Question

i have a problem, i had created a controller and a view for adding a new item from a specific model. the view looks like:

@modelModels.UserItem

@{
    ViewBag.Title = "New";
}

<h2>New</h2>

<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>

@using (Html.BeginForm())
{
    @Html.ValidationSummary(true)  
    <fieldset>
        <legend>Device</legend>

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

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

and the controller:

[HttpPost]
public ActionResult New(UserItem useritem)
{
    if (ModelState.IsValid)
    {
        db.UserItems.AddObject(useritem);
        db.SaveChanges();

        return RedirectToAction("Index");
    }

    return View(useritems);
}

how i want to add a dropdown to the form in the view like this:

<select id="Select1">
    <option>MARS</option>
</select>

how to access the data from the form after it was submitted in the controller?

Answer 1

Have view model for your page,this view model will be used in your view. So, only include fields from your model that you really need. In Get action you should create this view model and get the needed properties from your model and map them to your view model.

public class UserItemViewModel
{
    /* Properties you want from your model */
    public string Property1                           { get; set; }
    public string Property2                           { get; set; }
    public string Property3                           { get; set; }

    /* Property to keep selected item */
    public string SelectedItem                        { get; set; }
    /* Set of items to fill dropdown */
    public IEnumerable<SelectListItem> SelectOptions  { get; set; }

    /* Fill the SelectListHere. This will be called from index controller */
    public void FillOptions()
    {
        var items = new[] { "Mars", "Venus" }.
              Select(x => new SelectListItem { Value = x, Text = x });

        SelectOptions= new SelectList(items, "Value", "Text");
    }
}

Change controller for receiving ViewModel instead of Model itself.

[HttpPost]
public ActionResult New(UserItemViewModel useritem)
{
    /* Repopulate the dropdown, since the values are not posted with model. */
    userItem.FillOptions();

    if (ModelState.IsValid)
    {
        /* Create your actual model and add it to db */

        // TODO: Map your properties from model to view model.
        // Let's say you created a model with name userItemModel
        db.UserItems.AddObject(userItemModel);
        db.SaveChanges();

        return RedirectToAction("Index");
    }
    return View(useritem);
} 

You might need to change Index view controller little.(to fill dropdown)

[HttpGet]
public ActionResult Index()
{
    /* Create new viewmodel fill the dropdown and pass it to view */
    var viewModel = new UserItemViewModel();
    viewModel.FillOptitons();

    //TODO : From your model fill the required properties in view model as I mention.

    return View(viewModel);
} 

And your view,

/* Strongly typed view with viewmodel instead of model itself */
@modelModels.UserItemViewModel

/* This is the dropdown */
@Html.DropDownListFor(m => m.SelectedItem, Model.SelectOptions)