c# - How to add static list of items in MVC Html.DropDownList()

Question

I would like to assign a static list of items in a SelectList() to a Html.DropDownList() in ASP.NET MVC, what is the best practice?

I was about to try to find a way to use new SelectList(new {key = "value"}... but one, that didn't work, and two, would I be breaking a law here, should my static list be declared in ViewData anyway and passed as IList/IENumerable?

Answer 1

It is a best practice not to create the SelectList in the view. You should create it in the controller and pass it using the ViewData.

Example:

  var list = new SelectList(new []
                                          {
                                              new {ID="1",Name="name1"},
                                              new{ID="2",Name="name2"},
                                              new{ID="3",Name="name3"},
                                          },
                            "ID","Name",1);
            ViewData["list"]=list;
            return View();

you pass to the constructor: the IEnumerable object, the value field the text field and the selected value.

in the View:

 <%=Html.DropDownList("list",ViewData["list"] as SelectList) %>