Asp.Net MVC Ajax Form Not Posting to Action

Question

I'm having a bit of an issue with an Ajax form. I've probably done it a bit backwards no doubt. Basically, when I hit the submit button in the form, nothing at all happens. I've debugged however it doesn't appear to post to the action method. It literally does nothing.

Here is my code so far:

Basically I post information from a form with the model of DetailedBreakdownReportRequest. This model is being passed through fine as my page displays the list of initial unfiltered results.

DetailedBreakdownReport Action Method:

[HttpPost]
public ActionResult DetailedBreakdownReport(DetailedBreakdownReportRequest reportRequest, FormCollection formVariables)
{
    return View(reportRequest);
}

DetailedBreakdownReport View

<%@ Page Title="" Language="C#" MasterPageFile="~/Views/Shared/Main.Master" Inherits="System.Web.Mvc.ViewPage<MyApp.Data.AdvancedReports.AdvancedReports.DetailedBreakdownReports.DetailedBreakdownReportRequest>" %>

<asp:Content ID="Content1" ContentPlaceHolderID="TitleContent" runat="server">
    Detailed Breakdown Report
</asp:Content>

<asp:Content ID="Content2" ContentPlaceHolderID="MainContent" runat="server">

<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="<%= ResolveUrl("~/Scripts/jquery-1.4.1.min.js")%>"></script>
<script src="/Scripts/MicrosoftAjax.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script src="/Scripts/MicrosoftMvcAjax.js" type="text/javascript"></script>

 <% using (Ajax.BeginForm("DetailedList", "Reports",
        new AjaxOptions
        {
          UpdateTargetId = "panelBreakdownList",
          InsertionMode = InsertionMode.Replace
        },
        new { id = "SearchForm" })) %>
<% { %>

                <div style="position: absolute; top: 0px; height: 30px; right: -12px; margin-top: 8px;
    width: 250px; padding-left: 00px; vertical-align: middle; display: inline-block;">
        <input id="searchField" name="searchField" style="padding-left: 5px; position: relative;
        float: left; top: 3px; margin: 0px; border: 1px solid #DDDDDD; height: 19px;
        width: 200px;" />
        <%: Html.HiddenFor(m => m.ToDate) %>
        <%: Html.HiddenFor(m => m.FromDate) %>
        <%: Html.HiddenFor(m => m.Currency) %>
        <%: Html.HiddenFor(m => m.ReportType) %>
        <!--<input type="image" src="/Content/Images/search-form-submit.png" style="border: 0px;
        height: 27px; position: relative; left: -8px; margin: 0x; float: left;" />-->
        <input type="submit" value="Search" style="border: 0px;
        height: 27px; position: relative; left: -8px; margin: 0x; float: left;" />
    </div>
<% } %>

 <div id="panelBreakdownList" style="position: relative; z-index: 0;">
        <% Html.RenderAction("DetailedList", new { ToDate = Model.ToDate, FromDate = Model.FromDate, Currency = Model.Currency, ReportType = Model.ReportType }); %>
</div>


</asp:Content>

<asp:Content ID="Content4" ContentPlaceHolderID="Header" runat="server">
<h1>Detailed Breakdown Report</h1>
<h2><%: Model.ToDate.ToString("dd-MMM-yyyy") %> to <%: Model.FromDate.ToString("dd-MMM-yyyy")%></h2>
</asp:Content>

Here is the DetailedList action that is called from the above page, and it's view:

[HttpPost]
public ActionResult DetailedList(DateTime ToDate, DateTime FromDate, string Currency, string ReportType, FormCollection formVariables)
{
    DetailedBreakdownReportRequest reportRequest = new DetailedBreakdownReportRequest()
    {
        ToDate = ToDate,
        FromDate = FromDate,
        Currency = Currency,
        ReportType = ReportType,
        UserId = UserServices.CurrentUserId
    };

    DrilldownReportEngine re = new DrilldownReportEngine();
    DetailedBreakdownReport report = null;

    if (formVariables.HasKeys())
    {
        reportRequest.searchTerm = formVariables["searchField"];
        report = re.GetDetailedBreakdown(reportRequest);
    }
    else
    {
        report = re.GetDetailedBreakdown(reportRequest);
    }

    return PartialView(report);
}

<%@ Control Language="C#" Inherits="System.Web.Mvc.ViewUserControl<MyApp.Data.AdvancedReports.AdvancedReports.DetailedBreakdownReports.DetailedBreakdownReport>" %>

    <% if (Model.HasData)
       { %>

       <% if (Model.ShopBreakdown != null)
          { %>

          <h2>Shop Breakdown Report</h2>  
          <p>Click on a shop's name to see additional information.</p>
          <div id="shopGrid" style="float:left; width: 400px;">
              <table width="400px">
              <% foreach (var shop in Model.ShopBreakdown)
                 { %>
                <tr>
                    <td colspan="3"><h2><%: Html.ActionLink(shop.Shop.Name + " >>", "ShopDashboard", new { ShopId = shop.Shop.ShopID, Currency = Model.Currency, toDate = Model.ToDate.ToString(), fromDate = Model.FromDate.ToString(), percentageOfSales = shop.RevenuePercentageOfSales })%></h2></td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                    <td><p class="labels">Units Sold:</p></td>
                    <td><b style="font-size:larger;"><%: shop.UnitsSoldPerShop%></b></td>
                    <td rowspan="2" align="center"><h2><%: String.Format("{0:0.0%}", shop.RevenuePercentageOfSales)%></h2> of Total Revenue</td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                    <td><p class="labels">Revenue Earned:</p></td>
                    <td><b style="font-size:larger;"><%: String.Format("{0:0.00}", shop.TotalRevenuePerShop)%></b></td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                    <td colspan="3">&nbsp;</td>
                </tr>
                <% } %>
              </table>
          </div>
       <% } %>



       <% if (Model.ProductBreakdown != null)
          { %>
              <% foreach (var product in Model.ProductBreakdown)
                 { %>
                       <div id="ProductGrid" style="float:left; width: 500px;">
                     <div>
                     <h3><%: Html.ActionLink(product.Product.Name + " >>", "ProductDashboard", new { ProductId = product.Product.ProductID, Currency = Model.Currency, toDate = Model.ToDate.ToString(), fromDate = Model.FromDate.ToString(), percentageOfSales = product.RevenuePercentageOfSales })%></h3>
                     </div>
                     <div style="float:left; width: 200px;">
                            <p class="labels">Units Sold: </p><b style="font-size:larger;"><%: product.TotalUnitsSoldPerProduct %></b>
                            <br />
                            <p class="labels">Revenue Earned: </p><b style="font-size:larger;"><%: String.Format("{0:0.00}", product.OverallTotalRevenuePerProduct)%></b>
                     </div>
                     <div style="float: left; text-align: center;">
                            <h2><%: String.Format("{0:0.0%}", product.RevenuePercentageOfSales)%></h2> of Total Revenue
                     </div>

                </div>

                <% } %>

                <div style="clear:both;" />
                <br />


     <% } %>
    <% } %>

As I said above, on first load, the page displays fine, it displays an unfiltered view of the results. When I type in a value into the text box and click submit, nothing at all happens and I'm finding that hard to debug. At least if it did something I'd have something to work with. Can anyone see if I'm doing something wrong here?

Answer 1

As I see, you expect some not nullable variables in action detailedList which are expected from form.

[HttpPost]
public ActionResult DetailedList(DateTime ToDate, DateTime FromDate, string Currency, string ReportType, FormCollection formVariables)
{
    ......
}

But you just send searchfield in form collection. Where is the ToDate, FromDate, Currency variables in form?

I think you should create a formmodel forexample

DetailedListSearchModel
    DateTime ToDate
    DateTime FromDate
    string Currency
    string ReportType
    string Searchfield

and make search a partialview. Just pass default values when partial view is rendered with default values then execute in form.

Then you will take this values in action like [HttpPost]

public ActionResult DetailedList(DetailedListSearchModel model)
{
    ......
}

You can use this model in form like

<%= Html.LabelFor(m => m.Searchfield) %>
<%= Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.Searchfield, new { @class = "css classes", maxlength = "1000" })%>
<%= Html.ValidationMessageFor(m => m.Searchfield) %>




$(function() {
      $('form#SearchForm').find('a.submit-link').click( function() {
           $('form#SearchForm').trigger('submit');
      }).show();
  }

and change search button to a.

<a href="#" class="submit-link">Search</a>