MVC, Saving Data into 2 or more Related models from a single Form / View .?

Question

My Model: (i) For Transaction

public class Transaction
{
    [Key]
    public int TransactionId { get; set; }

    public DateTime OnWardDate { get; set; }

    public DateTime ReturnDate { get; set; }

    public virtual UserProfile User { get; set; }


}

(ii) For User

public class UserProfile
{
    [Key]
    [DatabaseGeneratedAttribute(DatabaseGeneratedOption.Identity)]
    public int UserId { get; set; }

    public string UserName { get; set; }

    private UserDetails _details = new UserDetails();
    public virtual UserDetails details
    {
        get { return _details; }
    }
}

(ii) For UserDetails

 public class UserDetails
{
    [Key]
    public int DetailsId { get; set; }

    public string DLNum { get; set; }

}

My Controller for Create Transaction:

    // GET: /Transaction/Create

    public ActionResult Create()
    {
        return View();
    }

    //
    // POST: /Transaction/Create

    [HttpPost]
    [ValidateAntiForgeryToken]
    public ActionResult Create(Transaction transaction)
    {
        if (ModelState.IsValid)
        {
            db.Transactions.Add(transaction);
            db.SaveChanges();
            return RedirectToAction("Index");
        }

        return View(transaction);
    }

My View for Create transaction:

 <div class="editor-label">
        @Html.LabelFor(model => model.OnWardDate)
    </div>
    <div class="editor-field">
        @Html.EditorFor(model => model.OnWardDate)
        @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.OnWardDate)
    </div>
    <div class="editor-label">
        @Html.LabelFor(model => model.User.details.DLNum)
    </div>
    <div class="editor-field">
        @Html.EditorFor(model => model.User.details.DLNum)
        @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.User.details.DLNum)
    </div>

When I Submit the form... model.OnWardDate is getting saved but model.User.details.DLNum is not saving
I hv seen about ViewModel. Is that the only option to go with it? Thanks In Advance.

Answer 1

In your case, I would think it's because your setter is private for UserDetails:

public virtual UserDetails details
{
    get { return _details; }
}

If you're creating the tables based on those models and therefore can't afford to modify them, I would indeed advise to make a view model, post using that and then create / update the database entry accordingly.