How can I set and get the value of a dropdownlist in a grid in Kendo UI MVC?

Question

I'm working with KendoUI MVC in MVC3.

I managed to get a dropdown in a grid column. But I have no clue on how to set the selected value, and when I save it doesn't save my selected value.

The grid

@using Perseus.Areas.Communication.Models
@using Perseus.Common.BusinessEntities;


<div class="gridWrapper">
    @(Html.Kendo().Grid<CommunicationModel>()
        .Name("grid")
        .Columns(colums =>
        {
            colums.Bound(o => o.communication_type_id)
                .EditorTemplateName("_communicationDropDown")
                .ClientTemplate("#: communication_type #")
                .Title("Type")
                .Width(180);
            colums.Bound(o => o.sequence).Width(180);
            colums.Bound(o => o.remarks);
            colums.Command(command => command.Edit()).Width(50);
        })
        .Pageable()
        .Sortable()
        .Filterable()
        .Groupable()
        .Editable(edit => edit.Mode(GridEditMode.InLine))
        .DataSource(dataSource => dataSource
            .Ajax()
            .ServerOperation(false)
            .Model(model => model.Id(o => o.communication_id))
                .Read(read => read.Action("AjaxBinding", "Communication", new { id = @ViewBag.addressId }))
                .Update(update => update.Action("Update", "Communication"))
            .Sort(sort => { sort.Add(o => o.sequence).Ascending(); })
            .PageSize(20)
        )
    )
</div>

The EditorTemplate "_communicationDropDown

@model Perseus.Areas.Communication.Models.CommunicationModel


@(Html.Kendo().DropDownListFor(c => c.communication_type_id)
        .Name("DropDownListCommunication")
            .DataTextField("description1")
            .DataValueField("communication_type_id")
            .BindTo(ViewBag.CommunicationTypes))

Answer 1

I think this is an important one to point out is that the DropDownList name should match the column name attribute. The html attribute name="", not the heading of the column. The name attributes must match for this to work, since you are substituting the default editor control with another control coming from an editor template to take its place during the edit operation. If the names do not match when the DOM is serialized back into the model for the update operation, the value from the editor template control will be ignored. By default it is the property variable name that appears in the model class, unless overriden in the mark up.

(Answer edited to include the insert record operation).

Here is a working example:

Model Class:

public class Employee
{
    public int EmployeeId { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public string Department { get; set; }
}

View:

@(Html.Kendo().Grid<Employee>()
     .Name("Grid")
     .Columns(columns =>
     {
         columns.Bound(p => p.Name).Width(50);
         columns.Bound(p => p.Department).Width(50).EditorTemplateName("DepartmentDropDownList");
         columns.Command(command => command.Edit()).Width(50);
     })
     .ToolBar(commands => commands.Create())
     .Editable(editable => editable.Mode(GridEditMode.InLine))
     .DataSource(dataSource => dataSource
         .Ajax() 
         .Model(model => model.Id(p => p.EmployeeId))
         .Read(read => read.Action("GetEmployees", "Home")) 
         .Update(update => update.Action("UpdateEmployees", "Home"))
         .Create(create => create.Action("CreateEmployee", "Home"))
     )
)

Partial view editor template, file name "DepartmentDropDownList", located in the EditorTemplates folder that is specific to this view. ie. Home\Views\EditorTemplates\DepartmentDropDownList.cshtml

@model string

@(Html.Kendo().DropDownList()
    .Name("Department")  //Important, must match the column's name
    .Value(Model)
    .SelectedIndex(0)
    .BindTo(new string[] { "IT", "Sales", "Finance" }))  //Static list of departments, can bind this to anything else. ie. the contents in the ViewBag

Controller for the Read operation:

public ActionResult GetEmployees([DataSourceRequest]DataSourceRequest request)
{
    List<Employee> list = new List<Employee>();
    Employee employee = new Employee() { EmployeeId = 1, Name = "John Smith", Department = "Sales" };
    list.Add(employee);
    employee = new Employee() { EmployeeId = 2, Name = "Ted Teller", Department = "Finance" };
    list.Add(employee);

    return Json(list.ToDataSourceResult(request));
}

Controller for the Update operation:

[AcceptVerbs(HttpVerbs.Post)]
public ActionResult UpdateEmployees([DataSourceRequest] DataSourceRequest request, Employee employee)
{
    return Json(new[] { employee }.ToDataSourceResult(request, ModelState));
}

Controller for the Create operation:

[AcceptVerbs(HttpVerbs.Post)]
public ActionResult CreateEmployee([DataSourceRequest] DataSourceRequest request, Employee employee)
{
    employee.EmployeeId = (new Random()).Next(1000);  
    return Json(new[] { employee }.ToDataSourceResult(request, ModelState));
}