Question

I am currently working on an ASP.NET MVC 3 app where I have a particular view that is setup like a wizard (using a jQuery plugin). Each of the wizard steps is part of a single form, where each “step” is split in to its own <div> element. I decided to create partial views for the contents of each “step”. I did this for a few reasons. One being that it keeps the code for each step neat and organized. The other being that it allows me to more easily/neatly include or exclude steps from the wizard on the server side.

Right now, my “main” view looks something like the following:

@using (Html.BeginForm)
{
    <div class="step" id="step1">
        @Html.Partial("Step1")
    </div>

    <div class="step" id="step2">
        @Html.Partial("Step2")
    </div>
}

I am wondering if doing something like this would be considered bad practice and if I should just consolidate the code for all “steps” in to a single view?

Answer 1

No, nothing inherently wrong with that approach.

There’s a small performance overhead, but likely to be of no consequence.

If it makes it easier for you to develop and maintain, feel free.

Edit: If you’re worried about mapping sub-models, as we referred to in the comments, consider using ViewData.ModelMetadata.PropertyName in the partial view to derive the ID’s of the input controls.