MVC4: jQuery AutoComplete TextBox Using Web API

The following is my Data Table from which I will show the records.


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Open Visual Studio and go to "File" -> "New" -> "Project..." and you will get the New Project window as in the following:


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We will now add our Data Table. So right-click on the Models folder then select "Add" -> "ADO.NET Entity Data Model".


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Give it a name.


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Now it is time to add the Web API. So Right-click on Controller -> Add -> Controller.


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Select API Controller with read/write actions, using Entity Framework from the Template, select Model Class and select Data Context Class then click Add.


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This StudentAPI controller will generate code for Get, Put, Post & Delete methods. Here I modify my Get method since I need to pass my search text.

Here we need only a Get method.

The following is my StudentAPIController class:

  1. using System;  
  2. using System.Collections.Generic;  
  3. using System.Data;  
  4. using System.Data.Entity;  
  5. using System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure;  
  6. using System.Linq;  
  7. using System.Net;  
  8. using System.Net.Http;  
  9. using System.Web;  
  10. using System.Web.Http;  
  11. using jQuery_AutoComplete_WithWEBAPI.Models;  
  12.   
  13. namespace jQuery_AutoComplete_WithWEBAPI.Controllers  
  14. {  
  15.     public class StudentAPIController : ApiController  
  16.     {  
  17.         private SchoolManagementEntities db = new SchoolManagementEntities();  
  18.   
  19.         // GET api/Student  
  20.         public IEnumerable<Student> GetStudents(string searchText)  
  21.         {  
  22.             return db.Student.Where(m => m.Name.Contains(searchText)).ToList();  
  23.         }  
  24.   
  25.         // GET api/StudentAPI/5  
  26.         public Student GetStudent(int id)  
  27.         {  
  28.             Student student = db.Student.Find(id);  
  29.             if (student == null)  
  30.             {  
  31.                 throw new HttpResponseException(Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.NotFound));  
  32.             }  
  33.   
  34.             return student;  
  35.         }  
  36.   
  37.         // PUT api/StudentAPI/5  
  38.         public HttpResponseMessage PutStudent(int id, Student student)  
  39.         {  
  40.             if (ModelState.IsValid && id == student.StudentID)  
  41.             {  
  42.                 db.Entry(student).State = EntityState.Modified;  
  43.   
  44.                 try  
  45.                 {  
  46.                     db.SaveChanges();  
  47.                 }  
  48.                 catch (DbUpdateConcurrencyException)  
  49.                 {  
  50.                     return Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.NotFound);  
  51.                 }  
  52.   
  53.                 return Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.OK);  
  54.             }  
  55.             else  
  56.             {  
  57.                 return Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.BadRequest);  
  58.             }  
  59.         }  
  60.   
  61.         // POST api/StudentAPI  
  62.         public HttpResponseMessage PostStudent(Student student)  
  63.         {  
  64.             if (ModelState.IsValid)  
  65.             {  
  66.                 db.Student.Add(student);  
  67.                 db.SaveChanges();  
  68.   
  69.                 HttpResponseMessage response = Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.Created, student);  
  70.                 response.Headers.Location = new Uri(Url.Link("DefaultApi"new { id = student.StudentID }));  
  71.                 return response;  
  72.             }  
  73.             else  
  74.             {  
  75.                 return Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.BadRequest);  
  76.             }  
  77.         }  
  78.   
  79.         // DELETE api/StudentAPI/5  
  80.         public HttpResponseMessage DeleteStudent(int id)  
  81.         {  
  82.             Student student = db.Student.Find(id);  
  83.             if (student == null)  
  84.             {  
  85.                 return Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.NotFound);  
  86.             }  
  87.   
  88.             db.Student.Remove(student);  
  89.   
  90.             try  
  91.             {  
  92.                 db.SaveChanges();  
  93.             }  
  94.             catch (DbUpdateConcurrencyException)  
  95.             {  
  96.                 return Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.NotFound);  
  97.             }  
  98.   
  99.             return Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.OK, student);  
  100.         }  
  101.   
  102.         protected override void Dispose(bool disposing)  
  103.         {  
  104.             db.Dispose();  
  105.             base.Dispose(disposing);  
  106.         }  
  107.     }  

Now add a controller. Right-click on the Controller folder then select Add -> Controller.


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Now add a View. So right-click on the Index Method then select Add View.


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Make sure your solution has the following JavaScript and CSS files. Otherwise you can download these from the jQuery site.

jquery-1.8.2.js
jquery-ui-1.9.0.js
& jquery-ui-1.9.0.custom.css


Now our Index.cshtml is:

  1. @{  
  2.     ViewBag.Title = "jQuery AutoComplete Text Box using WEB API";  
  3.       
  4. }  
  5.   
  6. <link href="~/CSS/jquery-ui-1.9.0.custom.css" rel="stylesheet" />  
  7. <script src="~/Scripts/jquery-1.8.2.js"></script>  
  8. <script src="~/Scripts/jquery-ui-1.9.0.min.js"></script>  
  9. <style>  
  10.     .ui-autocomplete {  
  11.         max-height: 100px;  
  12.         overflow-y: auto;  
  13.     }  
  14.   
  15.     .ui-autocomplete {  
  16.         height: 100px;  
  17.     }  
  18. </style>  
  19. <div id="body">  
  20.     <table style="background-color: skyblue; border: solid 4px green; width: 80%; text-align: center;">  
  21.         <tr>  
  22.             <td>  
  23.                 <label for="autocomplete-textbox">Enter User Name : </label>  
  24.             </td>  
  25.             <td style="text-align: left">  
  26.                 <input type="text" id="txtName" /></td>  
  27.         </tr>  
  28.         <tr>  
  29.             <td></td>  
  30.         </tr>  
  31.         <tr>  
  32.             <td>  
  33.                 <label id="lblMessage" style="color: red;"></label>  
  34.             </td>  
  35.             <td style="text-align: left">  
  36.                 <label id="lblSelectedVal" style="color: magenta;"></label>  
  37.             </td>  
  38.         </tr>  
  39.     </table>  
  40. </div>  
  41.   
  42. <script type="text/javascript">  
  43.     $(document).ready(function () {  
  44.         $('#txtName').autocomplete({  
  45.             source: function (request, response) {  
  46.                 var autocompleteUrl = '/api/StudentAPI' + '?searchText=' + request.term;  
  47.                 $.ajax({  
  48.                     url: autocompleteUrl,  
  49.                     type: 'GET',  
  50.                     cache: false,  
  51.                     dataType: 'json',  
  52.                     success: function (json) {  
  53.                         response($.map(json, function (data, id) {  
  54.                             return {  
  55.                                 label: data.Name,  
  56.                                 value: data.Name  
  57.                             };  
  58.                         }));  
  59.                     },  
  60.                     error: function (xmlHttpRequest, textStatus, errorThrown) {  
  61.                         console.log('some error occured', textStatus, errorThrown);  
  62.                     }  
  63.                 });  
  64.             },  
  65.             minLength: 1,  
  66.             select: function (event, ui) {  
  67.                 lblMessage.innerText = "Your Selected Name :";  
  68.                 lblSelectedVal.innerText = ui.item.label;  
  69.                 $('#txtName').val(ui.item.label);  
  70.                 return false;  
  71.             }  
  72.         });  
  73.     });  
  74. </script> 

Run the application.


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