Question

I’ve been doing some searches, found this ASP.NET MVC 3 – Partial vs Display Template vs Editor Template but I am still not clear as what and how should I use for “custom UI controls” for several model properties.

I have two examples in mind:

FistName MiddleInitial LastName
or Phone Ext

I want to have some sort of a re-usable UI control / template that I can use.

Say, I have a partial view which I use in both Create and Edit views, called _ClientForm. In this view I have Contact1 and Contact2 and related properties in my model. Now, I’d like to create a common look for both of them and display side by side. Also, they both have Phone/Ext properties and I’d like some sort of visual control to be able to re-use it every time I have these two properties in my model.

I am not clear as what I should use and how should I go with the implementation.

Just to make it clear as what I mean.

Right now I have the partial view with the following code

@using WebDemo.Helper
@model CardNumbers.Objects.Client
<fieldset>
    <legend>Client Info</legend>

    @Html.ValidationSummary(true)

    <input type="hidden" id="fntype" name="fntype">
    @Html.HiddenFor(model => model.Id)
    @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Number, EditorTemplate.TextBox)

    @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Name, EditorTemplate.TextBox)

    @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Address, EditorTemplate.EditBox)

    <div id="ContactsInfo">
        @*Contact 1*@
        <div id="Contact1">

            @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Contact1, EditorTemplate.TextBox)
            @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Email1, EditorTemplate.TextBox)
            @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Phone1, EditorTemplate.TextBox)
            @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Ext1, EditorTemplate.TextBox)

        </div>

        @*Contact2*@
        <div id="Contact2">

            @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Contact2, EditorTemplate.TextBox)

            @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Email2, EditorTemplate.TextBox)
            @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Phone2, EditorTemplate.TextBox)
            @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Ext2, EditorTemplate.TextBox)
        </div>
    </div>
    @*<div class="clear"></div>*@
    <div id="SaveCancel" class="float-right">
        <button type="Submit" id="btnSave">Save</button>
        <button type="reset" id="btnCancel">Cancel</button>
    </div>
</fieldset>

The view code is already a bit simplified using the technique described here
http://dotnetspeak.com/index.php/2012/10/asp-net-mvc-template-and-knockout-js

So, as you see I have 2 divs with the Contact information and inside each div I also have Phone/Ext with I’d like to place close to each other.

So, I am thinking I need something reusable for both: the Contact Info and phone/ext.

I also show my Client class for some further clarifications:
using System;

using System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations;
using System.ComponentModel;

using DataAnnotationsExtensions;
using System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations.Schema;
using System.Collections.Generic;

namespace CardNumbers.Objects
{
    public class Client
    {
        //public Client()
        //{
        //    this.ClientOrders = new List<ClientOrder>();

        //    this.Reorders = new List<Reorder>();
        //}

        [Key]
        [Column("ClientId",TypeName = "int")]
        public virtual int Id { get; set; }
        [Required]
        [DisplayName("Client No")]
        [Column("client_no", TypeName = "smallint")]
        public virtual Int16 Number { get; set; }

        [Required]
        [Column("client_name", TypeName = "varchar")]
        [DisplayName("Client Name")]
        [MaxLength(30, ErrorMessage = "Client Name should not be longer than 30 characters" )]
        [MinLength(3, ErrorMessage = "Client Name is too short")]
        public virtual string Name { get; set; }

        [StringLength(100)]
        [DisplayName("First Contact")]
        [DisplayFormat(NullDisplayText = "")]
        [Column("Contact1",TypeName =  "varchar")]
        public virtual string Contact1 { get; set; }

        [Email]
        [StringLength(100)]
        [Column("c1_email", TypeName = "varchar")]
        public virtual string Email1 { get; set; }

        [DataType(DataType.PhoneNumber)]
        [Column("C1_Phone", TypeName = "varchar")]
        [StringLength(10)]
        [DisplayName("Phone")]
        public virtual string Phone1 { get; set; }

        [StringLength(5)]
        [Column("C1_Ext", TypeName = "varchar")]
        [DisplayName("Ext")]
        public virtual string Ext1 { get; set; }

        [StringLength(100)]
        [DisplayName("Second Contact")]
        [Column("Contact2", TypeName = "varchar")]
        public virtual string Contact2 { get; set; }

        [Email]
        [StringLength(100)]
        [Column("C2_Email", TypeName = "varchar")]
        public virtual string Email2 { get; set; }

        [DataType(DataType.PhoneNumber)]
        [StringLength(10)]
        [DisplayName("Phone")]
        [Column("C2_Phone", TypeName = "varchar")]
        public virtual string Phone2 { get; set; }

        [StringLength(5)]
        [DisplayName("Ext")]
        [Column("C2_Ext",TypeName = "varchar")]
        public virtual string Ext2 { get; set; }

        [DataType(DataType.MultilineText)]
        public virtual string Address { get; set; }

        [ForeignKey("EnteredByOperator")]
        public string EnteredBy { get; set; }

        [InverseProperty("ClientsEnteredBy")]
        public virtual Operator EnteredByOperator { get; set; }

        [ForeignKey("ModifiedByOperator")]
        public string ModifiedBy { get; set; }

        [InverseProperty("ClientsUpdatedBy")]
        public virtual Operator ModifiedByOperator { get; set; }

        [DataType(DataType.DateTime)]
        [DisplayName("Created on")]
        public DateTime EnteredOn { get; set; }

        [DataType(DataType.DateTime)]
        [DisplayName("Modified on")]
        public DateTime? ModifiedOn { get; set; }

        public virtual ICollection<ClientOrder> ClientOrders { get; set; }

        public virtual ICollection<Reorder> Reorders { get; set; }
    }
}`

`

Thanks a lot in advance.

Answer 1

I would add 2 EditorFor templates.

• One that edits an individual contact info
• One that is either for a list of contact info or for a special viewmodel that contains two contact infos. This template would in turn call editor for on all the contained contact info view models which would render the first template.

ViewModels

 public class ContactDetails
 {
    public string Name {get;set;]
    public string Email {get; set;}
 }
 public class ContactsInfo
 {
    public ContactDetails Contact1 {get; set; }
    public ContactDetails Contact2 {get; set; }
 }
 public class Client {
    public ContactsInfo ContactsInfo {get; set;}
 }

Main View

 @model client
 ...other html....
 @Html.EditorFor(m => m.ContactsInfo)
 ...other html....

Editor Template ContactsInfo.cshtml

@model ContactsInfo
<div id="ContactsInfo">
    <div id="Contact1">
        @Html.EditorFor(m => m.Contact1)
    </div>
    <div id="Contact2">
        @Html.EditorFor(m => m.Contact2)
    </div>
</div> 

Editor Template ContactDetails.cshtml

   @model ContactDetails
   @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Contact1, EditorTemplate.TextBox)
   @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Email1, EditorTemplate.TextBox)
   @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Phone1, EditorTemplate.TextBox)
   @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Ext1, EditorTemplate.TextBox)