I have this autocomplete component:

<table> 
   <tr> 
      <td> 
         <rich:autocomplete mode="ajax" autocompleteMethod="#{autocomplete.autocompleteProviders}" 
                            minChars="0" var="s" fetchValue="#{s.realName}" id="provider-suggestion" 
                            autofill="false" 
                            onselectitem="autocompleteChangeProvider(event.target)" style="display: inline;" 
                            layout="table" value="#{autocomplete.providerName}" > 
            <a4j:queue requestDelay="500" ignoreDupResponses="true" /> 
            <h:column> 
               <h:outputText style="display:none;" value="#{s.id}"/> 
               <h:outputText style="display:none;" value="#{s.realName}"/> 
            </h:column> 
            <h:column> 
               <h:outputText value="#{s.name}" escape="false"/> 
            </h:column> 
         </rich:autocomplete> 
      </td> 
      <td> 
         <h:graphicImage value="/img/arrow.png" onclick="#{rich:component('provider-suggestion')}.setValue('');#{rich:component('provider-suggestion')}.showPopup();stopEvent(event);" 
                         alt=""/> 
         <h:graphicImage value="/img/cancel.png" 
                         onclick="#{rich:component('provider-suggestion')}.hidePopup();#{rich:component('provider-suggestion')}.setValue('');autocompleteChangeProvider(null);" 
                         alt="#{messages['pages.clear']}" title="#{messages['pages.clear']}"/> 
         <h:inputHidden id="filter-provider-id" value="#{autocomplete.providerId}"/> 
      </td> 
   </tr> 
</table>

as you can see, i don't use showButton="true", because i need another functionality, i need erase input text before show popup window.

I use JavaScript function "autocompleteChangeProvider" for extract selected id.

I use separate button(/img/cancel.png) for erase input text, as you can see this function just use Richfaces API.

And a problem:

if autocomplete.providerName not null and not empty(in rich:autocomplete) and user clicks on show button(/img/arrow.png) than input text not erasing, but i called #{rich:component('provider-suggestion')}.setValue('') !!!

I think i found a solution

AutocompleteBase.js has this code:

rf.ui.AutocompleteBase = function(componentId, selectId, fieldId, options) {
        // call constructor of parent class
        $super.constructor.call(this, componentId);
        this.selectId = selectId;
        this.fieldId = fieldId;
        this.options = $.extend({}, defaultOptions, options);
        this.namespace = this.namespace || "." + rf.Event.createNamespace(this.name, this.selectId);
        this.currentValue = "";
        this.tempValue = this.getValue();
        this.isChanged = this.tempValue.length != 0;
        bindEventHandlers.call(this);
    };

as you can see this.currentValue = "" so JS thinks that this.currentValue="" so currentValue equal new value("" - empty string), so nothing happens.

i replace this code by this:

rf.ui.AutocompleteBase = function(componentId, selectId, fieldId, options) {
        // call constructor of parent class
        $super.constructor.call(this, componentId);
        this.selectId = selectId;
        this.fieldId = fieldId;
        this.options = $.extend({}, defaultOptions, options);
        this.namespace = this.namespace || "." + rf.Event.createNamespace(this.name, this.selectId);
        this.currentValue = $(rf.getDomElement(fieldId)).val();
        this.tempValue = this.getValue();
        this.isChanged = this.tempValue.length != 0;
        bindEventHandlers.call(this);
    };

and it works!

Is this right resolve?