getting the value of dropdownlist in MVC4

Question

i am new to MVC Tell me how can i retrieve the selected dropdownlist value in controller this is how i add the values to dropdownlist

List<SelectListItem> items = new List<SelectListItem>();
            items.Add(new SelectListItem { Text = "What is your Place of Birth?", Value = "What is your Place of Birth?" });
            items.Add(new SelectListItem { Text = "What is your favourite Book?", Value = "What is your favourite Book?" });
            items.Add(new SelectListItem { Text = "What is your childhood friend name?", Value = "What is your childhood friend name?" });
            items.Add(new SelectListItem { Text = "What is your first car make and model?", Value = "What is your first car make and model?" });
            items.Add(new SelectListItem { Text = "What is your favourite place?", Value = "What is your favourite place?" });
            ViewData["ddlitems"] = items;

VIEW FILE

@Html.DropDownList("ddlitems")

Answer 1

On your model, have a property for the value:

class ModelClass
{
    public string DropdownValue{get; set;}
}

Then use the following Razor syntax

@Html.DropdownListFor(m => m.DropdownValue, "ddItems");

That will create a dropdown named the same as the Model property, it should automatically post back with the model

Answer 2

The most simple way to get the value of the selected option is just to match the ID of the element to that which you are posting to the ActionResult . So if your select element is rendered as;

<select id="SomeID">
    <option value="What is your Place of Birth?">What is your Place of Birth?</option>
</select>

Then you post this to an ActionResult

[HttpPost]
public ActionResult MyActionResult(string SomeID){
    // SomeID = What is your Place of Birth?
    Return View();
}

This might be the easiest option in your case because you do not have a strongly typed object which you are passing into the View . Also note that this will work with any form elements that you are posting. Just match up the IDs with parameters on the ActionResult .

To take this further, you would probably be best reading about Model Binding within ASP.Net MVC.