MVC Role based routing clarification

Question

Small Question at the end of a very long explanation ...

Assuming the Admin User belonging to Admin Role and the Regular User belonging to User Role attempt to access the Index page with the following route registered in Global.asax.

 routes.MapRoute(
     "Default", // Route name
     "{controller}/{action}/{id}", // URL with parameters
      new { controller = "Home", action = "Index", id = UrlParameter.Optional }, 
      new[] {"tst.Controllers"}
 );

In the HomeController, the Index Action Method is decorated with the Authorize attribute.

[Authorize]
public ActionResult Index()
{
    ViewBag.Message = "Welcome to ASP.NET MVC!";

    return View();
}

Forcing the anonymous user to logon.

If the Admin User logs in with his/her credentials, I would like to redirect him/her to the Index Action Method in the HomeController located in the Admin area.

If a Regular user logs in, I would like to redirect him/her to the Index Action Method in the HomeController located in the User area.

I have the following code in UserAreaRegistration.cs

public override void RegisterArea(AreaRegistrationContext context)
{
  context.MapRoute(
  "User", 
  "Profile/{action}", 
  new { area = AreaName, Controller = "Home", action = "Index" }, 
  new { RoleConstraint = new RoleConstraint()},
  new[]{ "tst.Areas.User.Controllers"}
  );
}

and the following code for AdminAreaRegistration.cs

public override void RegisterArea(AreaRegistrationContext context)
{
  context.MapRoute(
  "Admin", 
  "Profile/{action}", 
  new { area = AreaName, Controller = "Home", action = "Index" }, 
  new { RoleConstraint = new RoleConstraint()},
  new[]{ "tst.Areas.Admin.Controllers"}
  );
}

Where the RoleConstraint is defined as follows

public class RoleConstraint: IRouteConstraint
{
    public bool Match(
        HttpContextBase httpContext, 
        Route route, 
        string parameterName, 
        RouteValueDictionary values, 
        RouteDirection routeDirection)
    {
        RoleProvider rp = new tst.Providers.CustomRoleProvider();
        string[] roles = rp.GetRolesForUser(httpContext.User.Identity.Name);
        if (roles != null && roles.Length > 0)
        {
            string roleName = roles[0];
            string areaName = route.Defaults["area"].ToString();
            return areaName == roleName;            
        }
        return false;
    }
}

The stock standard LogOn Action Method in the AdminController in the main Controllers folder...

 [HttpPost]
 public ActionResult LogOn(LogOnModel model, string returnUrl)
 {
   if (ModelState.IsValid)
   {
     if (Membership.ValidateUser(model.UserName, model.Password))
     {
       FormsAuthentication.SetAuthCookie(model.UserName, model.RememberMe);
       if (Url.IsLocalUrl(returnUrl) 
           && returnUrl.Length > 1 
           && returnUrl.StartsWith("/")
           && !returnUrl.StartsWith("//") 
           && !returnUrl.StartsWith("/\\"))
       {
           return Redirect(returnUrl);
       }
       else
       {
           return RedirectToAction("Index", "Home");
       }
     }
     else
     {
       ModelState.AddModelError("", "The user name or password is incorrect.");
     }
   }

   // If we got this far, something failed, redisplay form
   return View(model);
 }

Question: Am I right in thinking that, When the Admin/Regular User is validated he/she must be redirected in this line in the code snippet above

return RedirectToAction("Index", "Home");

to the appropriate Index Action Method(Read: Index Action Method in the appropriate Area).

If so, I would like to know how.

I am confused because a constant string "Profile" is involved and it is not the usual stuff involving an action method and a controller name. "Profile" is neither a controller nor an action method.

Inspired by this post MVC role-based routing

InquisitiveLad InquisitiveLad · Accepted Answer · 2012-12-06T13:28:05

Instead of

return RedirectToAction("Index", "Home");

in the LogOn Action Method, I replaced it with

return Redirect("/Profile");

It worked !!!

However, what I don't understand is, when I click Log Off, it renders the Index page in the main Views folder. So I have to click LogOff again to be taken back to the LogOn page.

MVC Role based routing clarification

1 Answers