[Solved] Nested complex models

[dejavu]

Reading http://blogs.telerik.com/blogs/posts/10-09-30/using_nested_complex_objects_with_asp_net_mvc_editor_templates.aspx i tried to find a simple and reliable way to display an edit form with a model having as a property another reference type. As example:

namespace Demo.ComplexModels
{
    public class ParentModel
    {
        public int Id { get; set; }
        public string Name { get; set; }
        public ChildModel Child { get; set; }
    }

    public class ChildModel
    {
        public int Id { get; set; }
        public string Name { get; set; }
    }
}

Then, in a typical controller class:

public class SimpleController
{
    public ActionResult Create(ParentModel model)

    {

    if (ModelState.IsValid)

{
            TryUpdateModel<ParentModel>(model);
            Gateway.Create(model); // Add record to db.

 

    return RedirectToAction("Created"); // PRG, get a view with a simple confirmation message.

    }

    return View(); // Redisplay the model failing the validation.

    }
}

This is supposed to fill Child property in ParentModel instance right?. If not, and using the following view:

@{using (Html.BeginForm())

{

    <ul>

        <li>

            @Html.LabelFor(model => model.Id)

            @Html.TextBoxFor(model => model.Id)

            @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Id)

        </li>

        <li>

            @Html.LabelFor(model => model.Name)

            @Html.TextBoxFor(model => model.Name)

            @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Name)

        </li>

        <li>

            @Html.LabelFor(model => model.Child)

            @Html.Telerik().DropDownListFor(model => model.Child)

                                        .DataBinding(binding =>

                                            binding.Ajax() .Select("Load", "SimpleController"))

            @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Child)

        </li>
                <li>
                   <input type="submit" value="Save" />
               </li>

    }

What could be wrong?, i'm just getting null reference in ChildModel property verytime. It's clear to me that i can always use a typical formcollection or another method, but the binder mechanism in MVC supposed to take care of this, isn't?

Thanks in advance.

dejavu.