ASP.NET MVC 2 in Action

Chapter 14. Model binders and value providers

This chapter covers

• Examining model binding
• Creating a custom model binder
• Extending value providers

The messaging protocol of the web, HTTP, is decidedly string-centric. Query-string and form values in Web Forms and even classic ASP applications were represented as loosely typed key-value string dictionaries. But with the simplicity of controllers and actions came the ability to treat requests as method calls, and to post variables as parameters to a method. To keep the dictionary abstractions at bay, we need a mechanism to translate string-based input into strongly typed objects.

In this chapter, we’ll examine the abstractions ASP.NET MVC uses to translate request variables into action parameters ...