using viewmodel with create view - asp.net-mvc

Question

I have a ViewModel with two models in it which works find when displaying data. My problem is I want to add a foreach() within the Create.cshtml file. Any ideas?
----Create.cshml-----
#model demo.Models.ViewModel
#{ ViewBag.Title = "Create Reference";}<h2>Create</h2>
#using (Html.BeginForm()) {
#Html.AntiForgeryToken()
#Html.ValidationSummary(true)
<fieldset>
<legend>Submission Form </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>
<div class="editor-label">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.Title)
</div>
<div class="editor-field">
#Html.EditorFor(model => model.Title)
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Title)
</div>
<div class="editor-field">
<!-- iterate through ExternalContentModel and make checkboxes. -->
#foreach (var item in Model.ExternalContentModel)
{
<label class="checkbox">
<input type="checkbox" name="users" value="#item.auth_lname"> #item.auth_lname
</label>
}
</div>
<div class="editor-label">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.OrganizationName)
</div>
<div class="editor-field">
#Html.EditorFor(model => model.OrganizationName)
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.OrganizationName)
</div>
<div class="editor-label">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.Address)
</div>
<div class="editor-field">
#Html.EditorFor(model => model.Address)
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Address)
</div>
<div class="editor-label">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.City)
</div>
<p>
<input type="submit" value="Create" />
</p>
</fieldset>
}
------Controller-----
//
// GET: /Create
public ActionResult Create() <=== can this be the problem????
{
demo.Models.ViewModel vm = new demo.Models.ViewModel();
vm.ExternalContentModel = _repository.ExternalContent();
// Return the content from the External Model to the Create.
return View(vm);
}
//
// POST: /MailingReferences/Create
[HttpPost]
[ValidateAntiForgeryToken]
public ActionResult Create(Reference reference) <=== can this be the problem????
{
if (ModelState.IsValid)
{
db.References.Add(reference);
db.SaveChanges();
return RedirectToAction("Index");
}
return View(reference);
}

Answer 1

If you have different models then why don't you just create a editor templates for each model?
You can do this by creating a folder called "EditorTemplates" in the same folder your Create.cshtml view lives in. Now add a view for your model into that folder. The view should be named the same as your model class. E.g. a class called FooBarModel would have an editor template called FooBarModel.cshtml.
You would then just use the editor template by doing #Html.EditorFor(x => x.FooBar)