MVC Model Binding List of objects

Question

I am having trouble binding a model that contains list of objects. There are no problems when i try to pass the data from the controller to the view, but when i want to send the data back, i get a message that the method doesnt exists.

I am using an ajax call and as data i put $form.serialize() and can see the list with all the data in fiddler, but i am having no luck with the binding.

The Model is:

public class Single
{
   public int Id {get;set;}
   public string Name {get;set;}
   public List<SimpleDropdown> dddl {get;set;}
   public int SelectedEmp {get;set;}
}
public class MainModel
{
   public List<Single> main_model_list {get;set;}
}

In my controller the method for now is:

[HttpPost]
public string SaveModel(MainModel model)
{
   return "";
}

This method doesn't get called, but when i remove the parameter the calling works. So i'm sure that the binding doesn't work. I had a lot more complex model, but i simplified it as much as i can and still couldn't get it to work.

So my question is how can i test this to see what is the problem?

Edit:

I dont have the code at the moment, but that code is functional because i use it in other places in the project. It is something like this:

$("#form").submit(function( ) {
      $.ajax({
        url: "/Controller/SaveModel",
        type: "POST",
        data: $(this).serialize()
    });
});

The form looks something like this:

@using (Html.BeginForm("SaveModel", "Home", FormMethod.Post, new { id = "form" })) 
{
    @for (var z = 0; z < ViewBag.groupes.Length; z++)
    {
        <div style="border-left: 1px solid black">
            <h1>@ViewBag.groupes[z]</h1>
        </div>
    }
    @for (var i = 0; i < Model.main_model_list.Count; i++)
    {
        <div>@Html.LabelFor(x => x.main_model_list[i].Id)</div>
        <div>@Html.LabelFor(x => x.main_model_list[i].Name)</div>
        <div style="float: left">@Html.DropDownListFor(x => main_model_list[i].SelectedEmp, new SelectList(main_model_list[i].dddl, "Id", "Value", main_model_list[i].SelectedEmp), new { @class = "preferences_dd_lists" })</div>
    }
}

Answer 1

You can change your code.

data:{ model:$(this).serialize()}

Because you don't give the parameter name, the mvc model binding do not work.