "dateChange()" function in the controller doesn't really have to do anything - it just has to be present.

My suspicion is there is something going on with the MVC architecture with SFDC that is necessitating this "connection" between the two to notify the controller that the VF page is "dirty" - If anyone has a documentation reference on other ways to do this, I'd very much appreciate it.

Similarly, with SelectLists, I seem to have to make up similar coding  -

For instance, Taking the OpportunityHistoryController example I'm messing with above, and add the following subroutines:

public class OpportunityHistoryController {
  ...
        public  Map<id,UserRole> maplstroles{get;set;}
        public UserRole theRole {get;set;}  // Role ID
        ...
        public OpportunityHistoryController() {
	    ...
	    maplstroles = new Map<id,UserRole>();            
    	    }

	// build Role SelectOptions
        public List<SelectOption> getRolesLst(){
           System.debug('Entering getRolesLst');
           options.clear();
           options.add(new selectOption('--None--','-- Select Role --'));
           for(UserRole rx:[SELECT ID, Name From UserRole  ORDER BY Name ASC]){
             options.add(new selectOption(rx.id,rx.name));
             maplstroles.put(rx.id,rx);
             }
           return options;
           }


	 // process the "apex:actionFunction " call...
	 public void RoleID() {
	    System.debug('getting roleID for: ' + rid);
	    theRole =  maplstroles.get(rid);
	    System.debug('theRole.Id: ' + theRole.Id);
	    System.debug('theRole.Name: ' + theRole.Name);
	    }

 ...And somewhere in the VF markup, I want to update the apex page:

<apex:page controller="OpportunityHistoryController" id="opportunityHistPage">
<apex:form id="OpportunityForm">
<script>
function callactionfun(picklistval){
   change(picklistval);
   }
</script>
  ...
   <apex:pageBlock title="Opportunity History Statement" id="pb1">
    ...
    <apex:actionFunction action="{!RoleID}" reRender="condisplay" name="change">
     <apex:param value="" assignTo="{!rid}" name="assignvalue"/>
    </apex:actionFunction>

     ...
     
    <apex:selectList value="{!rid}" multiselect="false" size="1"  
    			onchange="callactionfun(this.options[this.selectedIndex]);" >
        <apex:selectOptions value="{!RolesLst}"/>
    </apex:selectList>

...

 ...It's really just a personal opinion, but it looks like SFDC is following more of the "MVVC" model - where we basically have to notify the controller of changes that occur on the view.   

Sorry, but I'm still doing research on this.  
But if anyone has ideas about how to make coding for dynamic input easier, I'd appreciate it.