Question

I have a form in which I need to call two action methods, one after the other. This is how the flow goes.

• First I check if the prerequisite data is entered by the user. If not then I show a message that user needs to enter the data first.
• If all the prerequisite data is entered, I call an action method which return data. If there is no data returned then I show a message “No data found” on the same page.
• If data is returned then I call another action method present in a different controller, which returns a view with all the data, in a new tab.

The View:

@using (Ajax.BeginForm("Index", "OrderListItems", null, new AjaxOptions { OnBegin = "verifyRequiredData"}, new { @id = "formCreateOrderListReport", @target = "_blank" }))
{
    //Contains controls and a button 
}

The Script in this View:

        function verifyRequiredData() {            
            if ($("#dtScheduledDate").val() == "") {

                $('#dvValidationSummary').html("");
                var errorMessage = "";

                errorMessage = "<span>Please correct the following errors:</span><ul>";
                errorMessage += "<li>Please enter Scheduled date</li>";

                $('#dvValidationSummary').append(errorMessage);
                $('#dvValidationSummary').removeClass('validation-summary-valid').addClass('validation-summary-errors');

                return false;
            }
            else {
                $('#dvValidationSummary').addClass('validation-summary-valid').removeClass('validation-summary-errors');
                $('#dvValidationSummary').html("");

                $.ajax({
                    type: "GET",
                    url: '@Url.Action("GetOrderListReport", "OrderList")',                    
                    data: {
                        ScheduledDate: $("#dtScheduledDate").val(),
                        Crews: $('#selAddCrewMembers').val(),
                        Priorities: $('#selPriority').val(),
                        ServiceTypes: $('#selServiceTypes').val(),
                        IsMeterInfoRequired: $('#chkPrintMeterInfo').val()
                    },
                    cache: false,                    
                    success: function (data) {
                        debugger;
                        if (data !== "No data found") {
                            //var newUrl = '@Url.Action("Index", "OrderListItems")';
                            //window.open(newUrl, '_blank');
                            return true;
                        } else {
                            //Show message "No data found"
                            return false;
                        }
                    }
                });
                return false;
            }
        }

The “GetOrderListReport” Action method in “OrderList” Controller:

 public ActionResult GetOrderListReport(OrderListModel model)
 {
     var contract = new OrderReportDrilldownParamDataContract
     {             
         ScheduledDate = model.ScheduledDate
         //Setting other properties as well           
     };
     var result = OrderDataModel.GetOrderList(contract);

     if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(result) || string.IsNullOrEmpty(result))
     {
         return Json("No data found", JsonRequestBehavior.AllowGet);             
     }

     var deserializedData = SO.Core.ExtensionMethods.DeserializeObjectFromJson<OrderReportDrilldownDataContract>(result);

     // send it to index method for list
     TempData["DataContract"] = deserializedData;
     return Json(deserializedData, JsonRequestBehavior.AllowGet);
    }

The last action method present in OrderListItems Controller, the result of which needs to be shown in a new tab:

public ActionResult Index()
{
    var deserializedData = TempData["DataContract"] as OrderReportDrilldownDataContract;
    var model = new OrderListItemViewModel(deserializedData);
    return View(model);
}

The problem is that I am not seeing this data in a new tab, although I have used @target = “_blank” in the Ajax.BeginForm. I have also tried to use window.open(newUrl, ‘_blank’) as can be seen above. But still the result is not shown in a new tab.

Please assist as to where I am going wrong?

Answer 1

If you are using the Ajax.BeginForm you shouldn’t also be doing an ajax post, as the unobtrusive ajax library will automatically perform an ajax post when submitting the form.

Also, if you use a view model with data annotation validations and client unobtrusive validations, then there would be no need for you to manually validate the data in the begin ajax callback as the form won’t be submitted if any validation errors are found.

The only javascript code you need to add in this scenario is a piece of code for the ajax success callback. That will look as the one you currently have, but you need to take into account that opening in new tabs depends on the browser and user settings. It may even be considered as a pop-up by the browser and blocked, requiring the user intervention to allow them as in IE8. You can give it a try on this fiddle.

So this would be your model:

public class OrderListModel 
{
    [Required]
    public DateTime ScheduledDate { get; set; }

    //the other properties of the OrderListModel
}

The form will be posted using unobtrusive Ajax to the GetOrderListReport of the OrderList controller. On the sucess callback you will check for the response and when it is different from “No data found”, you will then manually open the OrderListItems page on a new tab.

This would be your view:

@model someNamespace.OrderListModel

<script type="text/javascript">
    function ViewOrderListItems(data){
        debugger;
        if (data !== "No data found") {
            var newUrl = '@Url.Action("Index", "OrderListItems")';
            //this will work or not depending on browser and user settings.
            //passing _newtab may work in Firefox too.
            window.open(newUrl, '_blank');
        } else {
            //Show message "No data found" somewhere in the current page
        }
    }
</script>

@using (Ajax.BeginForm("GetOrderListReport", "OrderList", null, 
                      new AjaxOptions { OnSucces= "ViewOrderListItems"}, 
                      new { @id = "formCreateOrderListReport" }))
{
    @Html.ValidationSummary(false)

    //input and submit buttons
    //for inputs, make sure to use the helpers like @Html.TextBoxFor(), @Html.CheckBoxFor(), etc
    //so the unobtrusive validation attributes are added to your input elements.
    //You may consider using @Html.ValidationMessageFor() so error messages are displayed next to the inputs instead in the validation summary
    //Example:
    <div>
        @Html.LabelFor(m => m.ScheduledDate)
    </div>
    <div>
        @Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.ScheduledDate, new {id = "dtScheduledDate"})
        @Html.ValidationMessageFor(m => m.ScheduledDate)
    </div>

    <input type="submit" value="Get Report" />
}

With this in place, you should be able to post the data in the initial page using ajax. Then based on the response received you will open another window\tab (as mentioned, depending on browser and user settings this may be opened in a new window or even be blocked) with the second page content (OrderListItems).