ASP.NET MVC Model Binding

Question

I'm having a problem with model binding. If I do use the prefix in the CopyToModelStateDictionary method, I don't get the styling or validation messages for the invalid controls. If I don't use the prefix, I get the styling and validation messages, but the page crashes if the user hasn't made a selection from a dynamically created list of radio buttons. How can I get both? I don't understand what is happening here.

    [AcceptVerbs(HttpVerbs.Post)]
    public ActionResult Edit(int id, FormCollection collection)
    {
        Request request = requestRepository.GetById(id);
        UpdateModel(request);
        Helpers.CopyToModelStateDictionary(request.GetRuleViolations(), ModelState, "request");
        ...
        if (!ModelState.IsValid) 
        {
            return View("Edit_Requestor", request);
        }
    }

    public static void CopyToModelStateDictionary(NameValueCollection errors, ModelStateDictionary modelState, string prefix)
    {
        foreach (string key in errors)
        {
            foreach (string value in errors.GetValues(key))
            {
                modelState.AddModelError(prefix + "." + key, value);
            }
        }
    }

Error Message

Line 9:   foreach (ProblemType problemType in problemTypes)
Line 10:  {
Line 11:      Writer.Write(Html.RadioButton("ProblemType", problemType.Value));
Line 12:      Writer.Write(problemType.Text + "<br/>");
Line 13:  }

Stack Trace:

[NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.]
System.Web.Mvc.HtmlHelper.GetModelStateValue(String key, Type destinationType) +63
System.Web.Mvc.Html.InputExtensions.InputHelper(HtmlHelper htmlHelper, InputType inputType, String name, Object value, Boolean useViewData, Boolean isChecked, Boolean setId, Boolean isExplicitValue, IDictionary`2 htmlAttributes) +328
System.Web.Mvc.Html.InputExtensions.RadioButton(HtmlHelper htmlHelper, String name, Object value, Boolean isChecked, IDictionary`2 htmlAttributes) +193
System.Web.Mvc.Html.InputExtensions.RadioButton(HtmlHelper htmlHelper, String name, Object value, IDictionary`2 htmlAttributes) +282
System.Web.Mvc.Html.InputExtensions.RadioButton(HtmlHelper htmlHelper, String name, Object value) +61
ASP.views_request_lstproblemtype_ascx.__Render__control1(HtmlTextWriter __w, Control parameterContainer) in c:\Web\Views\Request\lstProblemType.ascx:11
System.Web.UI.Control.RenderChildrenInternal(HtmlTextWriter writer, ICollection children) +256
System.Web.UI.Control.RenderChildren(HtmlTextWriter writer) +19
System.Web.UI.Control.Render(HtmlTextWriter writer) +10
System.Web.UI.Control.RenderControlInternal(HtmlTextWriter writer, ControlAdapter adapter) +27
System.Web.UI.Control.RenderControl(HtmlTextWriter writer, ControlAdapter adapter) +99
System.Web.UI.Control.RenderControl(HtmlTextWriter writer) +25
System.Web.UI.Control.RenderChildrenInternal(HtmlTextWriter writer, ICollection children) +134
System.Web.UI.Control.RenderChildren(HtmlTextWriter writer) +19
System.Web.UI.Page.Render(HtmlTextWriter writer) +29
System.Web.Mvc.ViewPage.Render(HtmlTextWriter writer) +59
System.Web.UI.Control.RenderControlInternal(HtmlTextWriter writer, ControlAdapter adapter) +27
System.Web.UI.Control.RenderControl(HtmlTextWriter writer, ControlAdapter adapter) +99
System.Web.UI.Control.RenderControl(HtmlTextWriter writer) +25
System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint) +1266

Thanks for reading my question!

Answer 1

This may be of some help.

You are adding a modal error so MVC is trying to retrieve the attempted value but because you didnt add it, it fails.

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/887757/validating-form-using-modelstate

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/647266/asp-net-mvc-html-textbox-throws-object-reference-not-set-to-an-instance-of-an