Making distinctions between different kinds of JSF

 

Managed-Bean Type Nickname Typical Scope

Model Managed-Bean	model-bean	session
Description: This type of managed-bean participates in the "Model" concern of the MVC design pattern. When you see the word "model" -- think DATA. A JSF model-bean should be a POJO that follows the JavaBean design pattern with getters/setters encapsulating properties. The most common use case for a model bean is to be a database entity, or to simply represent a set of rows from the result set of a database query.
Backing Managed-Bean	backing-bean	request
Description: This type of managed-bean participates in the "View" concern of the MVC design pattern. The purpose of a backing-bean is to support UI logic, and has a 1::1 relationship with a JSF view, or a JSF form in a Facelet composition. Although it typically has JavaBean-style properties with associated getters/setters, these are properties of the View -- not of the underlying application data model. JSF backing-beans may also have JSF actionListener and valueChangeListener methods.
Controller Managed-Bean	controller-bean	request
Description: This type of managed-bean participates in the "Controller" concern of the MVC design pattern. The purpose of a controller bean is to execute some kind of business logic and return a navigation outcome to the JSF navigation-handler. JSF controller-beans typically have JSF action methods (and not actionListener methods).
Support Managed-Bean	support-bean	session / application
Description: This type of bean "supports" one or more views in the "View" concern of the MVC design pattern. The typical use case is supplying an ArrayList<SelectItem> to JSF h:selectOneMenu drop-down lists that appear in more than one JSF view. If the data in the dropdown lists is particular to the user, then the bean would be kept in session scope. However, if the data applies to all users (such as a dropdown lists of provinces), then the bean would be kept in application scope, so that it can be cached for all users.
Utility Managed-Bean	utility-bean	application
Description: This type of bean provides some type of "utility" function to one or more JSF views. A good example of this might be a FileUpload bean that can be reused in multiple web applications.