mvc 3 html attributes

Question

i have been playing around with MVC. I am currently stumped on with html helper methods. One thing i have noticed is that I cant really cant apply the ASP.NET Web Form logic into MVC. To explain further, in ASP.NET I could create a Label control and assign it some text data and then read the text data.

However, in MVC, I cant seem to do the same with @Html.LabelFor/@Html.Label, I have realised that once you do a POST from your form, the value from the Label is not bound back into my view model. However, if I use an EditorFor or TextBoxFor, I can get values bound to my viewmodel upon POST.

My question what html hlper method should I use to display text as readonly but yet be able to bind back to my viewmodel upon post ? I have tried TextBoxFor with its html attributes set to disabled and readonly but no luck.

Appreciate any pointers. thanks

thanks for the replies. my binding in my markup is as: @html.Label(Model.Username). essentially on POST, I have an action method public View FormPost(MyViewModel vm). I simply extract the contents of the variable "vm" and stick it inside a service method. — ekynox

hunter hunter · Accepted Answer · 2011-03-08T14:39:43

You should be able to bind the readonly attribute to the TextBox by passing in htmlAttributes as the 2nd parameter of the TextBoxFor method:

<%=Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.SomeProperty, new { @readonly = "readonly" }) %>

On MSDN: InputExtensions.TextBoxFor Method (HtmlHelper, Expression>, Object)

If you're trying to maintain the Label value you can use a combination of the LabelFor and HiddenFor methods.

I don't know why you would need to do this though, since you should be able to get the DisplayText attribute or the Property Name from the property.

<%=Html.LabelFor(m => m.SomeProperty) %>
<%=Html.HiddenFor(m => m.SomeProperty) %>

but this doesn't make a lot of sense since the usual syntax would be:

<%=Html.LabelFor(m => m.SomeProperty) %>
<%=Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.SomeProperty) %>

Note that if you use the disabled attribute the input will not be posted when the form is submitted

mvc 3 html attributes

2 Answers