I'm building an xpages application where I want to use a java managed bean to work with data from an AS400 table.  Essentially, I'd like to keep a data set in memory for a user's session, then display subsets of the AS400 data in drop-down boxes for users to select from.  I've been playing around with the Value Picker control in the Extension Library, and setting my data provider to a bean. 

This is my first time really writing Java, and trying to figure out what a bean is and how it works.  I've gone through many of the examples and tutorials that are out there and learned quite a bit. Still, I can't quite get a grasp on loading my data table in memory, so that I can refer to it in my Value Picker or in a Combo Box, etc.  I am able to bind to a bean without a problem using a Data Table or a Repeat Control, so I'm hoping I'm just missing out on some syntax for calling the bean from a picker-type control.  Maybe I'm on the wrong track with using a managed bean?  Thanks so much for your help.