Question

If I have the following code (EDIT: Sorry if I wasn’t clear, I want to encapsulate the following (forget about the view its calling), so that I could do other stuff within the ActionResult):

public ActionResult ModelBased(string[] items, PostedItems postedItems) {
        var model = new ItemsViewModel();
        var selectedItems = new List<Item>();
        var postedItemIDs = new string[0];
        if (postedItems == null) postedItems = new PostedItems();

        if (items!= null && items.Any()) {
            postedCityIDs = items;
            postedItems.ItemIDs = items;
        }

        if (postedItems.ItemIDs != null && postedItems.ItemIDs.Any()) {
            postedItemIDs = postedIems.ItemIDs;
            model.WasPosted = true;
        }

        if (postedItemIDs.Any())
            selectedItems = ItemRepository.GetAll()
                .Where(x => postedItemIDs.Any(s => x.Id.ToString().Equals(s))).ToList();

        model.AvailableItems = ItemRepository.GetAll();
        model.SelectedItems = selectedItems;
        model.PostedItems = postedItems;

        return View(model);
    }

How might I reuse it in different Actions in my controller without having to copy/paste. I tried doing a private method with the code. But I am stuck on:

1. Either calling it wrong within an action method : private void Item (Item item) {//copied code from above} then calling Item(item); in the action; or

2. It has something to do with the (string[] items, PostedItems postedItems) that I am doing wrong; or

3. Something entirely different that I am not doing right.

Any examples would be much appreciated.

EDIT: The code above works with a CheckBoxList. It’s one particular CheckBoxList. But I want to be able to use it in other views without having to copy/paste the code to other ActionResults. Just calling the ActionResult won’t work, because I plan on doing other things. In particular, I have code for wizards in each ActionResult, such as:

if ((nextButton != null) && ModelState.IsValid)
     return RedirectToAction("EMailConfirm");
return View("EMail/BasicDetails", myData);

which are returning specific views, so call to just the ActionResult won’t work, unless I am missing something.

Answer 1

return View(model); tries to find a view for the original action.

Specify return View("ModelBased", model); to always render the view named "ModelBased"

---

public void SomeAction(string[] items, PostedItems postedItems)
{
    // Modify the data as your like
    return ModelBased(string[] items, PostedItems postedItems);
}

public void SomeOtherAction(string[] items, PostedItems postedItems)
{
    // Modify the data as your like
    return ModelBased(string[] items, PostedItems postedItems);
}

private ActionResult ModelBased(string[] items, PostedItems postedItems) {
    var model = new ItemsViewModel();
    var selectedItems = new List<Item>();
    var postedItemIDs = new string[0];
    if (postedItems == null) postedItems = new PostedItems();

    if (items!= null && items.Any()) {
        postedCityIDs = items;
        postedItems.ItemIDs = items;
    }

    if (postedItems.ItemIDs != null && postedItems.ItemIDs.Any()) {
        postedItemIDs = postedIems.ItemIDs;
        model.WasPosted = true;
    }

    if (postedItemIDs.Any())
        selectedItems = ItemRepository.GetAll()
            .Where(x => postedItemIDs.Any(s => x.Id.ToString().Equals(s))).ToList();

    model.AvailableItems = ItemRepository.GetAll();
    model.SelectedItems = selectedItems;
    model.PostedItems = postedItems;

    return View(model);
}