Is it possible to create a Dynamic Component after a button is clicked?

Question

I have a <apex:pageblocktable> whose columns need to be created dynamically, and I've done this before using an <apex:repeat> as demonstrated in a different answer.

However, here's the catch: I need to determine the type of form element for each column (<apex:outputfield>, <apex:inputfield>, <apex:outputtext>, <apex:inputtext>, or <apex:selectlist>) at run time (after a button is clicked).

I thought I could use Dynamic Components to create the <apex:pageblocktable> and all of its columns and fields, but this is proving difficult. All examples (1, 2, and 3) I've seen define Dynamic Components using a get property, but I'd like to create the Dynamic Component once a button is clicked (after I get data based on User input). Is there a way to do this?

Does anyone have any other suggestions to accomplish what I'm looking for?

Answer 1

If you wanted to avoid dynamic visualforce you just need to pass some data structure with enough information to render your column and repeat over that.

Data Structure

public class YourController {
    public List<Column> cols { get; private set; }

    public class Column {
        public String fieldAPIName { get; set; }
        public String myDisplayType { get; set; }
        // .. other attributes that are important to your display 
    }
}

Display

<apex:pageBlockTable value="{!records}" var="record"> 
    <apex:repeat value="{!columns}" var="column">
        <apex:column>
            <apex:outputField value="{record[column.fieldAPIName]}" 
                    rendered="{!column.myDisplayType <> 'outputField'}"/>
            <apex:outputText value="{record[column.fieldAPIName]}" 
                    rendered="{!column.myDisplayType <> 'outputText'}"/>
            <!-- Repeat for other datatypes -->
        </apex:column>
    </apex:repeat>
</apex:pageBlockTable>

Answer 2

In the getter only check various conditions and form elememts.

public apex.component.pageblock getpgblk
{
  if(value = b) 
  {
    //form pageblk b
    return pglkb;
  } 
  else if(value = c) 
  {
    //form pageblk and components
    return pageblkc;
  } 
  else 
  {
    return null;
  }
}