EditorTemplates Where or Groupby on Questionnaire

Question

At the moment, I have a working prototype for a questionnaire with multiple questions and each question having multiple choices for an answer. Everything displays and saves great. However, I now would like to group the question/answers into 'sections' on my Edit view. I have tried a couple different methods but nothing seems to work correctly. The working code without sections are as follows:

Edit View Progress Report:

<div class="form-group">
    @Html.LabelFor(model => model.ReportAnswers, htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
    <div class="col-md-10">
        @Html.EditorFor(model => model.ReportAnswers)
    </div>
</div>

ReportAnswers.cshtml (editor template)

<h3>
    Question
</h3>

<p>
    @Html.DisplayFor(x => x.Question.QuestionText)
</p>
@Html.HiddenFor(model => model.QuestionID)
@Html.HiddenFor(model => model.ReportID)

@foreach (var answer in Model.Question.PossibleAnswers)
{
    var id = string.Format("answer-{0}", answer.AnswerID);
    <p>
        @Html.HiddenFor(model => model.ReportAnswerID)

        @Html.RadioButtonFor(m => m.AnswerID, answer.AnswerID, new { id = id })
        <label for="@id">@answer.AnswerText</label>
    </p>
}

EditController:

[HttpPost]
    [ValidateAntiForgeryToken]
    public ActionResult Edit(ProgressReport progressReport)
    {
        if (ModelState.IsValid)
        {
            db.Entry(progressReport).State = EntityState.Modified;
            db.SaveChanges();

            foreach (ReportAnswer answer in progressReport.ReportAnswers)
            {
                        if (answer.QuestionID != null && answer.AnswerID != null)
                        {
                            db.Entry(answer).State = EntityState.Modified;
                            db.SaveChanges();
                        }                   

            }

            return RedirectToAction("Index");
        }
        ViewBag.ClientID = new SelectList(db.Clients, "ClientID", "ID", progressReport.ClientID);
        return View(progressReport);
    }

Data structure is Sections -> Questions -> Answers I then have a ProgressReport table that has QuestionID and AnswerID

I have attempted to Groupby within the view, but then unsure how to call the Editortemplate correctly. In fact, I was able to use it, but the result was not as expected. that code is:

@foreach (var group in Model.ReportAnswers.GroupBy(s => s.Question.SectionID))

Thanks!

Data Structure Snippet:

Answer 1

I was able to develop a solution...proper or not..Don't know...but it does work. Feel free to critique. I welcome it. :)

ProgressReportViewModel:

public class ProgressReportViewModel
{
    public int ReportID { get; set; }
    public DateTime ReportDateSubmitted {get; set;}
    public List<ReportAnswer>[] ReportAnswerSection { get; set; }
    public string[] SectionHeadings { get; set; }
    public string[] SectionDescriptions { get; set; }
}

EditController:

public ActionResult Edit(int? id)
    {
        var viewModel = new ProgressReportViewModel();

       //  Get the section in order of defined display order
        var questionsection = (from s in db.QuestionSections
                                orderby s.SectionDisplayOrder
                                select new{
                                    s.SectionName,
                                    s.SectionDesc
                                });

        viewModel.SectionHeadings = new string[11];
        viewModel.SectionDescriptions = new string[11];
        viewModel.ReportAnswerSection = new List<ReportAnswer>[11];

        int i = 0;
        foreach(var section in questionsection)
        {
            //  Loop through sections and get the name, desc and the questions/answers
            viewModel.SectionHeadings[i] = section.SectionName.ToString();
            viewModel.SectionDescriptions[i] =   section.SectionDesc;
            viewModel.ReportAnswerSection[i] = db.ReportAnswers.Where(q => q.Question.SectionID == i+1 && q.ReportID == id).Include(s => s.Question.QuestionSection).OrderBy(q => q.Question.DisplayOrder).ToList();
            i=i+1;
        }

        var report = (from r in db.ProgressReports
                      where r.ReportID == id
                      select new
                      {
                          r.ReportID,
                          r.ReportDateSubmitted,
                          r.ClientID
                      }).SingleOrDefault();
        viewModel.ReportID = report.ReportID;
        viewModel.ReportDateSubmitted = report.ReportDateSubmitted ?? DateTime.MinValue;


        return View(viewModel);
    }



    [HttpPost]
    [ValidateAntiForgeryToken]
    public ActionResult Edit(ProgressReportViewModel progressReport)
    {
        if (ModelState.IsValid)
        {
            ProgressReport PR = db.ProgressReports.Where(x => x.ReportID == progressReport.ReportID).SingleOrDefault();


            //db.ProgressReports.Attach(progressReport);

            db.Entry(PR).State = EntityState.Modified;
            db.SaveChanges();

            for (var i = 0; i <= 10; i++ )
            {
                foreach (ReportAnswer answer in progressReport.ReportAnswerSection[i]) //.ReportAnswers)
                {
                    SaveAnswers(answer);
                }
            }

            return RedirectToAction("Index", "Home");
        }
        return View(progressReport);
    }

ReportAnswers Editor Template

<h3>
Question
</h3>

<p>
@Html.DisplayFor(x => x.Question.QuestionText)
</p>
@Html.HiddenFor(model => model.QuestionID)
@Html.HiddenFor(model => model.ReportID)

@foreach (var answer in Model.Question.PossibleAnswers)
{
var id = string.Format("answer-{0}", answer.AnswerID);
<p>
    @Html.HiddenFor(model => model.ReportAnswerID)

    @Html.RadioButtonFor(m => m.AnswerID, answer.AnswerID, new { id = id })
    <label for="@id">@answer.AnswerText</label>
</p>
}

Edit View:

@for(var i = 0; i<=10; i++)
    {
        <h4>@Html.DisplayFor(model => model.SectionHeadings[i]) </h4>
        <p>@Html.DisplayFor(model => model.SectionDescriptions[i]) </p>
        @Html.EditorFor(model => model.ReportAnswerSection[i])
    }

I chose to do these arrays because there is one section at least I need to intercept to do something special with. Otherwise all other sections are typical. This seems to work but as stated, I welcome any criticisms anyone may have.

Have a great day!

Answer 2

You will be better of creating view models that represents the data you want to display in the view

public class ReportVM
{
  public int ID { get; set; }
  // other properties or Report for display/editing
  public List<SectionVM> Sections { get; set; }
}
public class SectionVM
{
  public int ID { get; set; }
  public string Name { get; set; }
  // other properties or Report for display/editing
  public List<QuestionVM> Questions{ get; set; }
}
public class QuestionVM
{
  public int ID { get; set; }
  public string Title { get; set; }
  public int SelectedAnswer { get; set; }
  public List<Answer> PossibleAnswers { get; set; }
}

The in the controller, use your .GroupBy() query to build your view model and add each section and its related questions/answers

Then add an EditorTempate for SectionVM

@model SectionVM
@Html.HiddenFor(m = > m.ID)
<h2>@Html.DisplayFor(m => m.Name)</h2>
@Html.EditorFor(m => m.Questions) // uses an EditorTemplate for QuestionVM (i.e. as per your current ReportAnswers template

and in the main view

@Html.EditorFor(model => model.Sections)