c# - Get error message if ModelState.IsValid fails?

Question

I have this function in my controller.

[HttpPost]
public ActionResult Edit(EmployeesViewModel viewModel)
{
    Employee employee = GetEmployee(viewModel.EmployeeId);
    TryUpdateModel(employee);

    if (ModelState.IsValid)
    {
        SaveEmployee(employee);
        TempData["message"] = "Employee has been saved.";
        return RedirectToAction("Details", new { id = employee.EmployeeID });
    }

    return View(viewModel); // validation error, so redisplay same view
}

It keeps failing, ModelState.IsValid keeps returning false and redisplaying the view. But I have no idea what the error is.

Is there a way to get the error and redisplay it to the user?

Answer 1

Try this

if (ModelState.IsValid)
{
    //go on as normal
}
else
{
    var errors = ModelState.Select(x => x.Value.Errors)
                           .Where(y=>y.Count>0)
                           .ToList();
}

errors will be a list of all the errors.

If you want to display the errors to the user, all you have to do is return the model to the view and if you haven't removed the Razor @Html.ValidationFor() expressions, it will show up.

if (ModelState.IsValid)
{
    //go on as normal
}
else
{
    return View(model);
}

The view will show any validation errors next to each field and/or in the ValidationSummary if it's present.