Use A Cookie To Send PersonID To Different Page - asp.net-mvc

Question

Hey guys so atm when the user goes to the holiday page, they can do 1 of 2 things
1)use a drop down box to select 'person name' and click 'view' this will display all the current holidays for this person
2)click 'create new' which will bring the user to a create page which allows them to add a new holiday(from here they select person name from drop and and select what date from calender)
This all works, however if the user originally follows the first path of selecting a person name and clicking view(it will display their holidays) if they then take the path of 2 and click 'create' it will jump to the create page. however the drop down box will be back at 'select' i would like the existing person selected from the previous drop down to display in this drop down.
A cookie or url/parameter?
anyway Im stuck please help
I've tried a cookie.
[code]
[HttpGet]
public ViewResult Index(string sortOrder, int? currentPersonID)
{
var holidays = db.Holidays.Include("Person");
HolidayList model = new HolidayList();
if (currentPersonID.HasValue)
{
model.currentPersonID = currentPersonID.Value;
}
else
{
model.currentPersonID = 0;
}
model.PList4DD = db.People.ToList();
//hyperlink to sort dates in ascending order
ViewBag.NameSortParm = String.IsNullOrEmpty(sortOrder) ? "date" : "";
var dates = from d in db.Holidays
where d.PersonId == currentPersonID.Value
select d;
switch (sortOrder)
{
case "date":
dates = dates.OrderBy(p => p.HolidayDate);
break;
}
model.HList4DD = dates.ToList();
var cookie = new HttpCookie("cookie_name", "currentPersonID");
Response.AppendCookie(cookie);
return View(model);
}
public ActionResult Create()
{
var cookie = Request.Cookies["cookie_name"];
if (cookie != null)
{
string value = cookie.Value;
//int? value = cookie.Value;
}
ViewBag.cookie = cookie.Value;
ViewBag.Id = new SelectList(db.People, "Id", "Name");
return View();
}
//tried to use the currentPersonID in index as an int but it woudlnt allow me.
[/code]
My View
[code]
#model HolidayBookingApp.Models.startANDend
#{
ViewBag.Title = "Create";
}
<p>
<span>#ViewBag.cookie</span>
<h2>Create</h2>
<form action ="ListHolidays" id="listHolidays" method="post">
#using (Html.BeginForm()) {
#Html.ValidationSummary(true)
<fieldset>
<legend>Holiday</legend>
<div>
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.PersonId, "Person")
</div>
<div>
#Html.DropDownListFor(model => model.PersonId,
new SelectList(ViewBag.Id, "Value", "Text"),
"---Select---"
)
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.PersonId)
</div>
<div>
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.HolidayDate)
</div>
<div>
#Html.TextBoxFor(model => model.HolidayDate)
#Html.TextBoxFor(model => model.endDate)
<script>
// Date.format = 'dd/m/yyy';
$("#HolidayDate").addClass('date-pick');
$("#endDate").addClass('date-pick');
//$('.date-pick').datePicker//({dateFormat: 'dd-mm-yy'}).val();
// clickInput: true
$(function () {
//3 methods below dont allow user to select weekends
$('.date-pick').datePicker(
{
createButton: false,
renderCallback: function ($td, thisDate, month, year) {
if (thisDate.isWeekend()) {
$td.addClass('weekend');
$td.addClass('disabled');
}
}
}
)
.bind('click',
function () {
$(this).dpDisplay();
this.blur();
return false;
}
)
.bind('dateSelected',
function (e, selectedDate, $td) {
console.log('You selected ' + selectedDate);
}
);
// HolidayDate is start date
$('#HolidayDate').bind('dpClosed',
function (e, selectedDates) {
var d = selectedDates[0];
if (d) {
d = new Date(d);
$('#endDate').dpSetStartDate(d.addDays(0).asString());
}
}
);
//end date is end date
$('#endDate').bind('dpClosed',
function (e, selectedDates) {
var d = selectedDates[0];
if (d) {
d = new Date(d);
$('#HolidayDate').dpSetEndDate(d.addDays(0).asString());
}
}
);
});
</script>
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.HolidayDate)
</div>
<p>
<input type="submit" value="Create"/>
</p>
</fieldset>
}
<div>
#Html.ActionLink("Back to List", "Index")
</div>
#*
<p>Current Person Selected is:
#TempData["currentPersonID"]
</p>*#
[code]
Once I get this going how can i get my drop down to store the value?
Any help?
Thanks

Answer 1

try to use the helper SelectList and pass to view a Model with a list of item and the id of the selected item.
#Html.DropDownList("name", new SelectList(Model.SomeList, "ItemValueId", "ItemDescription", Model.ItemValueId), new { #class = "someclass" })

Answer 2

To me, a cookie is a way of storing information across many different page and also if the user returns back after some time.
I would prefer using query string as the information needs to be passes from one page to other page. You can use javascript or jquery on 'Create' button click event, look to see if dropdown has a value, put it in a query string and redirect.
And I would suggest reading below:
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/43457/Session-Cookie-Query-String-Cache-Variables-Unifie