ASP.NET MVC controller parameter optional (i.e Index(int? id))

Question

I have the following scenario: my website displays articles (inputted by an admin. like a blog).

So to view an article, the user is referred to Home/Articles/{articl

Answer 1

I don't know if you tried this, but instead if you are typing the value directly into the URL, then, instead of passing it like this:

controller/action/idValue

try passing it like this:

controller/action?id=value

Answer 2

First of all, I agree with @Steve :). But if you really want to use

int? id

you can just check in your controller method if the id is set using a simple

if(id == null)

and if so, load all articles from your DB (or something alike) and pass these to your view (either directly, or by using a view model). If the id is set you just load the article having that id from your DB and send that to the view (possibly in a list as well if you dont use view models)?

Than in your view just load all articles in the list with articles supplied to the view. Which contains either all or just one.

Complete dummy code

public ActionResult showArticles(int? id){
   List<Articles> aList;
   if(id == null){
       aList = repository.GetAllArticles().ToList();
   }else{
      aList = new List<Articles>(); 
      aList.add(repository.GetArticleByID(id));
   }

   return View(aList);
}

Your View has something like:

<% Page Title="" Language="C#" MasterPageFile="~/Views/Shared/Site.Master" 
Inherits="System.Web.Mvc.ViewPage<List<Articles>>"%>

foreach(Articles a in Model)
    //display article

And you call it using either of the next two options:

html.ActionLink("one article","showArticles","Articles",new {id = aID},null}

html.ActionLink("all articles","showArticles","Articles"}