How to dynamically add row to html table

Question

I got a ASP.net MVC 4.0 web application which enable user to dynamically add rows to html table.

In my view:

$('.del').live('click', function () {
    id--;

    var rowCount = $('#options-table tr').length;

    if (rowCount > 2) {
         $(this).parent().parent().remove();
    }  
});

$('.add').live('click', function () {
    id++;
    var master = $(this).parents("table.dynatable");

    // Get a new row based on the prototype row
    var prot = master.find(".prototype").clone();
    prot.attr("class", "")
    prot.find(".id").attr("value", id);

    master.find("tbody").append(prot);
});

<table class="dynatable" id="options-table" width="100%" style="text-align:center" border="1">
    <tr class="prototype">
        <%:Html.EditorFor(m => Model.ChillerDetails)%> //referring to the template
    </tr>
    <thead>
</table>

In my template:

<%@ Control  Language="C#" Inherits="System.Web.Mvc.ViewUserControl<GMIS.Models.GMISEBModels.ChillerPlantDetails>" %>

<div id="ChillerPlantDetails">
    <td><%: Html.EditorFor(m => m.ChillerAge) %></td>
    <td><%: Html.EditorFor(m => m.ChillerBrand) %></td>
    <td><%: Html.EditorFor(m => m.ChillerCapacity) %></td>
    <td><%: Html.EditorFor(m => m.ChillerRefrigerant) %></td>
    <td>
        <a href="#" class="add"><img src="<%= Url.Content("~/Content/Images/add.png") %>"/>&nbsp;<a href="#" class="del"><img src="<%= Url.Content("~/Content/Images/remove.png") %>"/>
    </td>
</div>

In my Model:

public class AddHealthCheckFormModel
{
    public List<ChillerPlantDetails> ChillerDetails { get; set; }
}

public class ChillerPlantDetails
{
    //[Required(ErrorMessage = "Please enter Chiller Capacity.")]
    [Display(Name = "Chiller Capacity")]
    public string ChillerCapacity { get; set; }

    //[Required(ErrorMessage = "Please enter Age of Chiller.")]
    [Display(Name = "Age of Chiller")]
    public string ChillerAge { get; set; }

    //[Required(ErrorMessage = "Please enter Chiller Brand.")]
    [Display(Name = "Chiller Brand")]
    public string ChillerBrand { get; set; }

    //[Required(ErrorMessage = "Please enter Chiller Refrigerant.")]
    [Display(Name = "Chiller Refrigerant")]
    public string ChillerRefrigerant { get; set; }
}

Now the question comes to how can I capture the data in the dynamically added rows into my controller and save into database?

Answer 1

You can use following View which will add new record using HTTP Post instead of Ajax. Replacing it with Ajax.BeginForm with appropriate parameters will use the Ajax instead of plain post request.

@using (Html.BeginForm())
{
@Html.AntiForgeryToken()
@Html.ValidationSummary(true)
<table class="list-chiller-record">
    @for (int i = 0; i < this.Model.ChillerDetails.Count; i++)
    {
        if (i == 0)
        {
            <tr class="chiller-record-template" style="display:none">
                <td>@Html.EditorFor(x=>x.ChillerDetails[i].ChillerAge)</td>
                <td>@Html.EditorFor(x=>x.ChillerDetails[i].ChillerBrand)</td>
                <td>@Html.EditorFor(x=>x.ChillerDetails[i].ChillerCapacity)</td>
                <td>@Html.EditorFor(x=>x.ChillerDetails[i].ChillerRefrigerant)</td>
            </tr>    
        }

        <tr class="chiller-record">
            <td>@Html.EditorFor(x=>x.ChillerDetails[i].ChillerAge)</td>
            <td>@Html.EditorFor(x=>x.ChillerDetails[i].ChillerBrand)</td>
            <td>@Html.EditorFor(x=>x.ChillerDetails[i].ChillerCapacity)</td>
            <td>@Html.EditorFor(x=>x.ChillerDetails[i].ChillerRefrigerant)</td>
        </tr>

    }
</table>
<br />
<input type="button" class="add-button" name="add" value="Add" />
<input type="submit" class="save-button" name="save" value="save" />
}

Add add new row:

  <script type="text/javascript">
    $(document).ready(function () {
        var count = 2;
        $('.add-button').click(function () {
            count++;
            var template = $('.chiller-record-template').clone()
            template.find('input[type=text]').val('');
            $.each(template.find('input[type=text]'), function () {
                var name = $(this).attr('name');
                name = name.replace('0', count - 1);
                $(this).attr('name', name);
            });

            $('.list-chiller-record').append(template);
            template.removeClass('chiller-record-template').addClass('chiller-record').show();
        })
    });
 </script>

Your Action Could be like this:

 [HttpPost]
    public ActionResult AddHealthCheck(AddHealthCheckFormModel model)
    {
        if (ModelState.IsValid)
        {
            HealthCheckRepository healthCheckRepository = new HealthCheckRepository();
            healthCheckRepository.save(model);
        }

        return this.View(model);
    }

And in repository you can actually save the data in database. You can use EF or any other ORM for this.