How do I Code the DropDownList in my View

Question

I can't figure out how to implement the list in the Search Input Page view
Here are the relevant models:
[Table("WordSearch")]
public class WordSearch
{
[DatabaseGenerated(DatabaseGeneratedOption.Identity)]
public int Id { get; set; }

        [MaxLength(80)]  
        [DisplayName("Exact Phrase")]  
        public string ExactPhrase { get; set; }  
  
        [MaxLength(80)]  
        [DisplayName("Required Words")]  
        public string RequiredWords { get; set; }  
  
        [MaxLength(80)]  
        [DisplayName("Alternate Words")]  
        public string AlternateWords { get; set; }  
  
        [NotMapped]          
        public int RangeId { get; set; }  
  
        [DisplayName("Range of Books")]  
        public ICollection<BibleBooks> Range { get; set; }  
    }//class WordSearch  
	  
    [Table("BibleBooks")]  
    public class BibleBooks  
    {  
        [Key]  
        [Required]  
        public int ID { get; set; }  
  
        [MaxLength(20)]  
        public string Name { get; set; }  
  
        [DisplayName("OT-NT")]  
        public string Kind { get; set; }  
  
        public int Chapters { get; set; }  
  
        [MaxLength(4)]  
        public string Abbr { get; set; }  
  
        //maps to a 1-record dummy table  
        public int WordSearch_Id { get; set; }  
    }//class BibleBooks  
  
(in the IdentityModels.cs file)  
    public class ApplicationDbContext : IdentityDbContext<ApplicationUser>  
    {  
        public DbSet<BibleStudy> BibleStudy { get; set; }  
        public DbSet<Book> Book { get; set; }  
        public DbSet<BibleBooks> BibleBooks { get; set; }  
        public DbSet<WordSearch> WordSearches { get; set; }  
  
        public ApplicationDbContext()  
            : base("DefaultConnection", throwIfV1Schema: false)  
        {  
        }  
  
        public static ApplicationDbContext Create()  
        {  
            return new ApplicationDbContext();  
        }  
  
    }  

Here is the start of the view:

@model JQJ.Models.WordSearch  
  
@{      
    ViewBag.Title = "Search Page";  
}  
  
<h2>Search Input Page</h2>  
  
@using (Html.BeginForm())  
{  
    @Html.AntiForgeryToken()  
  
    <div class="form-horizontal">  
        <h4>Word Search</h4>  
...  

Here is where I'm stuck:

        <div class="form-group">  
            @Html.LabelFor(model => model.Range, htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })  
            @Html.DropDownListFor(model => Model.Range,  
            @* or @Html.DropDownList( ?? *@  
        </div>  

How do I finish that code for DropDownListFor or DropDownList ?
Thank you,

Answer 1

Hi @Jon Jacobs ,
The format is:

@Help.DropDownFor(string, IEnumerable, string, object)  

There are two ways:
First,if you have no classes,you could directly add to the view.Just like this:

@Html.DropDownListFor(model => model.Range,                  
                  new List<SelectListItem> {   
                       new SelectListItem { Value = "0" , Text = "Range1" },  
                       new SelectListItem { Value = "1" , Text = "Range2" },  
                       new SelectListItem { Value = "2" , Text = "Range3" }  
                    },  
                  new { @class="myselect"})  

Second,it fills from db context
In the controller:

MyViewModel model = new MyViewModel();  
// Select the data to display (lots of ways to do this)  
var states= from s in dbcontext.Range  
                 where s.SomeProperty == someValue // if you want to filer the results  
                 select s  
// Assign select list (this sets the value to the ID property and the display text to the Name property)  
model.StateList = new SelectList(states, "ID", "Name");  
// and if you want to set a default  
model.StateID = "NY";  
return View(model);  

In the View:

@Html.DropDownListFor(m => m.StateID, Model.StateList)  

Best regards,
Yijing Sun

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Answer 2

Thank you, @Yijing Sun-MSFT , that looks like the right direction. The main thing I see is that I need some supporting code in the WordSearchController. It will be a SQL query from the BibleBooks table, something like Select Name From BibleBooks. I want all 69 rows from that table, but only the Name column. I will code from your answer and let you know if I have need more help.

Answer 3

You should understand the models used in MVC, particularly the different purposes between the viewmodel and the EF persistence model.

https://deviq.com/terms/kinds-of-models

https://www.dotnettricks.com/learn/mvc/understanding-viewmodel-in-aspnet-mvc

You should understand SoC in MVC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separation_of_concerns
https://www.c-sharpcorner.com/UploadFile/56fb14/understanding-separation-of-concern-and-Asp-Net-mvc/

You should understand the 'Understanding Models' topic in the link.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/aspnet/mvc/overview/older-versions-1/overview/understanding-models-views-and-controllers-cs

VM = viewmodel and DM = domain model the DM should be where EF logic is used to populate a viewmodel, and in turn EF model is populated from the VM for data persistence or whatnot, keeping the controller thin and void of such logic.

You can look into the PayrollVM looking a AuthorTypes that is used in
@azzedinehtmlsql .DropDownListFor(m => m.AuthorTypeId, Model.AuthorTypes, "Select....") in Create.cshtml using Payrollcontroller, the DM used by the controller, the VM used my the view and how the VM is returned to the controller's action method in Github example solution.

You should look into using an IoC and using dependency inject.

https://github.com/darnold924/PublishingCompany

HTH