redirect to return url after login

Question

I have a link in my razor view like this:

  disputes

Inside my login\'s act

Answer 1

I use a combination of the above suggestion and Request.UrlReferrer to get the previous location:

    public ActionResult LogOn(string returnUrl)
    {
        //So that the user can be referred back to where they were when they click logon
        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(returnUrl) && Request.UrlReferrer != null)
            returnUrl = Server.UrlEncode(Request.UrlReferrer.PathAndQuery);

        if (Url.IsLocalUrl(returnUrl) && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(returnUrl))
        {
            ViewBag.ReturnURL = returnUrl;
        }
        return View();
    }

This way I don't have to put the location in the ActionLink.

I populate a hidden field in the login page using the ViewBag.ReturnURL. Then in the Login HTTPPost ActionResult I redirect the user to the location in the hidden field (if there is one):

    [HttpPost]
    public ActionResult LogOn(LogOnModel model, string returnUrl)
    {
        //returnURL needs to be decoded
        string decodedUrl = "";
        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(returnUrl))
            decodedUrl = Server.UrlDecode(returnUrl);

        //Login logic...

        if (Url.IsLocalUrl(decodedUrl))
        {
            return Redirect(decodedUrl);
        }
        else
        {
            return RedirectToAction("Index", "Home");
        }
    }

Answer 2

        //Utilities         
        public static ReturnUrl GetReturnUrlValues(string returnUrl)
        {
            //0:Action,1:Controller,2:Area:,3:Id
            ReturnUrl vm = new ReturnUrl();
            using (TBBSEntities context = new TBBSEntities())
            {
                if (returnUrl != null && returnUrl.Length > 10)
                {
                    var counterValue = returnUrl.Split('/');
                    vm.Action = counterValue[0];
                    vm.Controller = counterValue[1];
                    vm.Area = counterValue[2] == "0" ? "" : counterValue[2] ;
                    vm.Id = Convert.ToInt32(counterValue[3]);
                    vm.NullStatus = true;
                    return vm;
                }
                vm.NullStatus = false;
                return vm;
            }
        }

        //Controller
        var transformUrl = Utilities.GetReturnUrlValues(returnUrl);
            if (transformUrl.NullStatus)
            {
            return RedirectToAction(transformUrl.Action, transformUrl.Controller,
                    new { area = transformUrl.Area, id = transformUrl.Id });
            }
            return RedirectToAction("Action", "Controller", new { area = "Area", Id});


        //View
        var returnUrl = "Action/Controller/Area/" + @Model.Id;

Answer 3

In this case you could have your LogOn action take a returnUrl parameter and if it is not empty, instead of redirecting to Home/Index you could return Redirect(returnUrl);. Take a look at the default AccountController generated by VS when you create a new project. It does exactly that.

Answer 4

If the ReturnURL is null, make sure you are calling the action method from the view as follows:

// FormMethod.post is optional
@using (Html.BeginForm("Login", "Account", new { ReturnUrl = ViewBag.ReturnUrl }, FormMethod.Post))
{
    // login view html
}

Account controller:

[AllowAnonymous]
public ActionResult Login(string returnUrl)
{
    ViewBag.ReturnUrl = returnUrl;
    return View();
}