Introduction

This article shows how to use the dropdownlist helper in MVC applications.

  • Index: wrapping data coming from Entity Framework (EF).
  • Index1: wrapping data coming from the Controller's Action Result.
  • Index2: wrapping data inside the view.

Create an ASP.Net MVC 4 Web Application


Figure 1 Web Application

Choose Internet Application


Figure 2 Internet Application

Add an EmployeeController


Figure 3 Add EmployeeController

Set up an Entity Framework


Figure 4 Entity Framework


Figure 5 Data Connection

Figure 6 Data Connection Object

Employeecontroller.cs

  1. using System;
  2. using System.Collections.Generic;
  3. using System.Linq;
  4. using System.Web;
  5. using System.Web.Mvc;
  6. using DropDownListApp_MVC.Models;
  8. namespace DropDownListApp_MVC.Controllers
  9. {
  10. public class EmployeeController : Controller
  11. {
  12. //
  13. // GET: /Employee/
  14. EmployeeEntities objEmployeeEntities = new EmployeeEntities();
  15. public ActionResult Index()
  16. {
  17. ViewBag.List = new SelectList(objEmployeeEntities.Departments.Select(r => r.DepartmentName));
  18. return View();
  19. }
  21. public ActionResult Index1()
  22. {
  23. List<SelectListItem> items = new List<SelectListItem>();
  24. items.Add(new SelectListItem { Text = "IT", Value = "0" });
  25. items.Add(new SelectListItem { Text = "HR", Value = "1" });
  26. items.Add(new SelectListItem { Text = "Management", Value = "2" });
  27. ViewBag.List = items;
  29. return View();
  30. }
  32. public ActionResult Index2()
  33. {
  34. return View();
  35. }
  39. }
  40. }

Adding View


Figure 7 Add View

Index.cshtml

  1. @{
  2. ViewBag.Title = "Index";
  3. }
  5. <h2>Index</h2>
  7. @Html.DropDownList("List", "------Select List------")

Index1.cshtml

  1. @{
  2. ViewBag.Title = "Index1";
  3. }
  5. <h2>Index1</h2>
  7. @Html.DropDownList("List", "------Select List------")

Index2.cshtml

  1. @{
  2. ViewBag.Title = "Index2";
  3. }
  5. <h2>Index2</h2>
  7. @Html.DropDownList("List", new List<SelectListItem>
  8. {
  9. new SelectListItem{ Text="IT", Value="1"},
  10. new SelectListItem{ Text="HR", Value="2"},
  11. new SelectListItem{ Text="Management", Value="3"}
  12. }, "----Select List----")

The output of the application as in the following screenshot.


Figure 8 Output 1

Figure 9 Output 2

Figure 10 Output3

Summary

In this article we saw how to use a dropdownlist helper in MVC applications.

Happy coding.