Within apex:pageBlockTable, apex:commandbutton doesn't call controller method?

Question

I can't seem to get the commandbutton to call a method from my controller. There are no errors, nothing at all in the debug log. The method is just not called for some reason.

Apex:

String documentCategory {get;set;}
String documentType {get;set;}
String documentId {get;set;}

public void deleteDocument(){
    system.debug('VISUALFORCEPARAMS' +documentType + documentCategory + documentId);
    hardDeleteDocument(account.Business__c, account.Customer_Number__c, documentCategory, documentType, documentId);
}

Visualforce:

<apex:page id="mypage" controller="mycontroller">
      <apex:tabPanel >
        <apex:tab label="Search Documents" id="searchDoc">
          <apex:form >
            <apex:pageMessages />

            <!-- search inputs -->
            <apex:commandButton action="{!searchRecords}" value="Search"></apex:commandButton>

            <apex:pageBlock >
                <apex:pageBlockTable value="{!foundDocuments}" var="doc">
                    <apex:column headerValue="action">
                        <apex:commandButton value="View" />
                        <apex:commandButton value="Download" />
                        <apex:commandButton value="Delete" action="{!deleteDocument}" >
                            <apex:param value="{!doc.category}" name="docCategory" assignTo="{!documentCateogry}"></apex:param>
                            <apex:param value="{!doc.type}" name="docType" assignTo="{!documentType}"></apex:param>
                            <apex:param value="{!doc.fileId}" name="fileId" assignTo="{!documentId}"></apex:param>
                        </apex:commandButton>
                    </apex:column>
                    <!-- other columns -->
                </apex:pageBlockTable>
            </apex:pageBlock>
            </apex:form>
    </apex:tab>
    <!-- other tabs -->
</apex:tabPanel>
</apex:page>

Answer 1

I've figured out how to fix it. I've wrapped the apex:commandButton in apex:actionRegion and it worked.

<apex:actionRegion >
<apex:commandButton value="Delete" action="{!deleteDocument}" reRender="debugSection,documentsTable">
<apex:param value="{!doc.category}" name="docCategory" assignTo="{!documentCategory}"></apex:param>
<apex:param value="{!doc.type}" name="docType" assignTo="{!documentType}"></apex:param>
<apex:param value="{!doc.fileId}" name="fileId" assignTo="{!documentId}"></apex:param>
</apex:commandButton>
</apex:actionRegion>                                                    

Answer 2

Use apex:commandLink instead of apex:commandButton. Just add styleClass="btn".

Answer 3

One thing you may want to try is adding a rerender onto your command button.

I don't know why, but I have had a TON of issues with functions not being called by buttons/actionFunctions, but work fine after adding a rerender onto the thing trying to run the function. have no explanation for it, but it seems to have an effect for some reason.

The rerender doesn't even need to be real, or point to a real Id. It can literally be rerender="dummy" (I haven't tested if you even need something inside the quotes, but I assume you would...).