Ajax.BeginForm with OnComplete always updates page - ajax

I have simple ajax form in MVC. In AjaxOptions there is OnComplete set to simple javascript function which does one thing - returns false.
#using (Ajax.BeginForm("Action", "Controller", new AjaxOptions { UpdateTargetId = "DivFormId", HttpMethod = "Post", OnComplete = "preventUpdate" }))
function preventUpdate(xhr) {
return false;
}
The problem is, that page is already updated. E.g. in one case controller returns partial view after postback, in other case it returns some Json object. I want it to update page when partial view is returned, and to show dialog window when json is returned. Unfortunately when json is returned, it clears the page (update it with json) even when OnComplete function returns false as MSDN says: To cancel the page update, return false from the JavaScript function.
How to prevent page update depending on received response?
Thank you!
----- UPDATE -------
So far I found following solution. When I don't specify UpdateTargetId, I can do manually with the response what I want. But it is still not documented behaviour with return false.

Use OnSuccess and get rid of UpdateTargetId. Like this:
#using (Ajax.BeginForm("Action", "Controller", new AjaxOptions { HttpMethod = "Post", OnSuccess = "foo" }))
{
...
}
and then:
function foo(result) {
if (result.SomePropertyThatExistsInYourJsonObject) {
// the server returned a JSON object => show the dialog window here
} else {
// the server returned a partial view => update the DOM:
$('#DivFormId').html(result);
}
}

Related

Redirect to partial view on another controller

I am new in asp.net mvc programming, please be gentle... :)
Please notice that the following views are all PARTIAL views! Methods are called through Ajax and redirect to partial views with lists, forms are posted through Ajax, etc. OK, here we go...
1st controller named AlertsController. One of the methods is ResolveAlert(Guid id) which returns RedirectToAction -> UnresolvedAlerts() which is just a list of unresolved alerts.
2nd contoller named FrontDeskController. One of the methods is CustomerDetails(Guid id) which lists the customer and alerts that he might have.
I want to be able to "Resolve an alert" (thus use the method of the 1st controller) but return to the page that I was before instead of going to the redirected page that the method returns.
I added a second parameter to the ResolveAlert() method which lists a returnUrl string. I manage to send the Url that I want it to redirect to but I get just the partial (not rendered inside the whole page as it should)...
Here's my ResolveAlert method on my AlertsController:
// Resolve Alert POST
[HttpPost]
public async Task<ActionResult> Resolve(AlertModel model, string redirectUrl)
{
await _AlertsService.ResolveAsync(model);
if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(redirectUrl))
return Redirect(redirectUrl);
return RedirectToAction("Unresolved");
}
...and here is my CustomerDetails() method on my FrontDeskController:
// Display Customer Alerts
public async Task<PartialViewResult> CustomerDetails(AttendanceModel model, Guid id)
{
var customer = await _CustomersService.ReadAsync(id);
ViewData["Customer"] = await _CustomersService.ReadCustomerExtendedAsync(id);
var alerts = await _AlertsService.ReadCustomerAlertsAsync(id);
ViewData["Alerts"] = alerts.Where(x => x.IsResolved == false).ToList();
return PartialView("_CustomerDetails", model);
}
The ResolveAlert() method of the first controller is called in two steps... 1st I call a modal from the CustomerDetails view:
function resolveAlert(alertId, customerId) {
var returnTo = '/FrontDesk/CustomerDetails/' + customerId;
$.ajax({
method: 'GET',
url: '/Alerts/Resolve/' + alertId,
data: {returnUrl : returnTo},
dataType: 'html'
}).then(function (html) {
$('#dialog-container').html(html);
showDialog();
});
}
...then on the modal I have:
#{
var data = Request.Params["returnUrl"];
}
#using (Ajax.BeginForm("Resolve", "Alerts", new { redirectUrl = data}, new AjaxOptions() { HttpMethod = "POST", InsertionMode = InsertionMode.Replace, UpdateTargetId = "partial", OnSuccess = "hideDialog" }, new { id = "form", #class = "form-horizontal" }))
{ ..... textbox with some notes that I can post while resolving the alert ..... }
... and (finally) here is the final part at the bottom of my modal:
<script type="text/javascript">
$('#form').validate({
rules: {
AlertNotes: {
required: true
}
},
submitHandler: function (form) {
$.ajax({
url: $(form).attr("action"),
data: $(form).serialize(),
type: $(form).attr("method")
}).then(function (result) {
$("#partial").html(result);
hideDialog();
});
}
});
</script>
I think that in order for the returned partial to get rendered correctly inside its container I should be returning a RedirectToAction from the ResolveAlert() method but the problem is that it belongs on a different controller...
Is it possible to get this working somehow or should I just bite the bullet and forget about having those pages as partials, get rid of the Ajax calls and use normal Url.Action() links?
It was just a Javascript/Ajax bug in my code.... Please disregard the question...
For those wondering, I had 2 forms using the same id. JS died silently allowing the form to be posted normally and not through Ajax. It had me scratching my head for a while now. Too bad that web development tools and VS in particular can't snipe such errors and provide a meaningful hint to assist you in debugging...

AjaxOptions OnComplete

I wanted to use OnComplete, since I needed to modify the view before it was updated with the data from the Ajax call. As it says here: MSDN, it should be pretty straight forward.
However, it didn't work and after some investigation it seems that OnComplete fires before OnSucess but after the view is updated.
Code used for testing:
#{
AjaxOptions options = new AjaxOptions {OnSuccess = "onSuccess",
OnComplete = "onComplete", UpdateTargetId = "Update"};
}
#Ajax.ActionLink("Hit it", "Action", options)
<div id="Update"></div>
<script type="text/javascript">
function onSuccess() {
alert('onSuccess: ' + $('#Update').html());
}
function onComplete() {
alert('onComplete ' + $('#Update').html());
}
</script>
public ContentResult Action()
{
return Content("Content");
}
Am I missing something here or what's up?
Try this in your View:
#Ajax.ActionLink("Hit it", "Action", new AjaxOptions() { OnSuccess="done"} )
<div id="Update"></div>
Controller Action:
public ContentResult Action()
{
return Json(new { content="content" }, JsonRequestBehavior.AllowGet);
}
JavaScript:
function done(data) {
var message = data;
if (typeof message["content"] !== "undefined") {
$('#Update').html(message["content"]);
} else {
alert("error");
}
}
You can pass a Json result from your Controller and get that message in your View via JavaScript and update your div.
The issue is that the UpdateTargetId is actioned before the OnSuccess handler is triggered.
If you want to to update the view before or perform extra steps before the content is updated, then remove the updatetargetid from the AjaxOptions and handle the update yourself in the OnSuccess handler. You will get full control over when the view is updated then.
function onSuccess(result, status, xhr)
{
// put in your view update code here.
// and then
$("#Update").html(result);
}
OnComplete is fired when ajax call completed and response data has been instantiated but page has not yet updated

Close modal window containing ASP MVC Ajax form

in a webapp I'm using an ASP MVC Ajax form in a modal window. I do not use any specific jQuery code, only some to open the modal window (i.e. showModal() function):
#Ajax.ActionLink("Open", "Add", "Home", new {id = Model.Id}, new AjaxOptions { HttpMethod = "GET", UpdateTargetId = "modal", OnSuccess = "showModal()"})
This code loads my form (partial view) into a div and opens it as a modal window. In the form submit ActionResult I just use the default ModelState object to validate it, and in case of an error I return the same partial view containing model errors. This works fine except for the following situation: when the model contains no errors I want to auto-close the modal window. I tried the following:
#using (Ajax.BeginForm("Save", "Home", new AjaxOptions {HttpMethod = "POST", UpdateTargetId = "modal", OnSuccess = "hideModal(); alert('Saved');"}))
However, when the model contains errors the Ajax call is still valid, so OnSuccess will be called. I tried to solve this by sending an error HttpStatusCode in the partial view, but then the div is not updated with the new html.
I think the only solution is sending a partial view containing javascript code that closes the modal window when the model contains no errors, but this solution is not very neat in my opinion. Any other ideas?
I just had to do the same thing today. The solution I came up with was to return a JsonResult with a property set to true when the action succeeded. In the OnSuccess callback of the AjaxOptions I checked for the property and closed my modal window.
Controller Method
[HttpPost]
public ActionResult Hold(JobStatusNoteViewModel model)
{
if (ModelState.IsValid)
{
//do work
return Json(new {success = true});
}
return PartialView("JobStatusNote", model);
}
PartialView
<% using (Ajax.BeginForm(new AjaxOptions { UpdateTargetId = "JobStatusForm", OnSuccess = "closePopUp" })) { %>
<div id="JobStatusForm">
<!-- Form -->
</div>
<% } %>
<script>
function closePopUp(data) {
if (data.success) {
//close popup
}
}
</script>

Getting JSonResult from ASP's Ajax.ActionLink

How do I actually get the JSON from a controller method using Ajax.ActionLink? I tried searching the website, but the closest thing I got was ASP.NET MVC controller actions that return JSON or partial html
And the "best answer" doesn't actually tell you how to get JSON from the SomeActionMethod in the ajax.actionlink.
Personally I don't like the Ajax.* helpers. In ASP.NET MVC < 3 they pollute my HTML with javascript and in ASP.NET MVC 3 they pollute my HTML with HTML 5 data-* attributes which are totally redundant (such as the url of an anchor). Also they don't automatically parse the JSON objects in the success callbacks which is what your question is about.
I use normal Html.* helpers, like this:
#Html.ActionLink(
"click me", // linkText
"SomeAction", // action
"SomeController", // controller
null, // routeValues
new { id = "mylink" } // htmlAttributes
)
which obviously generate normal HTML:
click me
and which I unobtrusively AJAXify in separate javascript files:
$(function() {
$('#mylink').click(function() {
$.post(this.href, function(json) {
// TODO: Do something with the JSON object
// returned the your controller action
alert(json.someProperty);
});
return false;
});
});
Assuming the following controller action:
[HttpPost]
public ActionResult SomeAction()
{
return Json(new { someProperty = "Hello World" });
}
UPDATE:
As requested in the comments section here's how to do it using the Ajax.* helpers (I repeat once again, that's just an illustration of how this could be achieved and absolutely not something I recommend, see my initial answer for my recommended solution):
#Ajax.ActionLink(
"click me",
"SomeAction",
"SomeController",
new AjaxOptions {
HttpMethod = "POST",
OnSuccess = "success"
}
)
and inside the success callback:
function success(data) {
var json = $.parseJSON(data.responseText);
alert(json.someProperty);
}

ASP.NET MVC 2: prevent ajax action link from replacing the updateTarget

I use an ajax action link on a view, then bind a js function onto its onCompleted property.
In this function, i get the response object, do some funny stuff, then write the message property to the updatetarget element.
The problem is, when it finishes its work on the oncompleted event, it writes the raw json response onto the updatetarget element, replacing the text i already written. I want to prevent it to write the raw response to the updatetarget. I'm aware of the InsertionMode property, but its useless to me because it appends text to the element one way or another.
The scripts i mentioned are below;
The code of the action link on view:
<%: Ajax.ActionLink("Delete", "Delete",
new { id = Model.Id, secretKey = Model.SecretKey },
new AjaxOptions { OnComplete = "WriteJsonResultToElement", UpdateTargetId="commandResult" })
%>
The WriteJsonResultToElement function
function WriteJsonResultToElement(resultObject) {
updateTarget = resultObject.get_updateTarget();
obj = resultObject.get_object();
$(updateTarget).text(obj.message); // here i set the text of update target
if (obj.result > 0)
$('*:contains("' + obj.id + '")').last().parent().remove();
}
My JsonResult Delete method returns this data after action:
{"message":"Deleted","result":1,"id":132}
Thanks.
If you don't want the raw JSON response appended to the DOM don't specify an UpdateTargetId:
<%: Ajax.ActionLink(
"Delete",
"Delete",
new { id = Model.Id, secretKey = Model.SecretKey },
new AjaxOptions { OnComplete = "success" })
%>
and handle it in the success callback:
function success(result) {
var obj = result.get_object();
alert(obj.message);
// TODO: do something with the object
}

Resources