MVC Controller parameter for a form element with a dot in it?

Question

If you're using the Html.TextBoxFor() type methods, you may well end up with Form controls that have dots in their names, like this:

<input type="text" name="Contact.FirstName" id="Contact_FirstName" />

If you want MVC to map those named fields to parameters in your controller (as opposed to an object parameter or whatever), you have to get the parameter names right. What to do about the dots?

Neither this:

[HttpPost]
public ActionResult FooAction(string firstName)

not this:

[HttpPost]
public ActionResult FooAction(string contact_FirstName)

seem to work.

Edit: Having a suitable object parameter would work (eg see clicktricity's answer), but I'm looking for a way to do it with named value parameters.

Answer 1

Depending on the other form controls, you should be able to have the MVC default model binder construct a Contact object for you. Then the signature of your action method would be:

[HttpPost]
public ActionResult FooAction(Contact contact)

Then the Contact.FirstName (and any other fileds) will be bound correctly

Answer 2

As Clicktricity suggests in comments you may use

[HttpPost]
public ActionResult FooAction(FormCollection form)
{
    firstName = form["Contact.FirstName"];
}

Answer 3

I have found another way, a kind of hack because I believe this is misuse of BindAttribute, to associate firstName parameter with Contact.FirstName input element:

[HttpPost]
public ActionResult FooAction([Bind(Prefix="Contact.FirstName")]string firstName)

This for sure works with ASP.NET MVC 1.