Generating an action URL in JavaScript for ASP.NET MVC - asp.net

Question

I'm trying to redirect to another page by calling an action in controller with a specific parameter. I'm trying to use this line:
window.open('<%= Url.Action("Report", "Survey",
new { id = ' + selectedRow + ' } ) %>');
But I couldn't make it work; it gives the following error:
CS1012: Too many characters in character literal.
Can't I generate the action URL this was on the client side? Or do I have to make an Ajax call by supplying the parameter and get back the needed URL? This doesn't seem right, but I want to if it's the only way.
Is there an easier solution?

Answer 1

Remember that everything between <% and %> is interpreted as C# code, so what you're actually doing is trying to evaluate the following line of C#:
Url.Action("Report", "Survey", new { id = ' + selectedRow + ' } )
C# thinks the single-quotes are surrounding a character literal, hence the error message you're getting (character literals can only contain a single character in C#)
Perhaps you could generate the URL once in your page script - somewhere in your page HEAD, do this:
var actionUrl =
'<%= Url.Action("Report", "Survey", new { id = "PLACEHOLDER" } ) %>';
That'll give you a Javascript string containing the URL you need, but with PLACEHOLDER instead of the number. Then set up your click handlers as:
window.open(actionUrl.replace('PLACEHOLDER', selectedRow));
i.e. when the handler runs, you find the PLACEHOLDER value in your pre-calculated URL, and replace it with the selected row.

Answer 2

I usually declare a javascript variable in the section to hold the root of my website.
<%="<script type=\"text/javascript\">var rootPath = '"
+ Url.Content("~/") + "';</script>" %>
To solve your problem I would simply do
window.open(rootPath + "report/survey/" + selectedRow);

Answer 3

Could you do
window.open('/report/survey/' + selectedRow);
instead where selected row I assume is the id? The routing should pick this up fine.
or use getJSON
Perhaps you could use JSONResult instead. Wherever the window.open should be call a method instead i.e. OpenSurveyWindow(id);
then add some jquery similar to below
function OpenSurveyWindow(id){
$.getJSON("/report/survey/" + id, null, function(data) {
window.open(data);
});
}
now in your controller
public JsonResult Survey(int id)
{
return Json(GetMyUrlMethod(id));
}
That code isnt syntactically perfect but something along those lines should work

Answer 4

Just if someone is still looking for this. The controller action can have normal parameters or a model object with these fields. MVC will bind the valus automatically.
var url = '#Url.Action("Action", "Controller")';
$.post(url, {
YearId: $("#YearId").val(),
LeaveTypeId: $("#LeaveTypeId").val()
}, function (data) {
//Do what u like with result
});

Answer 5

You wont be able to do this, the URL.Action is a server side process so will parse before the clientside selectedRow is available. Israfel has the answer I would suggest.

Answer 6

If selectedRow is a client-side variable, it won't work. You have to use #Israfel implementation to link. This is because the server-side runs before the client-side variable even exists.
If selectedRow is a server-side variable within the view, change to this:
window.open('<%= Url.Action("Report", "Survey", new { id = selectedRow } ) %>');
This is because the id will infer the selectedRow variable type, or you could convert to string with ToString() method (as long as it's not null).

Answer 7

A way to do this that might be considered cleaner involves using the T4MVC T4 templates. You could then write the JavaScript inside your view like this:
var reportUrl = '<%= Url.JavaScriptReplacableUrl(MVC.Survey.Report())%>';
reportUrl = myUrl.replace('{' + MVC.Survey.ReportParams.id + '}', selectedRow);
window.open(reportUrl);
The advantage of this is that you get compile-time checking for the controller, action, and action parameter.

Answer 8

One more thing that can be done, no so clean i guess:
var url = "#Url.RouteUrl(new { area = string.Empty, controller = "Survey", action = "Report" })";
var fullUrl = url + '?id=' + selectedRow;

Answer 9

The easiest way is to declare a javascript variable than concate your parameter value to the link.
var url = '#Url.Action("Action","Controller")' + "/" + yourjavascriptvariable;
<a href='" + url + "'>