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DataType vs UiHint

I have been using mvc2 for a while now, and when i need to set the template i use the DataType Attribute

    [DataType("DropDown")]
    public int Field { get; set; }

I see others using UiHint to achieve the same results

    [UiHint("DropDown")]
    public int Field { get; set; }

What is the difference between using these two attributes? Which attribute should I be normally using, or are they for different tasks?

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Andrey Avatar asked Sep 22 '10 15:09

Andrey


2 Answers

DataType is generally used to make it known that this is a very specific version of a property, such as price.

The most common example of DataType is the [DataType(DataTypes.EmailAddress)] which usually is a string but we're saying that this is a very specific type of string.

They're both helpful and the UIHint overrides the DataType. So if you have a certain DataType but you want to override the editor for that specific property you can use a UIHint.

like image 94
Buildstarted Avatar answered Oct 18 '22 10:10

Buildstarted


DataType attribute has two purposes

  • Provide additional type information for a data field. You do this by applying the DataTypeAttribute attribute to a data field in the data model and by specifying the additional type name from the DataType enumeration. Then the view engine uses the default template for displaying the property, like, a checkbox for a boolean.
  • If you want to override the default template, and wish to use a custom template, then it can be used to associate a custom field template with that data field. In this case you must provide a partial page[.cshtml, MVC 4] to describe the display.
  • The purpose of UIHint is exactly same as the second point above. Where to use what? The answer is: context, ie., what will make more sense, what is closer to the physical problem your code is trying to solve. What if both are applied to the same property? The answer is: UIHint has precedence, obviously. But why would you apply both?

    like image 35
    Hoven Avatar answered Oct 18 '22 10:10

    Hoven