URL.Action with a string array?

Question

I have an array of strings that I need to pass in a query string of Url.Action.

Url.Action("Index", "Resource", new { FormatIds = Model.FormatIDs})

Right now the link is showing up in my browser as System.String[] instead of a query string. Is it possible to have MVC do this automatically with model binding?

I need it to bind with my controller action like:

public ActionResult Index(string[] formatIDs)

I need it to bind with my controller action that looks like: public ActionResult Index(string[] formatIDs) — user547794, Dec 14 '12 at 23:21

Andy T · Answer 1 · 2012-12-15T01:05:14.360

10

To get the list of string to automatically bind using the default binder, you will need to provide them as:

name=value&name=value2&name=value3

So you'll need to convert your list to something like:

Index?formatIDs=1&formatIDs=2&formatIDs=3

edited Dec 15 '12 at 01:05

answered Dec 14 '12 at 23:28

Andy T

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+1 for the default model binder, that is the correct anwser. Very Nice Queti. – Felipe Oriani Dec 15 '12 at 00:43
14

This doesn't answer the question. He wants Url.Action to correctly output an array route value to the querystring. He is not asking how to bind such a value. – Sam Jun 30 '14 at 05:09

Bart Calixto · Answer 2 · 2013-08-23T03:43:24.197

9

For use the default model binder, you should end up with something like :

Index?formatIDs=value1&formatIDs=value2&formatIDs=value3

you can returns a private collection named HttpValueCollection even the documentation says it's a NameValueCollection using the ParseQueryString utility. Then add the keys manually, HttpValueCollection do the encoding for you. And then just append the QueryString manually :

var qs = HttpUtility.ParseQueryString(""); 
new string[] { "value1", "value2", "value3" }.ToList().ForEach(x => qs.Add("formatIDs", x));

Url.Action("Index", "Resource")?@qs

edited Aug 23 '13 at 03:43

answered Mar 27 '13 at 23:19

Bart Calixto

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2

Your suggestion works. But I wonder why it's still so strange and complex to send an array of strings from a razor View to a MVC controller action. – Sven May 30 '17 at 12:08
Because normally you should use a form HTML element with get verb and everything will be smooth and simple. – Bart Calixto May 30 '17 at 12:37

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered May 30 '17 at 12:26

There is another way using the RouteValueDictionary with an array:

@{
   var parameters = new RouteValueDictionary();

   for (var i = 0; i < Model.CustomList.Count; ++i)
   {
       parameters.Add($"customListId[{i}]", Model.CustomList[i]);
   }
}

usage:

var url = '@Html.Raw(Url.Action("ControllerActioon", "Controller", parameters))';

Still not very elegant - but working.

URL.Action with a string array?

3 Answers3

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