Route with Two optional parameters in MVC3 not working

Question

I have a following types of url used in my Application.

localhost/admin/userdetail/id

localhost/admin/userdetail/id/true

localhost/admin/userdetail/id/true/success

Here is my Admin Controller

bool inSaveAction, string status are optional

    [Authorize]
    public ActionResult UserDetail(string Id, bool inSaveAction, string status)
    {
    }

    [HttpPost, Authorize, ValidateAntiForgeryToken]
    public ActionResult SaveUserDetail(UserDetailViewModel viewModel)
    {
        User userToSave = new User();
        AdminService.UpdateUser(userToSave);
        //This is calling the above function as it sending all 3 params
        return RedirectToAction("UserDetail", new { Id = viewModel.Id, 
                           inSaveAction = true, status = "success" });
    }

Below case is not working

  @Html.ActionLink("DisplayName", "UserDetail", new { id = Model.Id })

In Global.asax

 routes.MapRoute("UserDetail",
            "UserDetail/{id}",
            new
            {
                controller = "Admin",
                action = "UserDetail",
                id = UrlParameter.Optional
            }
         );

I followed http://haacked.com/archive/2011/02/20/routing-regression-with-two-consecutive-optional-url-parameters.aspx

How can i make inSaveAction & status as optional parameter for my UserDetail action?

Solution

You're missing the parameters in your route config. In order to make this work with different parameters optional (as in Phil Haack's post), you need to define multiple routes

routes.MapRoute("UserDetail-WithStatus", 
                "UserDetail/{id}/{inSaveAction}/{status}", 
                 new
                 {
                     controller = "Admin",
                     action = "UserDetail",
                     // nothing optional 
                 }
);

routes.MapRoute("UserDetail-WithoutStatus", 
                "UserDetail/{id}/{inSaveAction}", 
                 new
                 {
                     controller = "Admin",
                     action = "UserDetail",
                     // nothing optional 
                 }
);

routes.MapRoute("UserDetail-WithoutSaveAction", 
                "UserDetail/{id}", 
                 new
                 {
                     controller = "Admin",
                     action = "UserDetail",
                     id = UrlParameter.Optional
                 }
);

And then create links with:

@Html.ActionLink("Link", "Index", "Admin", new { id = 1, inSaveAction = true, success = "success" }, null)

You'll also need to set the optional parameters as nullable, otherwise you'll get exceptions if id or inSaveAction are missing.

public ActionResult UserDetail(int? id, bool? inSaveAction, string status)
{

}

Comments

[Murali Murugesan]

I Tried with the code you give. This also not working. Its not taking to the action method. Any problem in routing or action method params?

[mfanto]

I just posted an edit, you'll need to make id and inSaveAction nullable. What's not working though? I tested this and all the routes work.

[Murali Murugesan]

Thanks. status also optional only.

[mfanto]

Sorry, what do you mean? Can you verify the routes work? Set a breakpoint in your UserDetail action, and then try the urls /Admin/UserDetail/1, /Admin/UserDetail/1/true, /Admin/UserDetail/1/true/success. All should work, with the respective parameters set.

[Murali Murugesan]

In all the cases i have to pass the Id. So can we remove the last route saying optional parameter?

[mfanto]

You shouldn't need the id if you mark it nullable (int? id). The id = UrlParameter.Optional means that it's not required to match the route. So the last route will match /Admin/UserDetail and /Admin/UserDetail/id. One thing you might find helpful is Route Debugger. It'll show you which route parameters are being matched nuget.org/packages/routedebugger

[Hamid Bahmanabady]

I didnot write Controller Name and page had erro,,,routes.MapRoute("MyRoute", "Learn14/{id}/{name}", new { controller="Home", action="Learn14"}); Why??