Auto instance of PrimeFaces created by custom component does not display offers

I have a problem dynamically creating a PF 3.4.2 AutoComplete component. The component renders ok completely, its value is updated on partial processing , but suggestions are never shown.

I create this control like this:

    AutoComplete ac = (AutoComplete) context.getApplication().createComponent(AutoComplete.COMPONENT_TYPE);
    final String varName = "p";

    ValueExpression ve = JSFUtils.createValueExpression("#{minContext.selected.sen}"), Sen.Type);
    ac.setValueExpression("value", ve);

    ac.setForceSelection(true);

    ac.setVar(varName);

    ValueExpression itemLabel = JSFUtils.createValueExpression("#{sc:senLibelle(p)}"), String.class);
    ac.setValueExpression("itemLabel", itemLabel);

    ValueExpression itemValue = JSFUtils.createValueExpression("#{" + varName + "}");
    ac.setValueExpression("itemValue", itemValue);

    MethodExpression completeMethod = JSFUtils.createMethodExpression("#{senUtils.completeAllSens}", List.class,new Class[]{String.class});
    ac.setCompleteMethod(completeMethod);

      

        
        
        
      

    

then adding it to the parent control using

    getChildrens().add(ac);

      

        
        
        
      

    

The parent component is the PF PanelGrid output. I have successfully used this approach to create various edition panels and it works like a charm. But I can't figure out why it's not with autocomplete.

The parent control looks like this:

@FacesComponent(SenatDataTableEntryDetail.SENAT_COMPONENT_TYPE)
public class SenatDataTableEntryDetail extends PanelGrid {

    /** Leaving renderer unchanged, so that PF renderer for PanelGrid is used.
     */
    public static final String SENAT_COMPONENT_FAMILY = "fr.senat.faces.components";
    public static final String SENAT_COMPONENT_TYPE = SENAT_COMPONENT_FAMILY + ".SenatDataTableEntryDetail";

    private enum PropertyKeys { mapper, bean; }

    @Override
    public void encodeBegin(FacesContext context) throws IOException {
        super.encodeBegin(context);
        addDynamicChildren(context);
    }

    @Override
    public boolean getRendersChildren()
    {
        return true;
    }

    ...

    private Boolean isInitialized() {
        return (Boolean)getStateHelper().eval(SENAT_INITIALIZED,false);
    }

    private void setInitialized(Boolean param) {
        getStateHelper().put(SENAT_INITIALIZED, param);
    }

    private void addDynamicChildren(FacesContext context)  throws IOException {
        if(isInitialized()) {
            return;
        }
        setInitialized(true);
        /* components are instiated and added as children only once */
    }    
}

      

        
        
        
      

    

It just adds children to the panel.

Other aspects of declaring custom components (in taglib, etc.) are ok.

The problem doesn't seem to be with EL expressions, completeMethod definition, etc. If I include p: autoComplete initialization with the same parameters in my xhtml test page, it works as expected:

    <p:autoComplete value="#{minContext.selected.sen}" forceSelection="true" 
                        var="p" itemLabel="#{sc:senLibelle(p)}" itemValue="#{p}"
                        completeMethod="#{senUtils.completeAllSens}"/>

      

        
        
        
      

    

I noticed that the PF AutoComplete component is a bit special as it renders differently when a request is detected. See the autocomputer source code at http://primefaces.googlecode.com/files/primefaces-3.4.2.zip .

In the "dynamically generated" case, the decode method of this component is not called. I could not find the reason for the last days, but failed.

I look forward to your suggestions on what to check to fix this annoying "error".