How to use Linq objects to validate a view in MVC 2 - asp.net-mvc

Question

I would like to use Linq and strongly typed views in the right way. at the moment I do the following:
Make a Model to verify agianst:
public class Menu
{
public int Id { get; private set; }
public string Text { get; private set; }
public string Action { get; private set; }
public string Controller { get; private set; }
public string Parameter { get; private set; }
public string Langue { get; private set; }
public Menu(int id, string controller, string action, string parameter, string text)
{
Id = id;
Controller = controller;
Action = action;
Text = text;
Parameter = parameter;
}
Use Linq to get the data from the database into the model:
public static List<Menu> GetTabListForMenu(string langue)
{
Page_dbEntities entity = new Page_dbEntities();
var tabList = (from ml in entity.wpmenulangue
where ml.Langue == langue
from m in entity.wpmenu
where ml.Menu == m.Id
from l in entity.wplangue
where ml.Langue == l.Langue
from p in entity.wppage
where p.Id == m.Page
select new { m.Id, p.Controller, p.Action, p.Parameter, ml.Text}).ToList();
List<Menu> menu = new List<Menu>();
foreach (var item in tabList)
{
menu.Add(new Menu(item.Id, item.Controller, item.Action, item.Parameter, item.Text));
}
return menu;
}
I am pretty convinced that this is not the optimal way to do this and have 2 questions:
When I get the data from the database I first use a var and then have to move it to the object with a foreach. this seems like a waste of both my time and less effeicent then getting it with sql.
I have been told that I can just verify up agianst the entitymodel. Even if i use multiple entities in a view. is this true? (the one telling me this wes not able to get it to work and I have not been able to find anything about it online).
I will try to look back on this post in the next couple of hours, but might have to wait 24 hours.

Answer 1

public static List<Menu> GetTabListForMenu(string langue)
{
Page_dbEntities entity = new Page_dbEntities();
return (from ml in entity.wpmenulangue
where ml.Langue == langue
from m in entity.wpmenu
where ml.Menu == m.Id
from l in entity.wplangue
where ml.Langue == l.Langue
from p in entity.wppage
where p.Id == m.Page
select new Menu(m.Id, p.Controller, p.Action, p.Parameter, ml.Text)
).ToList();
}
As for the validation is concerned you shouldn't use multiple entities in the view. You should use a single entity which is called ViewModel. This ViewModel is a class that represents the data on the view. If you are using DataAnnotations for validation you could decorate this view model properties with attributes that indicate how to be validated.