ReturnUrl from Form in ASP.NET MVC3

Question

I have done some research and found that I can use:

string retUrl = "";
    if (ViewContext.HttpContext.Request.UrlReferrer != null)
    {
        retUrl =
          ViewContext.HttpContext.Request.UrlReferrer.PathAndQuery;
    }

As a way to set a returnUrl and then pass it into a controller via action link.

However, is there any way I can pass a parameter from a form into a controller?

Here's how my code looks right now:

@using (Html.BeginForm(new { returnUrl = retUrl})) {
    @Html.EditorForModel()
    <input type="submit" value="Save"/>
}

This works great in the sense that it returns you to the right URL when you submit the form. However, the form doesn't actually get saved. If I remove that returnUrl parameter it saves the form but it does not redirect properly.

This reason I'm doing this is because this form is accessible from multiple pages and I don't want to send them all to one page after they submit the form but rather to the previous page.

EDIT

I've also tried BeginRouteForm and specifying a controller and action, both approaches did not work.

EDIT

Action source:

[Authorize]
        [HttpPost]
        public ActionResult EditReview(Review review, string returnUrl)
        {
            if (ModelState.IsValid)
            {
                if (Url.IsLocalUrl(returnUrl) && returnUrl.Length > 1 && returnUrl.StartsWith("/")
                            && !returnUrl.StartsWith("//") && !returnUrl.StartsWith("/\\"))
                {
                    return Redirect(returnUrl);
                }
                reviewRepository.SaveReview(review);
                return RedirectToAction("Index");
            }
            return View(review);
        }

Answer 1

To save you form before redirecting you need to switch some lines around in the action method. Instead of:

if (Url.IsLocalUrl(returnUrl) && returnUrl.Length > 1 && returnUrl.StartsWith("/")
     && !returnUrl.StartsWith("//") && !returnUrl.StartsWith("/\\"))
{
  return Redirect(returnUrl);
}
reviewRepository.SaveReview(review);
return RedirectToAction("Index");

to

reviewRepository.SaveReview(review);
if (Url.IsLocalUrl(returnUrl) && returnUrl.Length > 1 && returnUrl.StartsWith("/")
     && !returnUrl.StartsWith("//") && !returnUrl.StartsWith("/\\"))
{
  return Redirect(returnUrl);
}
return RedirectToAction("Index");

Answer 2

Like this?

@using(Html.BeginForm("act","contr",FormMethod.Post) {
            @Html.Hidden("returnUrl",ViewContext.HttpContext.Request.Url.PathAndQuery)
            <input type="submit" />
        }

There shouldn't be any issue with passing the same in the BeginForm method -- either will bind to ActionMethod(string returnUrl) .

Answer 3

If I am understanding you correctly, you are actually changing the ACTION method on the form, so I am not surprised it didn't save. I'd get rid of that and just post to the controller/action as you originally intended. Then add the retUrl as a hidden input to post along with the rest of the form data.

@using (Html.BeginForm()) {
    @Html.EditorForModel()
    <input type="hidden" name="returnUrl" value="@retUrl" /> 
    <input type="submit" value="Save"/>
    } 

Edit:

You can also use the Html helper.

@Html.Hidden("returnUrl", retUrl)