[asp.net-mvc] Html.DropDownList - Disabled/Readonly

What option do I need to set to make a drop down box readonly when using MVCs Html.DropDownList?

I've tried things like....

Html.DropDownList("Types", Model.Types, new { _Enabled = "false" })

...and many different things along this line; alas no joy!

I thought this would be an easy.....and it probably is!

You could use this approach

Disabling all the options except the selected one:

<select>
    <option disabled>1</option>
    <option disabled>2</option>
    <option selected>3</option>
</select>

This way the dropdown still submits, but the user can not select another value.

With jQuery

<script>
    $(document).ready(function () {
        $('#yourSelectId option:not(:selected)').prop("disabled", true);
    });
</script>

A tip that may be obvious to some but not others..

If you're using the HTML Helper based on DropDownListFor then your ID will be duplicated in the HiddenFor input. Therefore, you'll have duplicate IDs which is invalid in HTML and if you're using javascript to populate the HiddenFor and DropDownList then you'll have a problem.

The solution is to manually set the ID property in the htmlattributes array...

@Html.HiddenFor(model => model.Entity)

@Html.EnumDropDownListFor(
  model => model.Entity, 
  new { 
         @class = "form-control sharp", 
         onchange = "", 
         id =` "EntityDD", 
         disabled = "disabled" 
       }
)

@Html.DropDownList("Types", Model.Types, new { @disabled = "" })

Works

Html.DropDownList("Types", Model.Types, new { @disabled = "disabled" }) @Html.Hidden(Model.Types) and for save and recover the data, use a hidden control

I've create this answer after referring above all comments & answers. This will resolve the dropdown population error even it get disabled.

Step 01

Html.DropDownList("Types", Model.Types, new {@readonly="readonly"})

Step 02 This is css pointerevent remove code.

<style type="text/css">_x000D_
    #Types {_x000D_
        pointer-events:none;_x000D_
    }_x000D_
</style>

Tested & Proven

For completeness here is the HTML Helper for DropDownListFor that adds enabled parameter, when false select is disabled. It keeps html attributes defined in markup, or it enables usage of html attributes in markup, it posts select value to server and usage is very clean and simple.

Here is the code for helper:

public static MvcHtmlString DropDownListFor<TModel, TProperty>(this HtmlHelper<TModel> html, Expression<Func<TModel, TProperty>> expression, IEnumerable<SelectListItem> selectList, object htmlAttributes, bool enabled)
{
  if (enabled)
  {
    return SelectExtensions.DropDownListFor<TModel, TProperty>(html, expression, selectList, htmlAttributes);
  }

  var htmlAttributesAsDict = HtmlHelper.AnonymousObjectToHtmlAttributes(htmlAttributes);
  htmlAttributesAsDict.Add("disabled", "disabled");
  string selectClientId = html.ViewContext.ViewData.TemplateInfo.GetFullHtmlFieldId(ExpressionHelper.GetExpressionText(expression));
  htmlAttributesAsDict.Add("id", selectClientId + "_disabled");

  var hiddenFieldMarkup = html.HiddenFor<TModel, TProperty>(expression);
  var selectMarkup = SelectExtensions.DropDownListFor<TModel, TProperty>(html, expression, selectList, htmlAttributesAsDict);
  return MvcHtmlString.Create(selectMarkup.ToString() + Environment.NewLine + hiddenFieldMarkup.ToString());
}

and usage, goal is to disable select if there is just one item in options, markup:

@Html.DropDownListFor(m => m.SomeValue, Model.SomeList, new { @class = "some-class" }, Model.SomeList > 1)

And there is one even more elegant HTML Helper example, no post support for now (pretty straight forward job, just use HAP and add hidden input as root element sibling and swap id's):

public static MvcHtmlString Disable(this MvcHtmlString previous, bool disabled, bool disableChildren = false)
{
  if (disabled)
  {
    var canBeDisabled = new HashSet<string> { "button", "command", "fieldset", "input", "keygen", "optgroup", "option", "select", "textarea" };
    var doc = new HtmlDocument();
    doc.LoadHtml(previous.ToString());
    var rootElements = doc.DocumentNode.Descendants().Where(
      hn => hn.NodeType == HtmlNodeType.Element && 
      canBeDisabled.Contains(hn.Name.ToLower()) && 
      (disableChildren || hn.ParentNode.NodeType == HtmlNodeType.Document));

    foreach (var element in rootElements)
    {
      element.SetAttributeValue("disabled", "");
    }
    string html = doc.DocumentNode.OuterHtml;
    return MvcHtmlString.Create(html);
  }
  return previous;
}

For example there is a model property bool AllInputsDisabled, when true all html inputs should be disabled:

@Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.Address, new { placeholder = "Enter address" }).Disable(Model.AllInputsDisabled)

@Html.DropDownListFor(m => m.DoYou, Model.YesNoList).Disable(Model.AllInputsDisabled)

<script type="text/javascript">
$(function () {
        $(document) .ajaxStart(function () {
                $("#dropdownID").attr("disabled", "disabled");
            })
            .ajaxStop(function () {
                $("#dropdownID").removeAttr("disabled");

            });

});
</script>

try with @disabled and jquery, in that way you can get the value on the Controller.

Html.DropDownList("Types", Model.Types, new {@class = "your_class disabled", @disabled= "disabled" })

Add a class called "disabled" so you can enabled by searching that class(in case of multiples disabled fields), then you can use a "setTimeout" in case of not entering controller by validation attributes

<script>

  function clickSubmit() {
    $("select.disabled").attr("disabled", false);
    setTimeout(function () {
        $("select.disabled").attr("disabled", true);
    }, 500);
  }
</script>

submit button like this.

 <button type="submit" value="Submit" onclick="clickSubmit();">Save</button>

in case of inputs, just use @readonly="readonly"

@Html.TextBoxFor("Types",Model.Types, new { @class = "form-control", @readonly= "readonly" })

I had to disable the dropdownlist and hide the primary ID

<div class="form-group">
        @Html.LabelFor(model => model.OBJ_ID, "Objs", htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
        <div class="col-md-10">
            @Html.DropDownList("OBJ_ID", null, htmlAttributes: new { @class = "form-control", @disabled = "disabled"})
            @Html.HiddenFor(m => m.OBJ_ID)
            @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.OBJ_ID, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
        </div>
    </div>

Or you can try something like this:

Html.DropDownList("Types", Model.Types, new { @readonly = "true" })

Put this in style

 select[readonly] option, select[readonly] optgroup {
        display: none;
    }

I just do this and call it a day

Model.Id > -1 ? Html.EnumDropDownListFor(m => m.Property, new { disabled = "disabled" }) : Html.EnumDropDownListFor(m => m.Property)

Regarding the catch 22:

If we use @disabled, the field is not sent to the action (Mamoud) And if we use @readonly, the drop down bug still lets you change the value

Workaround: use @disabled, and add the field hidden after the drop down:

@Html.HiddenFor(model => model.xxxxxxxx)

Then it is truly disabled, and sent to the to the action too.