[c#] Using ChildActionOnly in MVC

With [ChildActionOnly] attribute annotated, an action method can be called only as a child method from within a view. Here is an example for [ChildActionOnly]..

there are two action methods: Index() and MyDateTime() and corresponding Views: Index.cshtml and MyDateTime.cshtml. this is HomeController.cs

public class HomeController : Controller
 {
    public ActionResult Index()
    {
        ViewBag.Message = "This is from Index()";
        var model = DateTime.Now;
        return View(model);
    }

    [ChildActionOnly]
    public PartialViewResult MyDateTime()
    {
        ViewBag.Message = "This is from MyDateTime()";

        var model = DateTime.Now;
        return PartialView(model);
    } 
}

Here is the view for Index.cshtml.

@model DateTime
@{
    ViewBag.Title = "Index";
}
<h2>
    Index</h2>
<div>
    This is the index view for Home : @Model.ToLongTimeString()
</div>
<div>
    @Html.Action("MyDateTime")  // Calling the partial view: MyDateTime().
</div>

<div>
    @ViewBag.Message
</div>

Here is MyDateTime.cshtml partial view.

@model DateTime

<p>
This is the child action result: @Model.ToLongTimeString()
<br />
@ViewBag.Message
</p>

 if you run the application and do this request http://localhost:57803/home/mydatetime
 The result will be Server Error like so: 

This means you can not directly call the partial view. but it can be called via Index() view as in the Index.cshtml

     @Html.Action("MyDateTime")  // Calling the partial view: MyDateTime().
 

If you remove [ChildActionOnly] and do the same request http://localhost:57803/home/mydatetime it allows you to get the mydatetime partial view result:

This is the child action result. 12:53:31 PM 
This is from MyDateTime()