Question

I have this part in asp.net MVC 3 view:

   <tr>
         <td>@Html.LabelFor(x => x.DateOfBirth, new { @class = "lbl" }, "Date Of Birth") </td>
        <td>@Html.TextBoxFor(x => x.DateOfBirth, new { @class = "w100 _dob" })
        <br>@Html.ValidationMessageFor(x => x.DateOfBirth)       
        </td>
    </tr> 

but in controller action DateOfBirth is set to Datetime.minimum value

   public ActionResult Index(IdentifyModel identifyModel) {}

VIEW CODE

@model CreditRegistry.Models.Helpers.IdentifyModel

@{
    ViewBag.Title = "Identify";
    ViewBag.BreadCrumb = "Identify";
}
@section BodyTitle {
    <span>Identify</span> yourself
}
<ul class="extra">
    <li><a href="#">Receive Free Credit Report</a></li>
    <li><a href="#">Premium Subscription</a></li>
    <li><a href="#">FAQ</a></li>
</ul>


@using (Html.BeginForm("Index","Identify",FormMethod.Post,new{autocomplete="off", id="frmIdentify"})) {


<p class="info">
    View and print your credit report after you authenticate your identity. <u><b>Your first
        credit report is free.</b></u>
</p>


    <p>
    Please provide as much information as you can so we can identify who you are.
    Refer to the <b>@Html.ActionLink("FAQ", "FAQ", "Home")</b> for help.
    </p>

 @*   
<p>
    Is this report for an @Html.RadioButton("_mode", "_individualFields", true, new { @class = "_mode" })
    Individual or a @Html.RadioButton("_mode", "_businessFields", new { @class = "_mode" })
    Business?
</p>
*@


    @Html.ValidationSummary()

<fieldset class="form">
<table>
    <tr>
        <td>@Html.LabelFor(x => x.FirstName, new { @class = "lbl" }, "First Name")</td>
        <td>@Html.TextBoxFor(x => x.FirstName, new { @class = "w200" })
            <br>@Html.ValidationMessageFor(x => x.FirstName)
        </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>@Html.LabelFor(x => x.LastName, new { @class = "lbl" }, "Last Name")</td>
        <td>@Html.TextBoxFor(x => x.LastName, new { @class = "w200" })
        <br>@Html.ValidationMessageFor(x => x.LastName)
        </td>
    </tr>
     <tr>
         <td>@Html.LabelFor(x => x.DateOfBirth, new { @class = "lbl" }, "Date Of Birth") </td>
        <td>@Html.TextBoxFor(x => x.DateOfBirth, new { @class = "w100 _dob" })
        <br>@Html.ValidationMessageFor(x => x.DateOfBirth)       
        </td>
    </tr> 

    <tr>
        <td>(optional)@Html.LabelFor(x => x.Phone, new { @class = "lbl" }, "Mobile Number") </td>
        <td>@Html.TextBoxFor(x => x.Phone, new { @class = "w200" })
        <br>@Html.ValidationMessageFor(x => x.Phone)
        </td>
    </tr>


    <tr>
        <td>(optional)@Html.LabelFor(x => x.DLNumber, new { @class = "lbl" }, "Driver's License Number") </td>
        <td>@Html.TextBoxFor(x => x.DLNumber, new { @class = "w200" })
        <br>@Html.ValidationMessageFor(x => x.DLNumber)
        </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>(optional)@Html.LabelFor(x => x.PassportNo, new { @class = "lbl" }, "Passport Number") </td>
        <td>@Html.TextBoxFor(x => x.PassportNo, new { @class = "w200" })
        <br>@Html.ValidationMessageFor(x => x.PassportNo)
        </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td>(optional)@Html.LabelFor(x => x.NationalID, new { @class = "lbl" }, "National ID") </td>
        <td>@Html.TextBoxFor(x => x.NationalID, new { @class = "w200" })
        <br>@Html.ValidationMessageFor(x => x.NationalID)
        </td>
    </tr>
</table> 
    <p>
        <label>
        </label>
        <input type="submit" value="Start Identification" />
    </p>
</fieldset>

}

<script type="text/javascript">
    $(function () {
        $('#frmIdentify').attr('autocomplete', 'off'); @*make sure autocomplete off for browsers that already stored some information*@
        $('._dob').datepicker({ dateFormat: "yy-mm-dd", changeMoth: true, changeYear: true, yearRange: '-100y:c+nn' });
    });

How can I fix it

Answer 1

You need to have DateOfBirth as a DateTime? datatype; a Nullable DateTime. This means that if DateOfBirth has no value, then it will be NULL, rather then DateTime.MinValue.

public class IdentifyModel  {
   public DateTime? DateOfBirth {get;set;}
}

EDIT:

I just replciated your issue and found a fix.

In your viewmodel class IdentifyModel you must declare DateOfBirth as a nullable DateTime:

public DateTime? DateOfBirth { get; set; }

Doing this stops the view from showing 01/01/0001 (or whatever the default date is) when you GET the view.

Then, when I entered “1/2/2010” into the textbox and posted the form, the DateTime value “1/2/2010” was posted back into the viewmodel.