How to convert query string parameters to route in asp.net mvc 4

Question

I have a blogging system that I'm building and I can't seem to get ASP.NET MVC to understand my route.

the route I need is /blogs/student/firstname-lastname so /blogs/student/john-doe, which routes to a blogs area, student controller's index action, which takes a string name parameter.

Here is my route

routes.MapRoute(
    name: "StudentBlogs",
    url: "blogs/student/{name}",
    defaults: new { controller = "Student", action="Index"}
);

My controller action

public ActionResult Index(string name)
{
    string[] nameparts = name.Split(new char[]{'-'});
    string firstName = nameparts[0];
    string lastName = nameparts[1];

    if (nameparts.Length == 2 && name != null)
    {
      // load students blog from database
    }
    return RedirectToAction("Index", "Index", new { area = "Blogs" });            
}

But it won't seem to resolve...it works fine with /blogs/student/?name=firstname-lastname, but not using the route I want, which is /blogs/student/firstname-lastname. Any advice on how to fix this would be greatly appreciated.

My RouteConfig

 public class RouteConfig
{
    public static void RegisterRoutes(RouteCollection routes)
    {
        routes.IgnoreRoute("{resource}.axd/{*pathInfo}");

        routes.MapRoute(
         name: "StudentBlogs",
         url: "blogs/student/{name}",
         defaults: new { controller = "Student", action = "Index"},
         constraints: new { name = @"[a-zA-Z-]+" },
          namespaces: new string[] { "IAUCollege.Areas.Blogs.Controllers" }
     );

        routes.MapRoute(
            name: "Sitemap",
            url :"sitemap.xml",
            defaults: new { controller = "XmlSiteMap", action = "Index", page = 0}
        );

        //CmsRoute is moved to Gloabal.asax

        // campus maps route
        routes.MapRoute(
            name: "CampusMaps",
            url: "locations/campusmaps",
            defaults: new { controller = "CampusMaps", action = "Index", id = UrlParameter.Optional }
        );


        // core route
        routes.MapRoute(
            name: "Default",
            url: "{controller}/{action}/{id}",
            defaults: new { controller = "Home", action = "Index", id = UrlParameter.Optional }
        );

        // error routes
        routes.MapRoute(
            name: "Error",
            url: "Error/{status}",
            defaults: new { controller = "Error", action = "Error404", status = UrlParameter.Optional }
        );


        // Add our route registration for MvcSiteMapProvider sitemaps
        MvcSiteMapProvider.Web.Mvc.XmlSiteMapController.RegisterRoutes(routes);
    }
}

Solution

You have to declare custom routes before the default routes. Otherwise it will be mapping to {controller}/{action}/{id}.

---

Global.asax typically looks like this:

protected void Application_Start()
{
    AreaRegistration.RegisterAllAreas();
    RouteConfig.RegisterRoutes(RouteTable.Routes);
}

If you created an Area named Blogs, there is a corresponding BlogsAreaRegistration.cs file that looks like this:

public class BlogsAreaRegistration : AreaRegistration 
{
    public override string AreaName 
    {
        get 
        {
            return "Blogs";
        }
    }

    public override void RegisterArea(AreaRegistrationContext context) 
    {
        context.MapRoute(
            "Admin_default",
            "Blogs/{controller}/{action}/{id}",
            new { action = "Index", id = UrlParameter.Optional }
        );
    }
}

Hyphens are sometimes treated like forward slashes in routes. When you are using the route blogs/students/john-doe, my guess is that it is matching the Area pattern above using blogs/students/john/doe, which would result in a 404. Add your custom route to the BlogsAreaRegistration.cs file above the default routes.

Comments

[Carl Weis]

makes sense, but still throws a 404.

[Simon Whitehead]

Do you perhaps have another controller called Student in another area?

[Carl Weis]

I do in the admin area, but I have added area="Blogs" to the route defaults, and it still 404's.

[Carl Weis]

If I add the route to Global.ascx instead of the RouteConfig, I get The view 'Index' or its master was not found or no view engine supports the searched locations. The following locations were searched: ~/Views/Student/Index.aspx ~/Views/Student/Index.ascx ~/Views/Shared/Index.aspx ~/Views/Shared/Index.ascx ~/Views/Student/Index.cshtml ~/Views/Student/Index.vbhtml ~/Views/Shared/Index.cshtml ~/Views/Shared/Index.vbhtml It's not looking in the area for the view.

[Simon Whitehead]

I have updated my answer. Try explicitly passing the namespace to both of your routes that involve the Student controller.

[Carl Weis]

there is no route for the admin student controller, it just uses the default routing.

[Carl Weis]

still 404's when adding the namespace.

[Carl Weis]

I have, please see my added RouteConfig

[Simon Whitehead]

let us continue this discussion in chat

[Sam]

Typically Area Routes get created before your other routes. If you truly created an Area named blogs, chances are that there is a BlogsAreaRegistration.cs file in your area with a conflicting route that is preceding this one. Is there a reason you are not creating this route in the BlogsAreaRegistration.cs file to begin with?