MVC3 Why is my posted model NULL? - asp.net-mvc-3

Question

Curious issue with MVC3, EF Code First.
I'm passing a model that wraps two models to a view.
public class UserInfoModel
{
[Key]
[Required]
public int Id { get; set; }
/// <summary>
/// <para>Corresponds to ProviderUserKey in ASP Membership</para>
/// <para>Used in Membership.GetUser(ProviderUserKey) to retrieve email and username.</para>
/// </summary>
public Guid MembershipId { get; set; }
[Required]
[DataType(DataType.Text)]
[Display(Name = "First name")]
public string FirstName { get; set; }
[Required]
[DataType(DataType.Text)]
[Display(Name = "Last name")]
public string LastName { get; set; }
[Required]
[DataType(DataType.Text)]
[Display(Name = "Address 1")]
public string Address1 { get; set; }
[DataType(DataType.Text)]
[Display(Name = "Address 2")]
public string Address2 { get; set; }
[Required]
[DataType(DataType.Text)]
[Display(Name = "State")]
public string State { get; set; }
[Required]
[DataType(DataType.Text)]
[Display(Name = "Country")]
public string Country { get; set; }
[Required]
[DataType(DataType.Text)]
[Display(Name = "Zip code")]
public string ZipCode { get; set; }
[Required]
[DataType(DataType.PhoneNumber)]
[Display(Name = "Phone number")]
public string PhoneNumber { get; set; }
[Required]
[DataType(DataType.Date)]
[Display(Name = "Sign up date")]
[DisplayFormat(ApplyFormatInEditMode = true, DataFormatString = #"{0:MM/dd\/yyyy}")]
public DateTime SignUpDate { get; set; }
[Required]
[DataType(DataType.Date)]
[Display(Name = "Birthday")]
[DisplayFormat(ApplyFormatInEditMode = true, DataFormatString = #"{0:MM\/dd\/yyyy}")]
public DateTime BirthDate { get; set; }
[DataType(DataType.Date)]
[Display(Name = "Enrollment date")]
[DisplayFormat(ApplyFormatInEditMode = true, DataFormatString = #"{0:MM\/dd\/yyyy}")]
public DateTime EnrollmentDate { get; set; }
[DataType(DataType.ImageUrl)]
[Display(Name = "Avatar")]
public string AvatarImage { get; set; }
[Display(Name = "Rank")]
public int RankId { get; set; }
[ForeignKey("RankId")]
public UserRankModel Rank { get; set; }
[Display(Name = "IsActive")]
public bool IsActive { get; set; }
}
public class RegisterModel
{
[Required]
[Display(Name = "User name")]
public string UserName { get; set; }
[Required]
[DataType(DataType.EmailAddress)]
[Display(Name = "Email")]
public string Email { get; set; }
[Required]
[StringLength(100, ErrorMessage = "The {0} must be at least {2} characters long.", MinimumLength = 6)]
[DataType(DataType.Password)]
[Display(Name = "Password")]
public string Password { get; set; }
[DataType(DataType.Password)]
[Display(Name = "Confirm password")]
[Compare("Password", ErrorMessage = "The password and confirmation password do not match.")]
public string ConfirmPassword { get; set; }
}
public class UserInfoAndRegisterModel
{
public UserInfoModel UserInfoModel { get; set; }
public RegisterModel RegisterModel { get; set; }
}
View:
#model K2Calendar.Models.UserInfoAndRegisterModel
#{
ViewBag.Title = "Update User";
}
<div class="container">
<h2>
Update Account Details</h2>
<p>
Use the form below to update the account.
</p>
<p>
#Html.ValidationSummary(true, "Account update was unsuccessful. Please correct the errors and try again.")
</p>
<script src="#Url.Content("~/Scripts/jquery.validate.js")" type="text/javascript"> </script>
<script src="#Url.Content("~/Scripts/jquery.validate.unobtrusive.js")" type="text/javascript"></script>
#using (Html.BeginForm())
{
#Html.HiddenFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.Id)
#Html.HiddenFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.MembershipId)
#Html.HiddenFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.SignUpDate)
<div class="row-fluid">
<div class="span6">
#Html.LabelFor(m => m.RegisterModel.UserName)
#Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.RegisterModel.UserName, new { tabindex = "1" , disabled = "disabled" } )
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(m => m.RegisterModel.UserName)
</div>
<div class="span6">
#Html.LabelFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.State)
#Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.State, new { tabindex = "8" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.State)
</div>
</div>
<div class="row-fluid">
<div class="span6">
#Html.LabelFor(m => m.RegisterModel.Email)
#Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.RegisterModel.Email, new { tabindex = "2" , disabled = "disabled" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(m => m.RegisterModel.Email)
</div>
<div class="span6">
#Html.LabelFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.ZipCode)
#Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.ZipCode, new { tabindex = "9" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.ZipCode)
</div>
</div>
<div class="row-fluid">
<div class="span6">
#Html.LabelFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.FirstName)
#Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.FirstName, new { tabindex = "3" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.FirstName)
</div>
<div class="span6">
#Html.LabelFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.Country)
#Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.Country, new { tabindex = "10" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.Country)
</div>
</div>
<div class="row-fluid">
<div class="span6">
#Html.LabelFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.LastName)
#Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.LastName, new { tabindex = "4" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.LastName)
</div>
<div class="span6">
#Html.LabelFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.BirthDate)
#Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.BirthDate, new { tabindex = "11", placeholder = "mm/dd/yyyy" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.BirthDate)
</div>
</div>
<div class="row-fluid">
<div class="span6">
#Html.LabelFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.Address1)
#Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.Address1, new { tabindex = "5" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.Address1)
</div>
<div class="span6">
#Html.LabelFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.EnrollmentDate)
#Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.EnrollmentDate, new { tabindex = "12", placeholder = "mm/dd/yyyy" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.EnrollmentDate)
</div>
</div>
<div class="row-fluid">
<div class="span6">
#Html.LabelFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.Address2)
#Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.Address2, new { tabindex = "6" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.Address2)
</div>
<div class="span6">
#Html.LabelFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.RankId)
#Html.DropDownListFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.RankId, (SelectList)ViewBag.RankList, new { tabindex = "13" })
</div>
</div>
<div class="row-fluid">
<div class="span6">
#Html.LabelFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.PhoneNumber)
#Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.PhoneNumber, new { tabindex = "7" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(m => m.UserInfoModel.PhoneNumber)
</div>
<div class="span6">
</div>
</div>
<br />
<p>
<button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary btn-large" tabindex = "14">Update »</button>
</p>
}
My controller classes takes the model that is posted and does some db updates.
One of the wrapped models is null:
[Authorize]
[HttpPost]
public ActionResult Edit(UserInfoAndRegisterModel model)
{
//WHY IS model.RegisterModel == null ??//
if (ModelState.IsValid)
{
try
{
dbContext.Entry(model.UserInfoModel).State = System.Data.EntityState.Modified;
dbContext.SaveChanges();
return RedirectToAction("Index", "Home");
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
throw new InvalidOperationException("Failed to update UserInfoModel", ex.InnerException);
}
}
GenerateRanksList();
return View(model);
}
I do the same thing for the account creation and I do not receive a null value for RegisterModel with almost identical view code.
Currently this is a non-issue in that I only update the UserInfoModel currently but in the future I may want to allow a user to change their email address or user name.
Any ideas?

Answer 1

Your RegisterModel is null because you are not posting any values which belongs to the RegisterModel
Although you have inputs which belong to RegisterModel like this in your view
#Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.RegisterModel.UserName,
new { tabindex = "1" , disabled = "disabled" } )
They are all disabled and disabled inputs are not posted:
Form submission - Successful controls
A successful control is "valid" for submission
However:
Controls that are disabled cannot be successful.
So you need remove the disable or add the properties as hidden fields:
#Html.HiddenFor(m => m.RegisterModel.UserName)