Question

Consider the following data classes:

class TopLevel
{
    public TopLevel()
    {
        collection = new Item[3];
    }

    public string Name { get; set; }
    public Item[] collection { get; set; }
}

class Item
{
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public string Value { get; set; }
}

I made an Editor Template for Item:

   <div class="editor-label">
        @Html.LabelFor(model => model.Name)
    </div>
    <div class="editor-field">
        @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Name)
        @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Name)
    </div>
    <div class="editor-label">
        @Html.LabelFor(model => model.Value)
    </div>
    <div class="editor-field">
        @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Value)
        @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Value)
    </div>

My create csthml for TopLevel looks like this:

@using(Html.BeginForm()) 
{
    @Html.LabelFor( m => m.Name )
    @Html.EditorFor( m => m.Name )
    @Html.ValidationMessageFor( m => m.Name )

    for (int i = 0; i < Model.Collection.Count(); i++)
    {
        @Html.EditorFor(m => m.Collection[i])
    }

    <input type="submit" value="Submit"/>
}

But in my controller

[HttpPost]
public ActionResult Create( TopLevel tl )
{
    //tl.Collection contains three null Items.
}

The Item’s that make up Collection in my TopLevel class do not get created. Is there a way to accomplish this?

Answer 1

See this article for a solution. The magic is contained in the using(Html.BeginCollectionItem("...")) block.