html.dropdownlist MVC3 confusion - asp.net-mvc-3

Question

This works for me but how do I do the same thing using html.dropdownlist?
Notice that the value passed is not the value that is shown to the user.
#model IEnumerable<MVR.Models.ViewIndividual>
<h2>Level1</h2>
<select>
#foreach (var item in Model) {
<option value="#item.Case_Number">#item.Patient_Lastname ,
#item.Patient_Firstname
</option>
}
</select>

Answer 1

As always in an ASP.NET MVC application you start by defining a view model:
public class MyViewModel
{
public string SelectedIndividual { get; set; }
public SelectList Individuals { get; set; }
}
then you write a controller action that populates this view model from some data source or something:
public ActionResult Index()
{
// TODO : fetch those from your repository
var values = new[]
{
new { Value = "1", Text = "item 1" },
new { Value = "2", Text = "item 2" },
new { Value = "3", Text = "item 3" },
};
var model = new MyViewModel
{
Individuals = new SelectList(values, "Value", "Text")
};
return View(model);
}
and finally you have a strongly typed view using strongly typed helpers:
#model MyViewModel
#Html.DropDownListFor(
x => x.SelectedIndividual,
Model.Individuals
)
This being said, because I see that you are not using any view models in your application, you could always try the following ugliness (not recommended, do this at your own risk):
#model IEnumerable<MVR.Models.ViewIndividual>
<h2>Level1</h2>
#Html.DropDownList(
"SelectedIndividual",
new SelectList(
Model.Select(
x => new {
Value = x.Case_Number,
Text = string.Format(
"{0}, {1}",
x.Patient_Lastname,
x.Patient_Firstname
)
}
),
"Value",
"Text"
)
)
Of course such pornography is not something that I would recommend to ever write in a view and I wouldn't recommend even to my worst enemies.
Conclusion: In an ASP.NET MVC application you should always be using view models and strongly typed views with strongly typed helpers (see first part of my answer).

Answer 2

Here is the full example
public class PageModel
{
[Display(Name = "Page ID")]
public Guid ID { get; set; }
[Display(Name = "Page Type ID")]
public Guid PageTypeID { get; set; }
[Display(Name = "Title")]
public string Title { get; set; }
[Display(Name = "Page Type Name")]
public string PageTypeName { get; set; }
[Display(Name = "Html Content")]
public string HtmlContent { get; set; }
public SelectList PageTypeList { get; set; }
}
the C# code
public ActionResult Edit(Guid id)
{
var model = db.Pages.Where(p => p.ID == id).FirstOrDefault();
var typeList = new SelectList(db.PageTypes.OrderBy(s => s.Name).ToList(), "ID", "Name");
var viewModel = new PageModel { PageTypeList = typeList };
viewModel.HtmlContent = model.HtmlContent;
viewModel.ID = model.ID;
viewModel.PageTypeID = Guid.Parse(model.PageTypeID.ToString());
viewModel.Title = model.Title;
return View(viewModel);
}
[HttpPost]
[ValidateInput(false)]
[AcceptVerbs(HttpVerbs.Post)]
public ActionResult Edit(PageModel page)
{
if (ModelState.IsValid)
{
var model = db.Pages.Where(p => p.ID == page.ID).FirstOrDefault();
model.Title = page.Title;
model.HtmlContent = page.HtmlContent;
model.PageTypeID = page.PageTypeID;
db.SaveChanges();
return RedirectToAction("Index");
}
return View(page);
}
and lastly html
#model competestreet.com.Models.PageModel
#{
ViewBag.Title = "Edit";
Layout = "~/Views/Shared/_LayoutCMS.cshtml";
}
<script type="text/javascript">
$(document).ready(function () {
$('#HtmlContent').ckeditor();
});
</script>
<script src="#Url.Content("~/Scripts/jquery.validate.min.js")" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script src="#Url.Content("~/Scripts/jquery.validate.unobtrusive.min.js")" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script src="#Url.Content("~/Scripts/ckeditor/ckeditor.js")" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script src="#Url.Content("~/Scripts/ckeditor/adapters/jquery.js")" type="text/javascript"></script>
<h2 class="title">
<span class="text-cms">CM<span>S</span></span></h2>
<div class="box">
<div class="t">
</div>
<div class="c">
<div class="content">
<div class="main-holder">
<div id="sidebar">
<ul>
<li>Home</li>
<li>Pages</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div id="content" style="min-height: 500px;">
#using (Html.BeginForm())
{
#Html.ValidationSummary(true)
<fieldset>
<legend>Page Type - #Html.DropDownListFor(x => x.PageTypeID, Model.PageTypeList)
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.PageTypeID)</legend>
<div class="editor-label">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.Title)
</div>
<div class="editor-field">
#Html.EditorFor(model => model.Title, new { #class = "text-box" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Title)
</div>
<div class="clear">
</div>
<div class="editor-label">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.HtmlContent)
</div>
<div class="editor-field">
#Html.TextAreaFor(model => model.HtmlContent, new { #name = "Editor1", #class = "Editor1" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.HtmlContent)
</div>
<div class="clear">
</div>
<p>
<input type="submit" value="Save" class="input-btn" />
</p>
</fieldset>
}
<div>
#Html.ActionLink("Back to List", "Index")
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="b">
</div>
</div>