how to resolve "'System.Collections.Generic.List<string>' to 'System.Collections.Generic.List<System.Web.Mvc.SelectListItem>''

Question

I have the following action method which contains the ViewBag:

public ActionResult Method()
        {
            var model = new PropertyDto();
            if (!Request.Url.AbsoluteUri.Contains("?amp=1"))
            {
                if (DefaultCityID > 0)
                    model.CityID = DefaultCityID;
                List<SelectListItem> Cities = cityService.GetMenuCitiesLite(1).Select(t => new SelectListItem { Text = t.Name, Value = t.ID.ToString() })
                    .OrderBy(o=>o.Text).ToList();
                ViewBag.Cities = Cities;
                ViewBag.CitiesIds = DefaultCityID;
            }
            ViewBag.Cities = cityService.GetMenuCitiesLite(SiteKeys.CountryID);
            return View(model);
        }

on the view dropdown list:

@Html.DropDownListFor(model => model.CityID, (List<SelectListItem>)ViewBag.Cities, "Select city", new RouteValueDictionary { { "data-rule-required", "true" }, { "data-msg-required", "*required" }, { "class", "form-control" }, { "id", "CityDropdown" } })

I am getting this exception:

Microsoft.CSharp.RuntimeBinder.RuntimeBinderException: 'Cannot convert type 'System.Collections.Generic.List<POS.Dto.CityliteDto>' to 'System.Collections.Generic.List<System.Web.Mvc.SelectListItem>''

Answer 1

Just use a SelectList for the ViewBag and Pass to the View

It should be something like

ViewBag.Cities = new SelectList (from t in cityService.OrderBy(o => o.Text)
                select New { Description = t.Name, Id = t.ID.ToString() }),"Id","Description");

and then in your View

@Html.DropDownListFor(model => model.CityID, (SelectList)ViewBag.Cities, "Select city", new RouteValueDictionary { { "data-rule-required", "true" }, { "data-msg-required", "*required" }, { "class", "form-control" }, { "id", "CityDropdown" } })