ASp.NET MVC: TryUpdateModel doesn't update all properties

Question

Hi all. I've got the following action:

public ActionResult Create()
{
    var entity = new Employee();
    TryUpdateModel(entity, new[] { "Person.Name", "Code", "CompanyID" });
    if (ModelState.IsValid)
    {
     var result = Service.MergeEmployee(entity);
     return RedirectToAction("List", new { success = true });
    }
    return View("Edit", new SupplierEmployeeModel() { Employee = entity });
}

What happens is that the property "Person.Name" doesn't get filled by the TryUpdateModel.

This is my form:

 <fieldset>
    <p>
     <label for="Name"><%=Strings.NAME %></label>
     <%= Html.TextBox("Person.Name", Model.Employee.Person.Name, new { Class = "text" })%>
     <%= Html.ValidationMessage("Name", "*") %>
    </p>
    <p>
     <label for="CompanyID"><%=Strings.SUPPLIER %></label>
     <%= Html.DropDownList("CompanyID") %>
     <%= Html.ValidationMessage("CompanyID", "*")%>
    </p>
    <p>
     <label for="Code"><%=Strings.CODE %></label>
     <%= Html.TextBox("Code", Model.Employee.Code)%>
     <%= Html.ValidationMessage("Code", "*") %>
    </p>
    <p>
     <%= Html.Hidden("ID", Model.Employee.ID)%>
    </p>
    <div id="tabs-DE-actions" class="ui-dialog-buttonpane  ui-helper-clearfix" style="display: block;">
     <button class="ui-state-default ui-corner-all" type="submit"><%=Strings.SAVE%></button>
    </div>
</fieldset>

Any thoughts on why this is happening? Thanks

Answer 1

Try this:

 TryUpdateModel(entity,"Person", new[] { "Name", "Code", "CompanyID" });

Answer 2

In order to fill in Person.Name, the model binder has to create a new Person. Have you given the model binder enough info to do that? Alternately, try creating the Person yourself before binding.

Answer 3

Make sure the Person object is initialized in the Employee constructor; if it's null to begin with it is probably not updated properly.

public Employee()
{
    Person = new Person();
}