How to get DropDownList SelectedValue in Controller in MVC

Question

I have dropdownlist, which I have filled from database. Now I need to get the selected value in Controller do some manipulation. But not getting the idea. Code which I have tried.

Model

public class MobileViewModel 
{          
    public List<tbInsertMobile> MobileList;
    public SelectList Vendor { get; set; }
}

Controller

 public ActionResult ShowAllMobileDetails()
    {
        MobileViewModel MV = new MobileViewModel();
        MV.MobileList = db.Usp_InsertUpdateDelete(null, "", "", null, "", 4, MergeOption.AppendOnly).ToList();
        MV.Vendor = new SelectList(db.Usp_VendorList(), "VendorId", "VendorName");
        return View(MV);
    }

    [HttpPost]
    public ActionResult ShowAllMobileDetails(MobileViewModel MV)
    {           
        string strDDLValue = ""; // Here i need the dropdownlist value

        return View(MV);
    }

View

   <table>           
        <tr>
            <td>Mobile Manufacured</td>
            <td>@Html.DropDownList("ddlVendor", Model.Vendor, "Select Manufacurer") </td>
        </tr>         
        <tr>
            <td>

            </td>
            <td>
                <input id="Submit1" type="submit" value="search" />
            </td>
        </tr>
    </table>

Answer 1

1st Approach (via Request or FormCollection):

You can read it from Request using Request.Form , your dropdown name is ddlVendor so pass ddlVendor key in the formCollection to get its value that is posted by form:

string strDDLValue = Request.Form["ddlVendor"].ToString();

or Use FormCollection:

[HttpPost]
public ActionResult ShowAllMobileDetails(MobileViewModel MV,FormCollection form)
{           
  string strDDLValue = form["ddlVendor"].ToString();

  return View(MV);
}

2nd Approach (Via Model):

If you want with Model binding then add a property in Model:

public class MobileViewModel 
{          
    public List<tbInsertMobile> MobileList;
    public SelectList Vendor { get; set; }
    public string SelectedVendor {get;set;}
}

and in View:

@Html.DropDownListFor(m=>m.SelectedVendor , Model.Vendor, "Select Manufacurer")

and in Action:

[HttpPost]
public ActionResult ShowAllMobileDetails(MobileViewModel MV)
{           
   string SelectedValue = MV.SelectedVendor;
   return View(MV);
}

UPDATE:

If you want to post the text of selected item as well, you have to add a hidden field and on drop down selection change set selected item text in the hidden field:

public class MobileViewModel 
{          
    public List<tbInsertMobile> MobileList;
    public SelectList Vendor { get; set; }
    public string SelectVendor {get;set;}
    public string SelectedvendorText { get; set; }
}

use jquery to set hidden field:

<script type="text/javascript">
$(function(){
$("#SelectedVendor").on("change", function {
   $("#SelectedvendorText").val($(this).text());
 });
});
</script>

@Html.DropDownListFor(m=>m.SelectedVendor , Model.Vendor, "Select Manufacurer")
@Html.HiddenFor(m=>m.SelectedvendorText)

Answer 2

Model

Very basic model with Gender field. GetGenderSelectItems() returns select items needed to populate DropDownList.

public enum Gender 
{
    Male, Female
}

public class MyModel
{
    public Gender Gender { get; set; }

    public static IEnumerable<SelectListItem> GetGenderSelectItems()
    {
        yield return new SelectListItem { Text = "Male", Value = "Male" };
        yield return new SelectListItem { Text = "Female", Value = "Female" };
    }
}

View

Please make sure you wrapped your @Html.DropDownListFor in a form tag.

@model MyModel

@using (Html.BeginForm("MyController", "MyAction", FormMethod.Post)
{
   @Html.DropDownListFor(m => m.Gender, MyModel.GetGenderSelectItems())
   <input type="submit" value="Send" />
}

Controller

Your .cshtml Razor view name should be the same as controller action name and folder name should match controller name e.g Views\MyController\MyAction.cshtml.

public class MyController : Controller 
{
    public ActionResult MyAction()
    {
        // shows your form when you load the page
        return View();
    }

    [HttpPost]
    public ActionResult MyAction(MyModel model)
    {
        // the value is received in the controller.
        var selectedGender = model.Gender;
        return View(model);
    }
}

---

Going further

Now let's make it strongly-typed and enum independent:

var genderSelectItems = Enum.GetValues(typeof(Gender))
    .Cast<string>()
    .Select(genderString => new SelectListItem 
    {
        Text = genderString,
        Value = genderString,
    }).AsEnumerable();

Answer 3

MVC 5/6/Razor Pages

I think the best way is with strongly typed model, because Viewbags are being aboused too much already :)

MVC 5 example

Your Get Action

public async Task<ActionResult> Register()
    {
        var model = new RegistrationViewModel
        {
            Roles = GetRoles()
        };

        return View(model);
    }

Your View Model

    public class RegistrationViewModel
    {
        public string Name { get; set; }

        public int? RoleId { get; set; }

        public List<SelectListItem> Roles { get; set; }
    }    

Your View

    <div class="form-group">
        @Html.LabelFor(model => model.RoleId, htmlAttributes: new { @class = "col-form-label" })
        <div class="col-form-txt">
            @Html.DropDownListFor(model => model.RoleId, Model.Roles, "--Select Role--", new { @class = "form-control" })
            @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.RoleId, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
        </div>
    </div>                                   

Your Post Action

    [HttpPost, ValidateAntiForgeryToken]
    public async Task<ActionResult> Register(RegistrationViewModel model)
    {
        if (ModelState.IsValid)
        {
            var _roleId = model.RoleId, 

MVC 6 It'll be a little different

Get Action

public async Task<ActionResult> Register()
    {
        var _roles = new List<SelectListItem>();
        _roles.Add(new SelectListItem
        {
           Text = "Select",
           Value = ""
        });
        foreach (var role in GetRoles())
        {
          _roles.Add(new SelectListItem
          {
            Text = z.Name,
            Value = z.Id
          });
        }

        var model = new RegistrationViewModel
        {
            Roles = _roles
        };

        return View(model);
    }

Your View Model will be same as MVC 5

Your View will be like

<select asp-for="RoleId" asp-items="Model.Roles"></select>

Post will also be same

Razor Pages

Your Page Model

[BindProperty]
public int User User { get; set; } = 1;

public List<SelectListItem> Roles { get; set; }

public void OnGet()
{
    Roles = new List<SelectListItem> {
        new SelectListItem { Value = "1", Text = "X" },
        new SelectListItem { Value = "2", Text = "Y" },
        new SelectListItem { Value = "3", Text = "Z" },
   };
}

<select asp-for="User" asp-items="Model.Roles">
    <option value="">Select Role</option>
</select>

I hope it may help someone :)

Answer 4

If you want to use @Html.DropDownList , follow.

Controller:

var categoryList = context.Categories.Select(c => c.CategoryName).ToList();

ViewBag.CategoryList = categoryList;

View:

@Html.DropDownList("Category", new SelectList(ViewBag.CategoryList), "Choose Category", new { @class = "form-control" })

$("#Category").on("change", function () {
 var q = $("#Category").val();

console.log("val = " + q);
});