c# - MVC Enitity Framework DropDownListFor<> -

i have searched around site solution , whilst trying numerous methods cant seem working required, follow best mvc best practise creating droplists.

i have 3 models (i have cut them down purposes of this)

model 1 student

public int id {get;set;} public string name {get;set} public site siteid {get;set;} 

model 2 site

public int id {get;set;} public string sitename {get;set} 

model 3 vm

public int id {get;set} public student students {get;set;}  public datetime date  { { return datetime.now; } } public bool criteria {get;set;} 

in vm view using editorfor html helpers populate vm , student models. site model pre populated @ database seed.

i looking best way include dropdownlist of sites on vm view, map student model.

how correctly set models achieve this?

many in advance, rob

in short, want dropdownlistfor extension method , put list<site> view model.

here fiddle demonstrates case. fiddle has more details. nuts , bolts here:

viewmodel - add list<site>

public class myviewmodel {     public myviewmodel()     {         this.sites = new list<site>();     }      public int id { get; set;}     public student students { get; set; }      public datetime date  { { return datetime.now; } }     public bool criteria { get; set; }            public list<site> sites { get; set; } } 

view - use dropdownlistfor

@html.dropdownlistfor(m => m.sites,      new selectlist(model.sites, "id", "sitename")) 

in psuedo-code, above says

• the sites object in model contains properties display.
• create new selectlist using sites object in model. use id property data value , sitename property data text.
• create drop down list based on above info.

controller

this passes seeded view model view.

public actionresult index() {     var vm = seedfromdatabase();     return view(vm); }  private myviewmodel seedfromdatabase() {     var vm = new myviewmodel();     vm.sites.add(new site(0, "one"));     vm.sites.add(new site(1, "two"));     vm.sites.add(new site(2, "three"));     return vm; }