Question

I’m trying to sort my result page (which is in another view than the filtration page). I have faced this weird issue I do not understand why keeps happening to me.

All the codes provided in very short form, please ask me if you need any other parts of my code for more information.

My Index view(where user filters results):

@model IEnumerable<Cars.Models.CarSearch>
@using (Html.BeginForm("SearchResult", "Home", FormMethod.Post,
    new
    {
        id = "CategoryFormID",
        data_modelListAction = @Url.Action("ModelList"),
        data_makeListAction = @Url.Action("MakeList"),
        data_editionListAction = @Url.Action("EditionList")
    }))
{
<label>Make</label>
<select id="MakeID" name="carMake">
    <option>All Makes</option>
</select>
}

My SearchResult view:

@model IEnumerable<Cars.Models.Car>

<a href="@Url.Action("SearchResult", "Home", new { sortOrder= "Make", filters = ViewBag.CurrentFilters})">Make</a>

My model:

public class Car
{
    public String Make { get; set; }      //is my table model
}

public class CarFilter {
    public String carMake { get; set; }
}

public class CarSearch {
    public CarFilter CarFilter { get; set; }
    public byte PageSize { get; set; }
    public short PageNumber { get; set; }
    public int TotalRows { get; set; }
}

My Controller:

public ActionResult SearchResult(String sortOrder, CarFilter filters)
    {
        ViewBag.CurrentFilters = filters;

        return View();
    }

All I’m trying to do is to get carMake from Index post it to controller in CarFilter form (since in my code there are LOTS of fields in the form and I don’t want to write them all down) and when user clicks on sort by Make it GET the SearchResult method and it’s supposed to set filters = ViewBag.CurrentFilters which is the value user inputted from beginning.

Now the funny part is, when I replace CarFilter filters with String carMake and other places respectively. It works like a charm.

My question:

• Why?

• How can I do this with CarFilter filters?

UPDATE:

Problem is that filters = ViewBag.CurrentFilters in my SearchResult view does not work with the type CarFilter, because it keeps giving me NULL value when user clicked on the sort by Make.

Second UPDATE:

I tried changing filters = ViewBag.CurrentFilters with CarFilter = ViewBag.CurrentFilters. Now CarFilter filters in my SearchResult(...)method in my controller is not and null object, but ALL the values of the objects in the model class is null (which shouldn’t be). I mean the filters object exists but it seems like the values of CarFilter class in my model haven’t been passed by ViewBag.CurrentFilters to the view.

Answer 1

when you canged the name it worked because framework found property name and the bind it to what you have within action parameters doesnt work so nicely with objects. My advice is to stick with simple types

Here is similiar case:
How to send model object in Html.RenderAction (MVC3)

Its not a ViewBag problem thants how it works in general. Its the prime reason for using flatted models :/