MVC, Single Result, and PartialViews

Let's say you have a controller that looks like this


public ActionResult Index(IPrincipal principal, int? pageNumber)

{
   return View(GetData(principle, pageNumber));
}

where the result contains

result.Vegies where these are List<{ string Label, string Value }>

result.Proteins where these are List<{ string Name, string Value }>

at the Index.cshtml, you can do this.

<table style="width: 800px; width: auto ">
<tr>
<td style="width: 240px;">@Html.Partial("VegieView")<td>
<td style="width: 560px">@Html.Partial("ProteinView")<td>
<tr>
<table>


at the ../Shared/VegieView.cshtml you can do
@{ var oVegies = Model.Vegies as IEnumerable<Vegies>; }
@foreach (var x in oVegies )
{
    foreach (var y in x.Vegies)
    { 
        <div>@Html.DisplayFor(j=> y.Label)<div>
    }
}


at the ../Shared/ProteinView.cshtml you can do
@{     var oProteins = Model.Proteins as IEnumerable<Proteins>; }
@foreach (var x in oProteins)
{
    foreach (var y in x.Proteins)
    { 
        <div>@Html.DisplayFor(j=> y.Name)<div>
    }
}
So, a single controller call can update all shared view models..  
:-)  neat!
I know, you are welcome.

Sorting and Filtering Data Set with JavaScript and jQuery.

When working with potentially large corporate data sets, filtering and sorting should be done at the back end with ajax call.  Even though, filtering and sorting can be done cleverly by JavaScript, potential for downloading large data set and problems with the IE8 JavaScript error (O^2) can catch up with you.  I don't recommend joining, merging, and other sql-like operations with JavaScript.  Most sorting and Filtering requires at minimum O^2.  


Also, when building a grid that reads any data set, the endpoint should always have paging related parameters like PageNumber, PageSize, and few others.  The only part of the data set that's relevant to the current display should be retrieved.  Data joining should not be done at the web UI level.

$.ajax({
    type: "POST",
    url: "http://localhost:5000/Search/GetData",
    data: JSONData, 
}).done(function (msg) {
    alert("Data Saved: " + msg);
});

For the JSONData, you could build out a string that matches with the class signature, DataContract

public class SearchResult
{
    public JsonResult data { get; set; }
    public int PageNumber { get; set; }
    public int PageSize { get; set; }
    public int PageCount { get; set; }
    public int DataCount { get; set; }
}

public class SearchPackage
{
    public SearchItem[] Items { get; set; }
    public int PageNumber { get; set; }
    public int PageSize { get; set; }        
}

 public class SearchItem
 {
     public string FieldName { get; set; }
     public string Value { get; set; }
     public SortDirection SortDirection { get; set; }
 }

var JSONData = { "SearchItem": [
{ "fieldName": "LastName", "value": "Smith", "sortDirection": "SortDirection.ASC" },
{ "fieldName": "FirstName", "value": "John", "sortDirection": "SortDirection.DESC"}]};

If you are passing an url value for the data, you can do

url: "http://localhost:5000/Search/GetData?fieldNames=LastName&fieldNames=FirstName&values=Smith&values=John&sortDirections=SortDirection.ASC&sortDirections=SortDirection.Desc";


[HttpPost]
public JsonDataResult GetData(List<string> fieldNames, List<string> values, List<int> sortDirections)
{
     using (var proxy = searchFactory.CreateChannel())
    {
       SearchResult oSearchResult = SearchFactory.GetRequestPackage(Transform(fieldNames, values, sortDirections));
       return Json(oSearchResult );
    }
}




Since there are two parameters called the fieldNames, such parameters is like passing a List fieldName.

Triggering Associated Event

You can trigger an event of a HTMLElement calling the onclick event of the element.

Let's say, you have <div><ul><li><dl><dd parent="MotorCycle">Honda VFR1200Fdd>dl>li>ul>div>

Then you can do

<div onclick="triggerFilterEvent(this)">Honda VFR1200Fdiv>

The reason you do is so that you don't have duplicated method calls.  The parameters allow you to traverse through its DOM tree.  

function triggerFilterEvent(object1) {

    var category = $(object1).attr("parent");
    var value = $(object1).text();

    var root = $("div");
    var dls = $(root).find("ul li dl");
    var dds = $(dls).find("dd[parent='" + category + "']");
    for (var x = 0; x < $(dds).length; x++) {
        var dd = $(dds)[x];
        if (dd.innerText === value) {
            $(dd).click();
        }
    }
}


you could do var dd =$("div ul li dl dd[parent='"+category +"']").click(); but on IE version < 9, the code would encounter problems.
You also note that I did the for loop instead of the jQuery.each().

Ajax Call using Asp.net MVC Controller

I used to make a ajax call to .svc file.

ASP.Net, Ajax, Restful call.
The following example is a C# restful class makes the rest call possible and the JavaScript code that calls the AjaxDataService.svc end point.

C#

[ServiceContract]
public interface ITestService
{
    [OperationContract]
    [WebGet(ResponseFormat = WebMessageFormat.Json, UriTemplate = "GetJsonData/{param}")]
    string GetJsonData(string text);
}
[ServiceBehavior(Name = "WCFHost.AjaxDataService",
    Namespace = "http://localhost:2469/", 
    InstanceContextMode = InstanceContextMode.PerCall, 
    ConcurrencyMode = ConcurrencyMode.Multiple),
    AspNetCompatibilityRequirements(RequirementsMode = AspNetCompatibilityRequirementsMode.Allowed)]    
public class TestService : ITestService
{
    public string GetJsonData(string param)
    {
        return GetData2(param);
    }

}

JavaScript

function AjaxGrid(id) {

    this.GetJsonData = function (object1, param) {
        var statusNode = $(".Status");
        jQuery.ajax({
            url: "WCFHost/AjaxDataService.svc/GetJsonData?param=" + param,
            type: "POST", dataType: "json", async: true,
            beforeSend: function () { statusNode.text("Do Something on Before"); },
            success: function (xhr) { statusNode.text("Do Something on Success"); },
            complete: function () { statusNode.text("Do Something on Complete"); },
            error: function () { statusNode.text("Do Something on No Way!"); }
        });
    }

}

However, with asp.net MVC, you can make calls directly to specified controller.  

in a AwesomeController.cs

public class SearchController : Controller
{

   [HttpPost]
   public JsonResult GetJsonData(string param)
   {
       return Json(GetData2(param));
   }
}
JavaScript
function AjaxGrid(id) {
    this.GetJsonData = function (object1, param) {
        var statusNode = $(".Status");
        jQuery.ajax({
            url: "AwesomeController/GetJsonData?param=" + param,
            type: "POST", dataType: "json", async: true,
            beforeSend: function () { statusNode.text("Do Something on Before"); },
            success: function (xhr) { statusNode.text("Do Something on Success"); },
            complete: function () { statusNode.text("Do Something on Complete"); },
            error: function () { statusNode.text("Do Something on No Way!"); }
        });
    }

}

linq js

In JavaScript (even with other framework library), there may not be some very easy dot notation way to filter data.

You often have to go through the whole collection then to push values into another array object to collect the values that you want, filtering. 

Data Structure

[ FieldName : string, Filters :  [ IsSelected : boolean, Value : variant  ] ]

Typical JavaScript Filtering Pattern

var data = fetchData(); // gets the ajax data in Json array

var filteredData = new Array(); // where new filtered 

var filterListLimit = getFilteredListLimit(); // number of times which the category changes

/// this is O(n^2) ~= f(x) = O * nO 

for (var q = 0; q < data.length; q++) {

var oX = data[q]; // for convenience

var includeCounter = 0;

for (var f = 0; f < FilterList.length; f++) {

if (oX[FilterList[f][0]] == FilterList[f][1]) {

includeCounter++;

}

}

if (includeCounter == filterListLimit) {

filteredData.push(oX);

}

}

In C#, you can do 

var filteredData =( from p in data

where p.key == 5

select new {

   Brand = p.Brand,

   Name = p.Name,

   Year = new DateTime(p.Date).Year

}).Distinct();

with linq.js, you can do

var filteredData = Enumerable.From(data)

.Where(function(x) { return ( x.key == 5 ) })

.Select("o=> { Brand : o.Brand, Name : o.Name, Year : o.Year "}).Distinct().ToArray();

Neat ... :-)

There are more examples and a file at the below link.

http://linqjs.codeplex.com/ 

jquery.each inefficient

I have discovered that the jQuery.each() call is inefficient.

jQuery.each() maybe f(x) > n; where f(x) maybe n^i or xn.  i > 1.

I recommend using the for loop instead.

Selenium

SampleTest1
open	/	http://localhost:5000
waitForPageToLoad
select	id=pageList	label=2
verifyText	//div[@id='workQueue']/table/tr[1]/td[2]	some text value
click	//div[@id='Filter']/ul/li[@id='BTU']/dl/dd[3]
verifyText	//div[@id='workQueue']/table/tr[1]/td[2]	some text value
select	id=pageList	1
click	//div[@id='Filter']/ul/li[@id='BTU']/dl/dd[3]
select	id=sortList	Applicant Name
verifyText	//div[@id='workQueue']/table/tr[1]/td[2]	some text value
select	id=pageList	5
click	//div[@class='queues']/ul/li[3]/a

download site: http://seleniumhq.org/download/ 

documentation: http://seleniumhq.org/docs/index.html 

Mac OS Mouse Scroll Reverse

If you have a mac, and you are using a non-Mac mouse, you are experiencing backward mouse scroll action, aka natural scrolling.. (stupid).

In order for the mouse scrolling to work like way it always worked is to open the terminal and type in


defaults write ~/Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences com.apple.swipescrolldirection -bool false


you then either have to log out or restart.

bam!

Acer declines in Q2 2011

I am not surprised by the report that Acer is now the #4 PC Maker.

Acer just didn't drop to No. 4 from No 3 but its PC shipments has decreased while other top 5 makers increased their shipments.  There are reasons why Acer has fallen.

Their PCs aren't very exciting.  They turned Gateway to Packard Bell of today where none of the Gateway's machines are exciting and highly featured.   Their notebooks are nothing compared to Dell's or HP's. Their FX series matches low end Alienware's effort.

Acer's laptops, tablets, and PCs are just not that exciting either.  Their tablet is really waste of money when you can buy iPad, Samsung Galaxy, or Sony Tablet S.

I like what ASUS, Dell, HP, and Apple are doing, not Acer.  I really want to like what Acer is doing but can't.

source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/233033/technology/lenovo-topples-acer-as-worlds-3rd-largest-pc-vendor
Gateway: http://us.gateway.com/gw/en/US/content/models/fx-series
Acer: http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/home

RevoDrive X2 Performance