Clearing JSF Form

On page you have form with input fields and button that can clear that fields.
Button is set to immediate since there is no need to do PROCESS_VALIDATIONS and UPDATE_MODEL_VALUES phases,
instead method is invoked in APPLY_REQUEST_VALUES phase.
First method can be used in JSF 1.x or 2.x, but second is based on AJAX event and is usable only in JSF 2.x
Better approach is with AJAX since there is no need to refresh whole page.

<h:commandButton value="Clear" id="clearButton">
<f:ajax event="click" render="@form" listener="#{myController.clearForm}" immediate="true" />
</h:commandButton>

public void clearForm(ActionEvent ae)
{
System.out.println("clearForm - via ActionEvent");
// clear bean values ...

// clear component values
UIComponent form = getContainingForm(ae.getComponent());
clearEditableValueHolders(form);
}

public void clearForm(AjaxBehaviorEvent ae)
{
System.out.println("clearForm - via AjaxBehaviorEvent");
// clear bean values ...

// clear component values
UIComponent form = getContainingForm(ae.getComponent());
clearEditableValueHolders(form);
}

private UIComponent getContainingForm(UIComponent component)
{
if (!(component.getParent() instanceof UIForm))
{
return getContainingForm(component.getParent());
}
else
{
System.out.println("getContainingForm: UIForm found");
return component.getParent();
}
}

private void clearEditableValueHolders(UIComponent form)
{
Iterator<UIComponent> iterator = form.getFacetsAndChildren();
while (iterator.hasNext())
{
UIComponent c = iterator.next();
if (c instanceof EditableValueHolder)
{
// Convenience method to reset this component's value to the un-initialized state.
((EditableValueHolder) c).resetValue();
}
clearEditableValueHolders(c);
}
}