Referencing a particular value of a select list

Question

I have a visualforce list page that lists opportunity products and some of their fields. One of these fields is a lookup to a custom object. On each row in the visualforce page, the user is given the option to lookup an existing record of the custom object or to create a new one. If the user chooses to create a new one, they are given a select list of the different record types, they select one and click Create.

Here is the section of code in my visualforce page where the select list is:

<apex:column headerValue="Record Type">
    <apex:selectList value="{!RecordType}" multiselect="false" size="1">
        <apex:selectOptions value="{!rectypes}"/>
    </apex:selectList><br/>                     
</apex:column>

Here is the section of code in the controller that deals with the record types:

public List<SelectOption> getrectypes() {
   List<SelectOption> options = new List<SelectOption>();
   options.add(new SelectOption('','--Select Record Type --'));
   for(RecordType rt:[select id,name from RecordType where sobjecttype='cust_object__c']){
     options.add(new SelectOption(rt.id,rt.name));    
   }
     return options;
   }

public String getRecordType() {
    return recType;
}


public void setRecordType(String recType) {
    this.recType= recType;
}

Here's the problem: I'm having trouble referencing the value of the record type that is selected from the select list. Further down in my page I have the Create link. Once the user clicks create, I need the id of the record type in the controller so that I can redirect the user to the appropriate page layout. Any idea how to get this? Any help is appreciated!

VF page:

<apex:commandLink action="{!onCreate}" value="Create">
</apex:commandLink>

Controller:

public PageReference onCreate(){
    return new PageReference('/a0W/e&RecordType=' + RecTypeID);
}

Answer 1

A few things look odd. Instead of using a seprate getter and setter for getRecordType, modify your controller to replace the following:

public String getRecordType() {
    return recType;
}


public void setRecordType(String recType) {
    this.recType= recType;
}

With

public Id recType {get; set;}

Note, I did change the type here to "Id" instead of String. Next, I think {!RecordType} may be a special variable, especially if you are using a standard controller in your visualforce page. So, change the following:

<apex:selectList value="{!RecordType}" multiselect="false" size="1">

to:

<apex:selectList value="{!recType}" multiselect="false" size="1">

Lastly, change your onCreate method to look at recType instead of RecTypeID

public PageReference onCreate(){
    return new PageReference('/a0W/e&RecordType=' + recType);
}

If none of this works, throw some System.debugs in the getter / setters and onCreate method and check your Debug Logs for any errors or indications as to why your code isn't working.

HTH, - DL

Answer 2

After a day of pulling my hair out and trying everything, I found an answer. I had to remove multiselect="false" from my selectlist. I'm not sure why this made a difference, but this attribute was not needed since it appears that multiselect defaults to false anyways. Now I am getting the id back instead of null- thanks!