.NET MVC -- Use a class as the model?

Question

In my MVC app, several view models are going to pretty much identical. Rather than replicate the model each time, I'm thinking I could just create a class instead. What I'm not sure about then is how to include that class in each model.

For example, let's say one my models would look like this:

public class AccountProfileViewModel
{
    public string FirstName { get; set; }
    public string Lastname { get; set; }
    public AccountProfileViewModel() { }
}

But I know that FirstName and LastName are going to be used extensively across many models. So, I create a class library with AccountProfile in it:

namespace foobar.classes
{
    public class AccountProfile
    {
        public string FirstName { get; set; }
        public string Lastname { get; set; }
    }
}

Back in the model, how would I include the class, so that FirstName and LastName are in the model, but not created specifically?

Answer 1

Create a Base class and then using inheritance, you have access to those common properties.

public class AccountProfile
    {
        public string FirstName { get; set; }
        public string Lastname { get; set; }
    }

public class OtherClass : AccountProfile 
    {
        //here you have access to FirstName and Lastname by inheritance
        public string Property1 { get; set; }
        public string Property2 { get; set; }
    }