Can't use selected picklist value to render a outputpanel

Question

I have a dynamically generated picklist, which generates fine below:

> public string ConNames {get;set;} 
> List<SelectOption> options = new
> List<SelectOption>(); Public list<SelectOption> getAccCons(){
>     system.debug('>>> Generating contact list');
>     List<Contact> conList = New List<Contact>();
>     conList = [SELECT Id, Name FROM Contact WHERE AccountId = :AccId];
>     options.add(new SelectOption('--None--','--None--')); 
>     For (Contact con : ConList){
>         options.add(new SelectOption(con.Id,con.Name)); 
>         options.add(new SelectOption('Create New Contact','Create New Contact'));            
>     }
>     return options;}

Which is used in a VF page as below:

    <apex:selectList value="{!ConNames}" size="1" label="Select Contact">
        <apex:selectOptions value="{!AccCons}"/>
        <apex:actionSupport event="onchange" reRender="test"/>
    </apex:selectList> 

If the select value = 'Create New Contact' I wanted to rerender the outputpanel 'Test'. I'm currently trying to use:

rendered="{!ConNames = 'Create New Contact'}">

But this is always returning false as ConNames is always null, what am I missing? I can see the rerender is working.

Answer 1

{!ConNames = 'Create New Contact''} You are having single quote twice. Try fixing that. Thanks.

Answer 2

Use VF Page function

ISPICKVAL : Determines if the value of a picklist field is equal to a text literal you specify.

Refer this documentation

If in case you get some save error, please check this link for workaround or use == for comparison.

Answer 3

I now have this working it appears I was hitting the same issue as in this answer by LaceySnr: How can an apex:pageBlockSection be rerendered if it originally has a render value of false?

I started my page again from scratch and gradually rebuilt it, the issue was to do with how I had used the <apex:pageBlockSections>