 					pair = part.split("=")
 					targetProp = pair[0]
 					sourceProp = pair[1] or targetProp
-					if item instanceof cola.Entity
-						value = item.get(sourceProp)
+					if item
+						if item instanceof cola.Entity
+							value = item.get(sourceProp)
+						else
+							value = item[sourceProp]
 					else
-						value = item[sourceProp]
+						value = null
 					bindEntity.set(targetProp, value)
 					return
 				)

		$inputDom.prop("readonly", @_finalReadOnly or @_isEditorReadOnly() or @_disabled)
		@get("actionButton")?.set("disabled", @_finalReadOnly)
		@_setValueContent()
		@_refreshInputValue(@_value)
		return

	_setValue: (value) ->

				text = cola.Entity._evalDataPath(item, @_textProperty or @_valueProperty or "value")
			else
				text = item

			if not @_useValueContent then input.value = text or ""
			input.placeholder = ""
			@get$Dom().removeClass("placeholder")
		else
			if not @_useValueContent then input.value = ""
			input.placeholder = @_placeholder or ""
			@get$Dom().addClass("placeholder")

