Html.DropDownList selected value not working using ViewBag

Question

Well, after a couple hours reading stuff over here, trying unsuccessfully all the solutions, also found this article that i thought it would save my life... nothing.

Long story short.

Here is my View (all combinations)

@Html.DropDownList("yearDropDown",(IEnumerable<SelectListItem>)ViewBag.yearDropDown)
@Html.DropDownList("yearDropDownxxx",(IEnumerable<SelectListItem>)ViewBag.yearDropDown)
@Html.DropDownList("yearDropDown",(<SelectList>)ViewBag.yearDropDown)
@Html.DropDownList("yearDropDown")

Here is my Controller

public ActionResult(int year)
{
var years = new int[] { 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 }
                .Select(x => new SelectListItem { 
                    Text = x.ToString(), 
                    Value = x.ToString(), 
                    Selected=x==year }).Distinct().ToList();

            years.Insert(0, new SelectListItem { Value = null, Text = "ALL YEARS" });
            ViewBag.yearDropDown = new SelectList(years, "Value", "Text", years.Where(x => x.Selected).FirstOrDefault());
return View();
}

Here is my rendered HTML. Selected nowhere to be found.

<select id="yearDropDown" name="yearDropDown"><option value="">ALL YEARS</option>
<option value="2007">2007</option>
<option value="2008">2008</option>
<option value="2009">2009</option>
<option value="2010">2010</option>
<option value="2011">2011</option>
<option value="2012">2012</option>
</select>

Needless to mention, but i will, i checked in my Watch and SelectList actually has SelectedValue property populated with the selected year passed to the controller. But when i renders at the view, it goes to the first option.

Please, I need the solution for DropDownList, NOT for DropDownListFor. I am highlighting this because i saw other people here asking for the same help and bunch of people gave them instructions, and almost order them, to use DropDownListFor. There is a reason why i NEED to use DropDownList.

SOLUTION: Look at my own answer. However, here are the simple changes i made.

Controller:

ViewBag.yearDropDown = years;

View:

@Html.DropDownList("yearDropDown")

Solution 1

The problem may also be the name, see here.

In the Controller

ViewBag.PersonList= new SelectList(db.Person, "Id", "Name", p.PersonId); 

In the View

@Html.DropDownList("PersonList",(SelectList)ViewBag.PersonList )

This will not work, you have to change the name, so it's not the same.

@Html.DropDownList("PersonList123",(SelectList)ViewBag.PersonList )

So change yearDropDown and it Will Work for you.

Best regards Christian Lyck.

Solution 2

ViewBag.yearDropDown = new SelectList(years, "Value", "Text", years.Where(x => x.Selected).FirstOrDefault());

Last parameter here is SelectListItem, but it must be selected value (string in your example)

SelectList Constructor (IEnumerable, String, String, Object)

Solution 3

I know its an old question, but I will share another solution since sometimes you have done anything correctly, but you can't see the selected value after a request and response, since your razor has bug maybe. In this condition, that I've had, you can use select-option using viewbag:

In controller I had:

 ViewBag.MyData = GetAllData(strSelected);
... 

and as a private function in controller I had:

  private List<SelectListItem> GetAllData(List<string> selectedData)
    {

        return MyGetAll().Select(x =>
            new SelectListItem
            {
                Text = x.Point,
                Value = x.Amount.ToString(),
                Selected = selectedPrizes.Contains(x.Amount.ToString())
            })
            .ToList();
    }  

And in .cshtml I had:

<select id="Amount" name="Amount" multiple="multiple">
  @foreach (var listItem in (List<SelectListItem>)ViewBag.MyData)
   {
     <option value="@listItem.Value" @(listItem.Selected ? "selected" : "")>
       @listItem .Text
     </option>
   }
</select>

I hope it will be useful for similar problems :)

Comments

[Pepito Fernandez]

If you look at my second example in the View, that's exactly what i did. Didn't help either. Found the solution thou. Look at my own answer. Thanks for the time and attention thou.

[Romias]

And what was the solution?

[Romias]

@Tony, And what was the solution?

[Pepito Fernandez]

Interesting... i haven't tested it but i think you are right. i was returning the whole object. Thanks

[SAR]

on edit, how to know the selected one(which is selected) from the listed