EDIT

import org.apache.log4j.Level;

import com.vaadin.ui.HasComponents;

import eu.etaxonomy.vaadin.util.PropertyIdPath;

    public PropertyIdPath boundPropertyIdPath(Field<?> field){

        PropertyIdPath propertyIdPath = null;

        Object propertyId = fieldGroup.getPropertyId(field);

        if(propertyId == null){

            // not found in the editor field group. Maybe the field is bound to a nested fieldgroup?

            // 1. find the NestedFieldGroup implementations from the field up to the editor

            logger.setLevel(Level.DEBUG);

            PropertyIdPath nestedPropertyIds = new PropertyIdPath();

            Field parentField = field;

            HasComponents parentComponent = parentField.getParent();

            logger.debug("field: " + parentField.getClass().getSimpleName());

            while(parentComponent != null){

                logger.debug("parentComponent: " + parentComponent.getClass().getSimpleName());

                if(NestedFieldGroup.class.isAssignableFrom(parentComponent.getClass()) && AbstractField.class.isAssignableFrom(parentComponent.getClass())){

                    Object propId = ((NestedFieldGroup)parentComponent).getFieldGroup().getPropertyId(parentField);

                    if(propId != null){

                        logger.debug("propId: " + propId.toString());

                        nestedPropertyIds.addParent(propId);

                    }

                    logger.debug("parentField: " + parentField.getClass().getSimpleName());

                    parentField = (Field)parentComponent;

                } else if(parentComponent == this) {

                    // we reached the editor itself

                    Object propId = fieldGroup.getPropertyId(parentField);

                    if(propId != null){

                        logger.debug("propId: " + propId.toString());

                        nestedPropertyIds.addParent(propId);

                    }

                    propertyIdPath = nestedPropertyIds;

                    break;

                }

                parentComponent = parentComponent.getParent();

            }

            // 2. check the NestedFieldGroup binding the field is direct or indirect child component of the editor

//            NO lONGER NEEDED

//            parentComponent = parentField.getParent(); // get component containing the last parent field found

//            while(true){

//                if(parentComponent == getFieldLayout()){

//                    propertyIdPath = nestedPropertyIds;

//                    break;

//                }

//                parentComponent = parentComponent.getParent();

//            }

        } else {

            propertyIdPath = new PropertyIdPath(propertyId);

        }

        return propertyIdPath;

    }