My question is similar to Engram's here, but my question goes a bit further. The way i intend it to work is I have a textbox asking how many entries a user is going to make. After they input the number, I need to create that many more textboxes to allow for entries (and then repeat the same process with those textboxes, but baby steps first...) I tried collecting the keys on the post, but it only returns the initial textbox asking for the number of entries. I'm still trying to get a grasp on MVC and the tutorials/videos so far don't delve this deep into it yet. Then again, I know this is probably something I could handle using JQuery, but I'd still be stuck in the same situation.
This is the controller I'm using:
[AcceptVerbsAttribute("POST")]
public ActionResult Create(int tbxNumberOfExercises)
{
ViewData["number"] = tbxNumberOfExercises;
foreach (var key in Request.Form.Keys)
{
string keyString = key.ToString();
if (keyString.StartsWith("tbox_exercise", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
{
string recNum = keyString.Substring(13, keyString.Length - 13);
string approvedKey = Request.Form["tbox_exercise" + recNum];
int number;
int.TryParse(approvedKey, out number);
}
}
return View("Create");
}
And this is my aspx:
<form action="/CreateWorkout/Create" method="post">
Number of Exercises:
<%= Html.TextBox("tbxNumberOfExercises") %>
<br />
<br />
<input type="submit" value="Set Exercise Number" />
</form>
<% if (ViewData["number"] != null)%>
There are this many:<%=Html.Encode(ViewData["number"])%>
<br />
and this line should show up
<% if (ViewData["number"] != null)
{
int max = (int)ViewData["number"];
for (int i = 0; i < max; i++)
{%>
<br />
<br />
<%= Html.TextBox("tbox_exercise" + i) %>
<% }
} %>
<% if (ViewData["s"] != null) %>
<%=Html.Encode(ViewData["s"]) %>
Is there something I'm overlooking, not comprehending, or should I quit while I'm at it because it seems like I'll never get it?
Thanks in advance for any help -- I'm just trying to learn as most I can.
I'd break this up in stages, you'll need to add a "Save" view someplace depending on what you want.
Scott
<form action="/Demo01/Create" method="post">
Number of Exercises:
<%= Html.TextBox("tbxNumberOfExercises") %>
<br />
<br />
<input type="submit" value="Set Exercise Number" />
</form>
<% if (ViewData["number"] != null) {%>
<form action="/Demo01/Save" method="post">
There are this many:<%=Html.Encode(ViewData["number"])%>
<br />
and this line should show up
<% if (ViewData["number"] != null) {
int max = (int)ViewData["number"];
for (int i = 0; i < max; i++) {%>
<br />
<br />
<%= Html.TextBox("tbox_exercise" + i) %>
<% }
} %>
<% if (ViewData["s"] != null) %>
<%=Html.Encode(ViewData["s"]) %>
<input type="submit" value="Save Exercises" />
<% } %>
</form>
And then in your controller something like this:
public class Demo01Controller : Controller {
public ActionResult Create() {
return View();
}
[AcceptVerbsAttribute("POST")]
public ActionResult Create(int tbxNumberOfExercises) {
ViewData["number"] = tbxNumberOfExercises;
return View("Create");
}
[AcceptVerbs(HttpVerbs.Post)]
public ActionResult Save() {
foreach (var key in Request.Form.Keys) {
string keyString = key.ToString();
if (keyString.StartsWith("tbox_exercise", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)) {
string recNum = keyString.Substring(13, keyString.Length - 13);
string approvedKey = Request.Form["tbox_exercise" + recNum];
int number;
int.TryParse(approvedKey, out number);
}
}
return View(); // return/redirect to wherever you want
}
}
I would consider adding the textboxes client-side via javascript rather than posting back to the server to have the form redrawn, assuming that you can live with javascript as a requirement for using the application. If not, then @Scott's approach should work. As a matter of preference I would probably have the Save method take a FormCollection parameter rather than deal with the Request object directly.
The javascript solution would be to have a single textbox and a button to add another. The user could continue to add textboxes until they have enough.
The problem is that your </form>
ending tag needs to come at the end of your view.
Try this modified view:
<form action="/CreateWorkout/Create" method="post">
Number of Exercises:
<%= Html.TextBox("tbxNumberOfExercises") %>
<br />
<br />
<input type="submit" value="Set Exercise Number" />
<% if (ViewData["number"] != null)%>
There are this many:<%=Html.Encode(ViewData["number"])%>
<br />
and this line should show up
<% if (ViewData["number"] != null)
{
int max = (int)ViewData["number"];
for (int i = 0; i < max; i++)
{%>
<br />
<br />
<%= Html.TextBox("tbox_exercise" + i) %>
<% }
} %>
<% if (ViewData["s"] != null) %>
<%=Html.Encode(ViewData["s"]) %>
</form>
I would recommend Scott's approach as far as best practice. This answer is about getting your exact scenario working.
Thanks for the help guys. I realized at 5 this morning that my issue is that the form didn't include the new textboxes / I needed another form. I'll have to seriously look into Javascript and actually modifying the DOM as it would be better to keep it client side.
Thanks so much.