DropDownList Helper to Handle HttpPost in MVC

Introduction

This article shows how to use a dropdownlist helper to handle HttpPost in MVC applications.

Create an ASP.Net Web Application

Figure 1: New Project

Choose MVC template

Figure 2: MVC Template

Set up an Entity Framework

Figure 3: Entity Framework

Add an Employee Controller

Figure 4: Employee Controller

 
Figure 5: MVC 5 Controller 

 

Figure 6: Add Controller

EmployeeController.cs

using DropDownListPostApp_MVC.Models;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Web;
using System.Web.Mvc;

namespace DropDownListPostApp_MVC.Controllers
{
    public class EmployeeController : Controller
    {
        EmployeeEntities objEmployeeEntities = new EmployeeEntities();
        public ActionResult Index()
        {
            ViewBag.List = new SelectList(objEmployeeEntities.Departments.Select(r => r.DepartmentName));
            return View();
        }


        [HttpPost]
        public string Index(string List)
        {
            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(List))
            {
                return "Invalid Selection";
            }
            else
            {
                return "Selected Value is: " + List;
            }
        }

    }
}

Adding View

Figure 7: Add View

Figure 8: View Index 

Index.cshtml

@{
    ViewBag.Title = "Index";
}

<h2>Index</h2>

@using (Html.BeginForm("Index", "Employee", FormMethod.Post))
{

    @Html.DropDownList("List", "--------SELECT------")

    <br />
     <input type="submit" value="Submit" />
}

The following screenshot shows the output of the application.

Figure 9: Output

Figure 10: Invalid Selection 

 

Figure 11: Index

 

 
Figure 12: Final Output

Summary

In this article we saw how to use a dropdownlist helper to handle HttpPost in MVC application.
Happy coding!