Setting selected DropDownListFor item

Question

I cannot get the DropDownListFor to set the selected StateCode using the view model below.

EDIT

Code altered per the answer given below.

Model

public partial class ZipCodeTerritory
{
    public string ChannelCode { get; set; }
    public string DrmTerrDesc { get; set; }
    public string IndDistrnId { get; set; }
    public string StateCode { get; set; }
    public string ZipCode { get; set; }
    public System.DateTime? DisplayEndDate { get; set; }
    public System.DateTime EndDate { get; set; }
    public System.DateTime EffectiveDate { get; set; }
    public string LastUpdateId { get; set; }
    public Nullable<System.DateTime> LastUpdateDate { get; set; }
    public int Id { get; set; }
}

View Model

    public ZipCodeTerritory editPage { get; set; }

    //Constructor
    public ZipCodeEdit()
    {
        SetDropDowns();
    }

    //Drop down list objects
    private string[] states = new string[] { "AL", "AK", "AR", "AZ", "CA", "CO", "CT", "DC", "DE", "FL", "GA", "HI", "IA", "ID", "IL", "IN", "KS", "KY", "LA", "MA", "MD", "ME", "MI", "MN", "MO", "MS", "MT", "NC", "ND", "NE", "NH", "NJ", "NM", "NV", "NY", "OH", "OK", "OR", "PA", "RI", "SC", "SD", "TN", "TX", "US", "UT", "VA", "VT", "WA", "WI", "WV", "WY" };
    public IEnumerable<SelectListItem> StateCodes { get; set; }
    public IEnumerable<SelectListItem> ChannelCodes { get; set; }

    //Set state code drop down list
    private void SetDropDowns()
    {
        AgentResources db = new AgentResources();

        //Set stat code drop down items
        StateCodes = StateCodes = states.Select(s => new SelectListItem { Value = s, Text = s });

        //Set channel code drop down list
        ChannelCodes = (from z in db.ZipCodeTerritory
                        select z.ChannelCode).Select(x => new SelectListItem
                        {
                            Text = x,
                            Value = x
                        }).Distinct().ToList();

        db.Dispose();
    }

Controller

    public ActionResult Edit(int id, string searchZip, bool searchActiveOnly, 
        string searchDate, string searchState, string searchTerritory, string searchChannel)
    {
        if (!Security.IsZipCodeViewOnly(User)) return RedirectToAction("Message", "Home", new { id = 1 });

        ZipCodeEdit pageItem = new ZipCodeEdit();

        pageItem.searchZip = searchZip;
        pageItem.searchActiveOnly = searchActiveOnly;
        pageItem.searchDate = searchDate;
        pageItem.searchState = searchState;
        pageItem.searchTerritory = searchTerritory;
        pageItem.searchChannelCode = searchChannel;
        pageItem.editPage = db.ZipCodeTerritory.Find(id);

        return View(pageItem);
    }

View

This is for an edit page, so the view will need to load a ZipCodeTerritory object's properties. Using this set-up, the DropDownListFor for ChannelCode is not only populated properly but the correct value is selected. StateCode, however populates as it should but AL, the first item, is always selected. Cannot get the StateCode value of the ZipCodeTerritory object to be the default selected item.

@model Monet.ViewModel.ZipCodeEdit


    <div class="editor-label">
        @Html.LabelFor(model => model.editPage.ChannelCode)
    </div>
    <div class="editor-field">
        @Html.DropDownListFor(model => model.editPage.StateCode, new SelectList(Model.StateCodes, "Value", "Text", Model.editPage.StateCode))
        @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.editPage.ChannelCode)
    </div>
    <div class="editor-label">
        @Html.LabelFor(model => model.editPage.StateCode)
    </div>
    <div class="editor-field">
        @Html.DropDownListFor(model => model.editPage.StateCode, Model.StateCodes)
        @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.editPage.StateCode)
    </div>

I can't see the execution of SetDropDowns() therefore I wonder, who set the StateCodes in the first place? Can you access the StateCodes as type of IEnumerable<SelectListItem> and simply build the List of SelectListItem in the getter? — flo scheiwiller
– flo scheiwiller, Commented Nov 5, 2013 at 18:44

ataravati · Accepted Answer · 2013-11-06 19:39:22Z

3

In your View, change your DropDownList to this:

@Html.DropDownListFor(m => m.editPage.StateCode, Model.StateCodes)

Also, the states private property do not have to be of type SelectList. It should be a string array like below:

private string[] states = new string[] { "AL", "AK", "AR", "AZ", "CA", "CO", "CT", "DC", "DE", "FL", "GA", "HI", "IA", "ID", "IL", "IN", "KS", "KY", "LA", "MA", "MD", "ME", "MI", "MN", "MO", "MS", "MT", "NC", "ND", "NE", "NH", "NJ", "NM", "NV", "NY", "OH", "OK", "OR", "PA", "RI", "SC", "SD", "TN", "TX", "US", "UT", "VA", "VT", "WA", "WI", "WV", "WY" };

Then, you will define the StateCodes property like this:

StateCodes = states.Select(s => new SelectListItem { Value = s, Text = s });

By the way, View Models should be simple POCO classes. Do not initialize your View Model properties inside the View Model. Do that in your Controller.

edited Nov 6, 2013 at 19:39

answered Nov 5, 2013 at 18:43

ataravati

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13 Comments

NealR Over a year ago

Thanks for the help. I think I need to tweak the DropDownListFor, however. When the page loads it simply says System.Web.Mvc.SelectListItem for all 50 items.

ataravati Over a year ago

Can you update your code with the changes you have made to the DropDownList?

NealR Over a year ago

Ugh.. now I'm back to displaying all the states in the drop down list but not having the correct one selected.

ataravati Over a year ago

I tried the code here, and it works. Please update your code with the changes you made, so I can tell you what is that you are doing wrong.

ataravati Over a year ago

I'm assuming that db.ZipCodeTerritory.Find(id) returns a ZipCodeTerritory object that has a StateCode.

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