[SalesForce] Visual Force page display name of given Id

Not sure if you can do it in pure visualforce. With Apex controller you'll be able to do something like this:

String objectName = 'Contact';
String fieldName = 'FirstName';

List<Schema.DescribeSObjectResult> describeSobjectsResult = Schema.describeSObjects(new List<String>{objectName}); // this can accept list of strings, we describe only one object here
System.debug(describeSobjectsResult);
String objectLabel = describeSobjectsResult[0].getLabel();
Map<String, Schema.SObjectField> allFields = describeSobjectsResult[0].fields.getMap();
System.debug(allFields);
String fieldLabel = allFields.get(fieldName).getDescribe().getLabel();

System.debug(objectName + '.' + fieldName + '  => ' + objectLabel + ', ' + fieldLabel);

Totally dynamic retrieval of object label & field label ;)

See http://www.salesforce.com/us/developer/docs/apexcode/Content/apex_dynamic_describe_objects_understanding.htm for more goodies. Maybe it'd be possible in pure Visualforce with the ['string here'] syntax...

Also... exactly how dynamic you'll have to be? Check out the fieldsets in VF developer guide, might simplify your page greatly...

When this happens to me it is usually one of two things:

(1) I don't have an component on my page

(2) I am using a rerender attribute on my or that is submitting the form and I haven't added the id of my component, which means that the error is being swallowed and the page just looks like its refreshing - I've explained this point in more detail at:

http://bobbuzzard.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/the-importance-of-page-messages.html

However, looking at your code I don't think any pagemessages will be added - this section:

     Competitor__c comp=new Competitor__c();
      //List<Competitor__c> checklist=new List<Competitor__c>();
      //checklist=[select Competitor_Machine__C,Competitor_Machine_Description__c from Competitor__c];

      if (comp.Competitor_Machine__C == 'other' && comp.Competitor_Machine_Description__c == null)
      {
              ApexPages.Message myMsg = new ApexPages.Message(ApexPages.Severity.ERROR,'If other is selected please enter a description');//Same old drama 
ApexPages.addMessage(myMsg);
          // Return null so the page won't redirect
        return null;
      }

instantiates a new, empty Competitor__c() record, so none of the fields will be populated, which means you won't add a message. Your code then tries to insert/update the record:

try{
      if(ApexPages.currentPage().getParameters().get('Name')!=null)
      {

      insert cc;
      }
      else 
      update cc;
      }
      catch(Exception e){}        
      return new PageReference('/'+ApexPages.currentPage().getParameters().get('retURL').substring(1,16));
    }

However, if an exception occurs you can't redirect the user to a new pagereference as you are using a rerender attribute on the commandbutton, so I'd expect the page to simply refresh if an exception is thrown.