Creating Partial View to Create new in Index page

Question

I have a normal index page where the list of the contents in the database are displayed. I have a create button in my Index which as of now redirects to another page to Create a new item.

First I tried partial Views to get it working but the page still redirected to another page with no layout. Then I tried using Jquery to hide/show div that contains the HTML code for Create. But I could not post the value to the correct Action method.

I am not having all that I have tried so far. I suppose my Index View wouldn't be of great interest.

Index View when using Jquery

<div> Displaying the index View</div>
<div id="Create" style="display:none">
@using (Html.BeginForm())
{
    @Html.AntiForgeryToken()

    @Html.ValidationSummary(true, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
    @Html.LabelFor(model => model.LsystemFamily.FamilyName, htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
    @Html.EditorFor(model => model.LsystemFamily.FamilyName, new { htmlAttributes = new { @class = "form-control" } })
    @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.LsystemFamily.FamilyName, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })

    @Html.LabelFor(model => model.LsystemFamily.DescriptionEN, htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
    @Html.EditorFor(model => model.LsystemFamily.DescriptionEN, new { htmlAttributes = new { @class = "form-control" } })
    @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.LsystemFamily.DescriptionEN, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })

    @Html.LabelFor(model => model.LsystemFamily.DescriptionDE, htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
    @Html.EditorFor(model => model.LsystemFamily.DescriptionDE, new { htmlAttributes = new { @class = "form-control" } })
    @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.LsystemFamily.DescriptionDE, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })

   <input type="submit" value="Create" class="btn btn-default" />
}

Jquery

<script type="text/javascript">
$(document).ready(function () {
    $('#btn').click(function () {
        $('#Create').toggle();

    });
});
</script>

Controller (when returning Partial View)

public ActionResult Create()
{
        return View("_Create");
}

Index View when returning Partial View

<div>
   Index View
   @Html.ActionLink("Create","Create","Controller");
</div>
@Html.Partial("_Create")

In none of the cases I had my Create displaying the way I wanted.

Based on the Answers I have tried to add the partial View and then toggle the div. but i get the following error

An exception of type 'System.InvalidOperationException' occurred in System.Web.Mvc.dll but was not handled in user code

Additional information: The model item passed into the dictionary is of type 'System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure.DbQuery`1[TEDALS_Ver01.Models.LsystemFamily]', but this dictionary requires a model item of type 'TEDALS_Ver01.Models.LsystemFamily'.

Update : Index View

@using (Html.BeginForm())
{ 
<p>
    Search @Html.TextBox("SearchString") 
    <input type="submit" class="btn btn-default" value="Search" />
</p>
}
<script type="text/javascript">
$(document).ready(function () {
    $('#btn').click(function () {
        $('#Create').toggle();

    });
});
</script>
<table class="table">
    <tr>
        <th>
            Family Name
        </th>
        <th>
            System Count
        </th>
        <th></th>
    </tr>

    @foreach (var item in Model)
    {
        <tr>
            <td data-toggle="tooltip" title="@item.DescriptionDE" data-placement="right">
                @Html.ActionLink(item.FamilyName, "ViewSystems", "LsystemFamilies", new { id = @item.LsystemFamilyID},null)
            </td>
            <td data-toggle="tooltip" title="Number of Systems in @item.FamilyName" data-placement="right">
                @Html.DisplayFor(modelItem => item.LsystemCount)
            </td>
            <td>
                @*@Html.ActionLink("Add System", "Create", "Lsystems", new { id = item.LsystemFamilyID }, null)|*@
                @Html.ActionLink("Edit", "Edit", new { id = item.LsystemFamilyID }) |
                @Html.ActionLink("Details", "Details", new { id = item.LsystemFamilyID }) |
                @Html.ActionLink("Delete", "Delete", new { id = item.LsystemFamilyID })|

            </td>
        </tr>
    }

</table>
<input type="button" id="btn" class="btn btn-default" value="Create">
</div>
<div id="Create" style="display:none">
@Html.Partial("_Create")
</div>

@section Scripts{
<script type="text/javascript">
$(document).ready(function () {
    $('#btn').click(function () {
        $('#Create').toggle();

    });
});
</script>
@Scripts.Render("~/bundles/jqueryval")

}

UPDATE: Create Post method

    public ActionResult Create([Bind(Include = "LsystemFamilyID,FamilyName,LsystemCount,DescriptionEN,DescriptionDE,CreatedOn,ModifiedOn,CreatedBy,ModifiedBy")] LsystemFamily lsystemFamily)
    {
        lsystemFamily.CreatedOn = DateTime.Now;
        lsystemFamily.CreatedBy = User.Identity.Name;
        lsystemFamily.ModifiedOn = DateTime.Now;
        lsystemFamily.ModifiedBy = User.Identity.Name;
        lsystemFamily.LsystemCount = 0;
        if (ModelState.IsValid)
        {
            if (db.LsystemFamily.Any(x => x.FamilyName.Equals(lsystemFamily.FamilyName)))
            {
                ModelState.AddModelError("FamilyName", "Family Name already Exists");
                return PartialView("_Create",lsystemFamily);
            }

            db.LsystemFamily.Add(lsystemFamily);
            db.SaveChanges();
            return RedirectToAction("Index");
        }

        return PartialView("_Create",lsystemFamily);
    }

Answer 1

What you exactly want to do, I mean if you want to show Create from on a button click then just create a partail view with Layout = null ie "_Create" ( no need an action for it), now just render this partial view in the div that you are toggling:

<div id="Create" style="display:none">
  @Html.Partial("_Create")
</div>

and on the submission of create request if you want to refresh your index page then either you can user Ajax.BeginForm in _create view or you can post it by jquery ajax.

Answer 2

<script type="text/javascript">
    $(document).ready(function () {
        $('#btn').click(function () {
            $('#Create').toggle();

        });
    });
</script>

You are trying to access #btn by ID, but you set it as class. btn is a class name.So JQuery can't find your button.Do like this

 <script type="text/javascript">
        $(document).ready(function () {
            $('.btn').click(function () {
                $('#Create').toggle();

            });
        });
    </script>