The model item is of type CookMeIndexViewModel, but requires a model item of type IEnumerable<CookMeIndexViewModel>

Question

I am following along with the music store example to try learn ASP.NET MVC. I'm creating a cookbook application.

I have created my viewmodel that looks like this:

namespace CookMe_MVC.ViewModels
{
    public class CookMeIndexViewModel
    {
        public int NumberOfReceipes { get; set; }
        public List<string> ReceipeName { get; set; }
    }
}

my controller looks like this

public ActionResult Index()
    {
        var meals= new List<string> { "Dinner 1", "Dinner 2", "3rd not sure" };
       //create the view model
        var viewModel = new CookMeIndexViewModel
        {
            NumberOfReceipes = meals.Count(),
            ReceipeName = meals
        };
        return View(viewModel);
    }

Finally my view looks like this

 @model IEnumerable<CookMe_MVC.ViewModels.CookMeIndexViewModel>

@{
    ViewBag.Title = "Index";
}

<h2>Index</h2>

<p>
    @Html.ActionLink("Create New", "Create")
</p>
<table>
    <tr>
        <th></th>
        <th>
            Meals
        </th>
    </tr>

@foreach (var item in Model) {
    <tr>
        <td>
            @Html.ActionLink("Edit", "Edit", new { /* id=item.PrimaryKey */ }) |
            @Html.ActionLink("Details", "Details", new { /* id=item.PrimaryKey */ }) |
            @Html.ActionLink("Delete", "Delete", new { /* id=item.PrimaryKey */ })
        </td>
        <td>
            @item.ReceipeName
        </td>
    </tr>
}

</table>

I get this error.

The model item passed into the dictionary is of type CookMeIndexViewModel, but this dictionary requires a model item of type IEnumerable<CookMeIndexViewModel>.

I have followed the example. I can't see what I am doing wrong. Should I be returning my viewmodel as a generic list?

Answer 1

In your view you are using @model IEnumerable<CookMe_MVC.ViewModels.CookMeIndexViewModel> which indicates that the model expected by the View is of type IEnumerable of CookMeIndexViewModel.

However in the controller you are passing an object of type CookMeIndexViewModel as a model return View(viewModel); hence the error.

Either change the view to have @model CookMe_MVC.ViewModels.CookMeIndexViewModel

or pass a IEnumerable of CookMeIndexViewModel as model to the view in controller as given below:

public ActionResult Index()
{
        var meals= new List<string> { "Dinner 1", "Dinner 2", "3rd not sure" };
     //create the view model
        var viewModel = new CookMeIndexViewModel
        {
                NumberOfReceipes = meals.Count(),
                ReceipeName = meals
        };
        List<CookMeIndexViewModel> viewModelList = new List<CookMeIndexViewModel>();
        viewModelList.Add(viewModel);
        return View(viewModelList);
}