Multiple submit buttons with values passed from buttons

Question

The way I have structured the form is that there are multiple "Test Connection" submit buttons plus a "Save" submit button to save all the credentials and urls for each test connection. I have seen some suggested solutions but I don't feel like doing an ajax or javascript. So I'm wondering if this is possible. And by the way, I would like to pass values to the controller via the submit buttons as enum values and receive that enum in my controller.

I could easily make multiple ActionResults but it just feels so convoluted for me and if I have to change something in the test connection, I would have to change all. So I would like to have only one ActionResult method for TestConnection plus one Save ActionResult all within the same form.

When I click the Save button, all the credentials are sent to the controller as the ApplicationSettings model.

When I click the Test Connection button, I still receive the ApplicationSettings model plus the DatabaseSystems enum and depending on the enum received form the button, I would do the necessary connection.

Below are the code snippets but I just can't make them work.

Approaches tried: 1. Blank form action, submit buttons has name as "Save" and "TestConnection" accordingly. - Save works. TestConnection does not work saying The resource cannot be found. 2. Form action pointed to "TestConnection", TestConnection button names set as "database" while value set as @DatabaseSystems.xxx, Save button set as "action:Save", ActionResult method for Save added [MultipleButton(Name = "action", Argument = "Save")] - TestConnection works, Save does not work saying ambiguous request.

I can't seem to figure out the config to make them both work. :(

View

@using Models.Enums
@model MyApp.Data.ApplicationSettings

@Html.AntiForgeryToken()
@using (Html.BeginForm())
{

    
        @Html.EditorFor(model => model.con1_un, new { htmlAttributes = new { @class = "form-control", @placeholder = Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.con1_un) } })
    
    
        @Html.EditorFor(model => model.con1_pw, new { htmlAttributes = new { @class = "form-control", @placeholder = Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.con1_pw) } })
    
    
        @Html.EditorFor(model => model.con1_url, new { htmlAttributes = new { @class = "form-control", @placeholder = Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.con1_url), @rows = "1", @style = "max-width:520px !important" } })
    
    
        
    


    
        @Html.EditorFor(model => model.con2_un, new { htmlAttributes = new { @class = "form-control", @placeholder = Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.con2_un) } })
    
    
        @Html.EditorFor(model => model.con2_pw, new { htmlAttributes = new { @class = "form-control", @placeholder = Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.con2_pw) } })
    
    
        @Html.EditorFor(model => model.con2_url, new { htmlAttributes = new { @class = "form-control", @placeholder = Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.con2_url), @rows = "1", @style = "max-width:520px !important" } })
    
    
        
    



    
        @Html.EditorFor(model => model.con3_un, new { htmlAttributes = new { @class = "form-control", @placeholder = Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.con3_un) } })
    
    
        @Html.EditorFor(model => model.con3_pw, new { htmlAttributes = new { @class = "form-control", @placeholder = Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.con3_pw) } })
    
    
        @Html.EditorFor(model => model.con3_url, new { htmlAttributes = new { @class = "form-control", @placeholder = Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.con3_url), @rows = "1", @style = "max-width:520px !important" } })
    
    
        
    


... and many more test connections for different systems


}

Controller

[HttpPost]
ActionResult TestConnection(ApplicationSettings model, DatabaseSystems database)
{
    // depending on the DatabaseSystems enum passed, then I'll do the necessary connection check.
{
[HttpPost]
ActionResult Save(ApplicationSettings model)
{
    // Save credentials entered in all the input fields above for con1, con2 & con3.
}

Model

[Serializable]
public class ApplicationSettings
{
    public string con1_un { get; set; }
    public string con1_pw { get; set; }
    public string con1_url { get; set; }

    public string con2_un { get; set; }
    public string con2_pw { get; set; }
    public string con2_url { get; set; }

    public string con3_un { get; set; }
    public string con3_pw { get; set; }
    public string con3_url { get; set; }

    ... and many more systems
}

Enum

public enum DatabaseSystems
{
    System1,
    System2,
    System3,
    ... and many more systems
}

leahsaif · Accepted Answer

Finally got it. Though @Stephen Muecke did not really provide a direct solution, I should say he made me reconsider using formaction again so I still have to thank him. Thanks mate! Below is how I solved it:

View

@using Models.Enums
@model MyApp.Data.ApplicationSettings

@Html.AntiForgeryToken()
@using (Html.BeginForm())
{
    ...
    
    ...
    
}

Controller

public ActionResult TestConnection(ApplicationSettings model, DatabaseSystems database)
{
    // at the end, instead of putting return View() or return("Index", model), I used below code
    return Redirect("/[ControllerName]");
{

... this way, formaction will do the calling of the ActionResult method for me while keeping the name attribute of the button free for other purposes such as passing it as a parameter to my TestConnection method.

Multiple submit buttons with values passed from buttons

Answers (2)

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