MVC, Pull TextBox and RadioButton variable with ActionLink

Question

I am trying to pull two variables, one from a TextBox("search") and one from a RadioButton("searchBy"), and pull them into the controller when clicking the ActionLink.

When I use the search form with the submit button the "search" and "searchBy" strings are pulled into the controller. But if I click one of the ActionLinks I only get the "sortOrder" string. I assume it is because the ActionLink isn´t doing a submit?

So I figure there is two ways to fix it and therefore my two question:

Is it possible to make the ActionLink perform a submit on the form ones clicked?
Is it possible to pull the "search" and "searchBy" string with the ActionLink?

My HOME controller:

 public ActionResult Index(string searchBy, string search, string sortOrder)
    {
        ViewBag.NameSortParm = String.IsNullOrEmpty(sortOrder) ? "name_desc" : "";
        ViewBag.TextSortParm = String.IsNullOrEmpty(sortOrder) ? "text_desc" : "";
        ViewBag.PriceSortParm = sortOrder == "Price" ? "price_desc" : "Price";
        ViewBag.CubicMeterSortParm = sortOrder == "CubicMeter" ? "cubicMeter_desc" : "CubicMeter";
        ViewBag.PricePerCubicSortParm = sortOrder == "PricePerCubic" ? "pricePerCubic_desc" : "PricePerCubic";
        ViewBag.ConstructionTypeSortParm = sortOrder == "constructionType" ? "constructionType_desc" : "constructionType";

        var text = from s in db.LearningNumbers select s;

        if (!String.IsNullOrEmpty(search))
        {
            if (searchBy == "Tekst")
            {
                text = text.Where(x => x.Note.Contains(search) || search == null);
            }
            else
            {
                text = text.Where(x => x.Name.Contains(search) || search == null);
            }
        }

        switch (sortOrder)
        {
            case "name_desc":
                if (searchBy == "Tekst")
                {
                    text = text.OrderByDescending(s => s.Name).Where(x => x.Note.Contains(search) || search == null);
                }
                else
                {
                    text = text.OrderByDescending(s => s.Name).Where(x => x.Name.Contains(search) || search == null);
                }
                break;
            case "text_desc":
                if (searchBy == "Tekst")
                {
                    text = text.OrderByDescending(s => s.Note).Where(x => x.Note.Contains(search) || search == null);
                }
                else
                {
                    text = text.OrderByDescending(s => s.Note).Where(x => x.Name.Contains(search) || search == null);
                }
        }
        return View(text.ToList());
    }

My Index View:

 @using (Html.BeginForm("Index", "Home", FormMethod.Get, new { id = "searchForm" }))
    {
<div class="row">
<div class="col-md-12">
    <hr />
    <h2>Søgeresultater</h2>
        @Html.RadioButton("searchBy", "Navn", true) <text>Navn</text>
        @Html.RadioButton("searchBy", "Tekst") <text>Tekst</text><br />
        @Html.TextBox("search")<input class="btn btn-primary" style="margin:0 10px;" type="submit" value="Søg" />

</div>

<div class="col-md-12 table" style="display:table; margin:45px 0 25px 0;">
    <div class="col-md-2">
        @*<b>Tekst</b><br />*@
        <h4>@Html.ActionLink("Navn", "Index", new { sortOrder = ViewBag.NameSortParm, onclick = "document.getElementById('searchForm').submit();" } })</h4>
    </div>
    <div class="col-md-2">
        @*<b>Tekst</b><br />*@
        <h4>
            @Html.ActionLink("Tekst", "Index", new { sortOrder = ViewBag.TextSortParm, onclick = "document.getElementById('searchForm').submit();" } })
        </h4>
    </div>
</div>
</div>
}

Which version of MVC are you using? Also, I'm assuming search and searchBy should be populated by user input (e.g. stuff typed in a textbox)? If so, take a look here, here and here for further information. — Esoteric Screen Name
Thank you for your answer. I am using MVC5 and your assumption is correct. search is an textbox and searchBy is Radiobuttons. Thank you! I will take a look at the solutions you linket to. — Casper Nybroe
I have testet each of the suggestions in your links and they doesnt seem to work unfortunately. — Casper Nybroe

Yann Olaf Yann Olaf · Accepted Answer · 2015-03-06T16:47:13

1. You can use JavaScript in your action link to perform a submit:

@Html.ActionLink("Tekst", "Index", new { 
     sortOrder = ViewBag.TextSortParm,  
     onclick = "document.getElementById('<your form id>').submit();"
})

Don't forget to add an Id () to your form.

no.

MVC, Pull TextBox and RadioButton variable with ActionLink

1 Answers