Question

I have a create view :-

@model MvcCommons.ViewModels.CompositeViewModel
@{
    ViewBag.Title = "Create";
}

<h2>Create</h2>

<script src="@Url.Content("~/Scripts/jquery.validate.min.js")"></script>
<script src="@Url.Content("~/Scripts/jquery.validate.unobtrusive.min.js")"></script>


@using (Html.BeginForm()) {
    @Html.ValidationSummary(true)

    <fieldset>
        <legend>Article</legend>

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

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

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

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

        <div class="editor-label">
            @Html.LabelFor(model => model.ArticleViewModel.Article.CategoryID, "Category")
        </div>
        <div class="editor-field">
            @Html.DropDownList("CategoryID", String.Empty)
            @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.ArticleViewModel.Article.CategoryID)
        </div>

        <p>
            <input type="submit" value="Create" />
        </p>
    </fieldset>
}

<div>
    @Html.ActionLink("Back to List", "Index")
</div>

and in the controller I have the following :-

[HttpPost]
    public ActionResult Create(CompositeViewModel viewModel)
    {

        if (ModelState.IsValid)
        {
            unitOfWork.ArticleRepository.Insert(viewModel.ArticleViewModel.Article);
            unitOfWork.Save();
            return RedirectToAction("Index");
        }

        PopulateDropDownList(viewModel.ArticleViewModel.Article.CategoryID);
        return View(viewModel);

    }

The CompositeViewModel is as follows :-

 public class CompositeViewModel
{
    public ImageViewModel ImageViewModel;
    public ArticleViewModel ArticleViewModel;
    public ProjectViewModel ProjectViewModel;

    public CompositeViewModel()
    {
        ImageViewModel = new ImageViewModel();
        ArticleViewModel = new ArticleViewModel();
        ProjectViewModel = new ProjectViewModel();
    }
}

My problem is that when I click on the Create link, and go into the Controllers’s Action, the CompositeViewModel viewModel is empty.

Can anyone tell me why, I cannot seem to figure out why.

Thanks for your help and time

Answer 1

In the model set your existing fields as propreties and don`t use the constructor because on each model instantiation it will create new members: Example:

 public class CompositeViewModel
 {
    public ImageViewModel ImageViewModel { get; set; };
    public ArticleViewModel ArticleViewModel{ get; set; };
    public ProjectViewModel ProjectViewModel{ get; set; };
 }