Modelbinder for filter descriptors

[Marijn]

I have modified the  filter-menu-customization example to perfor server side filtering based on the filter value. I created this action method:

public ActionResult FilterMenuCustomization_Titles([Bind(Prefix="filter[filters][0][value]")]string filterValue)
{
    var db = new SampleEntities();
    var employeeTitles = db.Employees
                           .Select(e => e.Title)
                           .Where(t => t.StartsWith(filterValue))
                           .Distinct();
    return Json(employeeTitles, JsonRequestBehavior.AllowGet);
}

This works fine, but the Bind attribute and the prefix string looks fragile to me. I'm pretty sure there should be a better way to perform the filterValue binding. I imagine there should be a IModelBinder for FIlterDescriptor, so that I could leverage the other aspects of the filter descriptor (starts with, equals, logic operator etc). But I failed to find it.

I posted my example here on Github.

Any suggestions?

[Rosen]

Hello Marijn,

From the provided information it seems that you want to use the AutoComplete widget with server filtering. How to set up this feature is demonstrated in this online demo.
And  the links (View, Controller) to the appropriate files from your git repository.

Regards,
Rosen
Telerik

 

 

[Marijn]

Thanks for the reply Rosen, but that does not really answer my question; let me clarify my question.

My goal is to have the following method signature:  

public ActionResult FilterMenuCustomization_Titles(FilterDescriptor filter)


{

    // use filter in query

    // ... snip ...

}


[Rosen]

Hi Marijn,

You can take advantage the default ASP.NET MVC  model binder by formatting (by using the transport's parameterMap) the request parameters in the appropriate format. Similar to the following:

<script type="text/javascript">
    function titleFilter(element) {
        element.kendoAutoComplete({
            dataSource: {
                serverFiltering: true,
                transport: {
                    read: {
                        url: "@Url.Action("FilterMenuCustomization_Titles")",
                        type: "POST",
                        contentType: "application/json"
                    },
                    parameterMap: function (options) {
                        if (options.filter && options.filter.filters.length) {
                            return kendo.stringify(options.filter.filters[0]);
                        }
                        return options;
                    }
                }
            }
        });
    }
</script>

public ActionResult FilterMenuCustomization_Titles(FilterDescriptor filter)
{
   //...
}

Regards,
Rosen
Telerik

 

 

[Marijn]

Ah, that looks great - will give it a shot and post back here.

[Marijn]

Using parameterMap is just what I needed; working example: https://github.com/serra/Telerik-UIforASP.NETMVCQ12014-examples-VS2012/commits/grid_with_server_side_autocomplete_column_filter