Conditional HiddenInputAttribute - asp.net-mvc

I need an attribute in ASP .NET MVC view model, which check the specified condition (based on another property value) and turn on/off visibility parameter of input control on edit page.
Something like that:
public string SomeProperty { get; set; }
[ConditionalHidden("SomeProperty", "PropertyValueToMakeConditionTrue")]
public string DependentProperty { get; set; }
Is it possible?

If you need it after page is loaded then you need javascript code.
Else you can use in view
#if(Model.Property == something)
{
html
}
But this is without attribute.

Related

Code reuse in multiple mvc views

I have read this link: https://www.future-processing.pl/blog/view-code-reuse-techniques-in-asp-net-mvc/
I can not use any of those helper ways...
I have to show on multiple mvc sites this string:
1612-1
That is an inquiry number: 16 is the day of month, 12 the month of year and 1 is the database id. I am sure that will not be the final impl but for now we take it as given.
public class MyViewModel
{
public string City { get; set; }
public string PostalCode { get; set; }
public List<string> ActionItemDescriptions { get; set; }
public string InquiryNumber { get; set; }
}
Where would you create the InquiryNumber?
If I put it inside the razor view I cant reuse it.
Seems business logic to me , so it belongs in the business layer.
Then, from within your controller you:
call the business component which returns the inquiry number
store the number in your view model
pass the view model to the view.
One way you could get an inquiry number, without using a helper, is this:
In a controller, have the following action method:
public ActionResult GetInquiryNumber()
{
// TODO : The code to get the inquiry number.
return Content("1612-1");
}
You can then call that method in any view you like, using the following:
#{ Html.RenderAction("GetInquiryNumber", "Home"); }
Obviously you will need to come up with your own method, and controller, names.
This isn't the ideal way of passing data to a view (using a viewmodel is preferable), but the above approach is an option to you.

MVC Razor helpers do not render proper ID and Name attributes for fields of interface derived classes

I have a class which looks like this:
public class ApplicationFormModel
{
protected ApplicationFormModel()
{
CurrentStep = ApplicationSteps.PersonalInfo;
PersonalInfoStep = new PersonalInfo();
}
public PersonalInfo PersonalInfoStep { get; set; }
public IEducationalBackground EducationalBackgroundStep { get; set; }
public IAboutYou AboutYouStep { get; set; }
public IOther OtherStep { get; set; }
}
where IEducationalBackground, IAboutYou, and IOther are interfaces. I do not use this class directly, but I use derived classes of this one which upon instantiation create the proper instances of EducationalBackgroundStep, AboutYouStep, and OtherStep.
In my view, I am using Razor Helpers such as
#Html.TextBoxFor(model => (model.EducationalBackgroundStep as ApplicationFormModels.EducationalBackgroundAA).University, new {#class = "form-control", type = "text", autocomplete = "off"})
The field 'University', for example, is NOT part of the Interface and I therefore need the cast to access it. Everything is fine for properties of the interface itself, but those which I need to cast for do not end up having the correct ID and Name properties.
For example, instead of EducationalBackgroundStep_University as ID, I only get University. This causes the form to not include this value when submitting it.
I did not have this issue before when I used a base class instead of an interface, but then I had to include the EducationalBackgroundStep, AboutYouStep, and OtherStep in each derived class (and have it then of the correct derived type), but that is what I wanted to avoid.
Is there any way around this? Thank you very much!
The issue with the ID generation is because you are using casting (x as y) and the TextBoxFor expression handler can't determine what the original model property was (more to the point, it doesn't make sense to use the original model property as you're not using it any more, you're using the cast property)
Example fiddle: https://dotnetfiddle.net/jQOSZA
public class c1
{
public c2 c2 { get; set; }
}
public class c2
{
public string Name { get; set; }
}
public ActionResult View(string page, bool pre = false)
{
var model = new c1 { c2 = new c2 { Name = "xx" } };
return View(model);
}
View
#model HomeController.c1
#Html.TextBoxFor(x=>Model.c2.Name)
#Html.TextBoxFor(x=>(Model.c2 as HomeController.c2).Name)
The first textboxfor has ID c2_Name while the second has just Name
You have two options:
1) use concrete classes rather than interfaces for your viewmodel
2) don't use TextBoxFor and instead use TextBox and specify the ID manually (but then you'll lose refactoring)
#Html.TextBox("c2_Name", (Model.c2 as HomeController.c2).Name)
This will give you the ID you're expecting, but as #StephenMuecke rightly points out, this might not bind correctly when you do the POST - so you may still be stuck... but at least it answers the question.
#freedomn-m explained to me why my code wouldn't work and he put me on the right track to find a solution, so he gets the accepted answer.
The workaround I used is the following - so I now have the following classes:
public class ApplicationFormViewModel {
public PersonalInfo PersonalInfoStep { get; set; }
// constructors which take the other classes and
// initialize these fields in an appropriate manner
public IEducationalBackground EducationalBackgroundStep { get; set; }
public IAboutYou AboutYouStep { get; set; }
public IOther OtherStep { get; set; }
}
// in our case, XX can be one of 3 values, so we have 3 classes
public class ApplicationFormXX {
public PersonalInfo PersonalInfoStep { get; set; }
// constructor which take the ApplicationFormViewModel and
// initialize these fields in an appropriate manner
public EducationalBackgroundXX EducationalBackgroundStep { get; set; }
public AboutYouXX AboutYouStep { get; set; }
public OtherXX OtherStep { get; set; }
}
To the main View I send the ApplicationFormViewModel and for each of the fields, I call a separate Partial View.
The Partial views render the common fields which are present in the Interfaces and then, depending on the type of the object held by the interface, it calls a different partial view which accepts the correct Model.
Example:
In the main View I have (NOTE: The actions return a partial view):
#model Applications.Models.ApplicationFormModels.ApplicationFormViewModel
// CODE, CODE, CODE
#Html.Action("RenderEducationalBackgroundStep", "ApplicationFormsLogic", routeValues: new {model = Model})
In the Partial View of for the EducationalBackgroundStep, I have:
#model ApplicationFormModels.ApplicationFormViewModel
// CODE, CODE, CODE
#{
var educationalBackgroundType = Model.EducationalBackgroundStep.GetType();
if (educationalBackgroundType == typeof(EducationalBackgroundXX))
{
<text>#Html.Partial("~\\Views\\Partials\\ApplicationForm\\Partials\\ApplicationSteps\\EducationalBackground\\_EducationalBackgroundXX.cshtml", new ApplicationFormModels.ApplicationFormModelXX { EducationalBackgroundStep = Model.EducationalBackgroundStep as EducationalBackgroundXX })</text>
}
// OTHER ELSE IF CASES
}
And then, the _EducationalBackgroundXX.cshtml partial view expects a model like this:
#model ApplicationFormModels.ApplicationFormModelXX
This way, no casting is required and everything works fine with the ModelBinder. Again, thank you #freedomn-m for setting me on the right track.
NOTE: In practice I need more fields than the ones presented here (for navigation and some custom logic), so actually all of these classes inherit an abstract base class (this makes it redundant to have the PersonalInfoStep declared in each of the classes, for example, because it can be inherited from the abstract base class). But for the intents and purposes of this method, what's present here suffices.

How to omit/prevent data from being sent to the POST method in the Controller in MVC

I have a view that is using a model and I am using that information to create a form.
I have three steps of the form that are optional or may not be shown.
The problem is that these hidden sections get posted along with the form data and break the business logic. (I have no control over the business logic)
So is there a way to tell the framework not to pass certain sections or fields? Perhaps VIA a class or something?
I know I could use AJAX to send certain sections as they are needed, but the site spec is to have them hidden and displayed as needed.
Although you could do this client-side, it won't stop malicious over-posting/mass assignment.
I suggest reading 6 Ways To Avoid Mass Assignment in ASP.NET MVC.
Excerpts:
Specify Included Properties only:
[HttpPost]
public ViewResult Edit([Bind(Include = "FirstName")] User user)
{
// ...
}
Specify Excluded Properties only:
[HttpPost]
public ViewResult Edit([Bind(Exclude = "IsAdmin")] User user)
{
// ...
}
Use TryUpdateModel()
[HttpPost]
public ViewResult Edit()
{
var user = new User();
TryUpdateModel(user, includeProperties: new[] { "FirstName" });
// ...
}
Using an Interface
public interface IUserInputModel
{
string FirstName { get; set; }
}
public class User : IUserInputModel
{
public string FirstName { get; set; }
public bool IsAdmin { get; set; }
}
[HttpPost]
public ViewResult Edit()
{
var user = new User();
TryUpdateModel<IUserInputModel>(user);
// ...
}
Use the ReadOnlyAttribute
public class User
{
public string FirstName { get; set; }
[ReadOnly(true)]
public bool IsAdmin { get; set; }
}
Lastly, and the most recommended approach is to use a real ViewModel, instead a domain Model:
public class UserInputViewModel
{
public string FirstName { get; set; }
}
Show/Hide will not allow/disallow the value from being sent to the Controller.
Elements that are Disabled or just not editable will (99% of the time) be returned as null / minVal.
You can set the elements in the View as Disabled by using JQuery in the script:
$('#elementID').attr("disabled", true);
OR you could use a DOM command:
document.getElementById('elementID').disabled = "true";
So you can set the fields as both Disabled AND Hidden, so that it is neither displayed, nor populated. Then in your Controller you can just base the Business Logic on whether or not certain fields (preferable Mandatory fields, if you have any) are null.
You can check this in C# like this:
For a string:
if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(Model.stringField))
{
ModelState.AddModelError("stringField", "This is an error.");
}
For a DateTime:
if (Model.dateTimeField == DateTime.MinValue)
{
ModelState.AddModelError("dateTimeField ", "This is an error.");
}
Just for interest sake, here is how you can Hide/Show elements on the View using JQuery:
$('#elementID').hide();
$('#elementID').show();

Display data from database(Entity framwork) into _Layout.cshtml

I'm developping a web site on MVC3 asp.net and I use entities framwork for data base:
I want to display the logo from database on _Layout.cshtml, and I want to display the texte from database into My home page.
this is my model
public class Theme
{
[Required(ErrorMessage = "ID is required.")]
public string ThemeID { get; set; }
public string path { get; set; }
[AllowHtml]
[Required(ErrorMessage = "Text is required.")]
public string texte { get; set; }
}
I put in the _Layout.cshtml
#Html.Partial("~/Views/Shared/_Header.cshtml")
this is my ThemeController.cs
[ChildActionOnly]
public ActionResult Header(string id)
{
var model = db.Themes.ToList();
return View("~/Views/Shared/_Header.cshtml", model);
}
this is the _Header.cshtml
#model ICollection<DSClient.Models.Theme>
#{
<img src="#Href( #Model.ElementAt(#Model-1).path )" />
}
When I type the url of Theme/index
It's OK, BUT the problem is when I load an other page, I have this exception
Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
Please Ineed your help.
Html.Partial is used to include a partial view. Therefore, when you include _Header.cshtml and the Model is not a ICollection<DSClient.Models.Theme>, you're in trouble.
Since you made a method with a Childaction attribute, I assume you may want to use Html.Action instead of Html.Partial. This would execute the child action of the controller which outputs the _Header.cshtml with the appropriate data.
Remove the string argument in the Header action (it's not used) and in _Layout.cshtml, you may call it like this:
#Html.Action("Header", "Theme")

MVC "Write-Once" Fields in Model and View

I want DRY/reuse as much editor code (View and Model) as possible. Some of my fields can only be set at creation, and never edited. Are there any pre-existing MVC/DataAnnotation features I should look at?
For example, maybe there is a data attribute that causes EditorFor to operate like DisplayFor if the value is non-null.
Model.cs
[Unchangeable]
string UserReferenceId { get; set; }
string Description { get; set; }
edit: to clarify my goal, I've added an answer with sample code for the approach I'm currently planning. If there's a better way/pre-existing feature for this, please let me know.
There are both the System.ComponentModel.ReadOnlyAttribute and System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations.EditableAttribute (I think EditableAttribute is .NET 4). When model metadata is created for properties marked with either of these, you can see ModelMetadata.IsReadOnly will be set correctly.
Frustratingly, however, the built-in editor templates will still show editable fields, even if ModelMetadata.IsReadOnly is true.
You can, however, create your own shared editor template for each data type where you want this metadata property respected, and handle it specifically.
~/Views/Shared/EditorTemplates/String.cshtml
#model String
#if (ViewData.ModelMetadata.IsReadOnly)
{
#Html.Hidden(string.Empty, Model)
}
#(ViewData.ModelMetadata.IsReadOnly ? Html.DisplayText(string.Empty) : Html.TextBox(string.Empty))
View Model
[Editable(false)]
public string UserReferenceId { get; set; }
You'll note that in the event the metadata for the model indicates IsReadOnly, I draw a hidden field. This is so the value of that property is persisted across posts.
If you don't want the field displayed at all, but persisted across posts, you can use System.Web.Mvc.HiddenInputAttribute. In this case, only the hidden is drawn.
[HiddenInput(DisplayValue=false)]
public string UserReferenceId { get; set; }
Here's what I'm thinking of implementing if nothing similar is pre-existing:
EditableWhenNewModel.cs
public class EditableWhenNewModel : IIsNew
{
public bool IsNew { get { return recordId == 0; } }
string UserReferenceId { get; set; }
string Description { get; set; }
public void Save(RepositoryItem record) {
if (IsNew) { record.UserReferenceId = UserReferenceId; }
record.Description = Description;
... etc.
View.cshtml
#model EditableWhenNewModel
#Html.EditorWhenNewFor(m => m.UserReferenceId)
#Html.EditorFor(m => m.Description)
EditorWhenNewFor.cs
public static MvcHtmlString EditorWhenNewFor<TModel, TProperty>(
this HtmlHelper<TModel> htmlHelper,
Expression<Func<TModel, TProperty>> expression
) where TModel : IIsNew {
return htmlHelper.ViewData.Model.IsNew ?
htmlHelper.EditorFor(expression) :
htmlHelper.DisplayFor(expression);
}

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