ASP.NET MVC - Object reference not set to an instance of an object in DropDownList - asp.net-mvc-4

Question

I have a model Class
public partial class FEES
{
public FEES()
{
}
public long FEE_ID { get; set; }
public decimal AMOUNT { get; set; }
public int CURRENCY_ID { get; set; }
public string NAME { get; set; }
public virtual CURRENCIES CURRENCIES { get; set; }
}
ViewModel
public class FeesViewModel
{
public SelectList CurrenciesList { get; set; }
public FeesViewModelInput input { get; set; }
public class FeesViewModelInput
{
[HiddenInput]
public long FEE_ID { get; set; }
[Display(Name = "Amount")]
[Required(ErrorMessage = "Fee Amount Is Required!")]
[RegularExpression(#"^[0-9,.]+$", ErrorMessage = "Please enter proper currency format e.g. 2,500")]
public decimal AMOUNT { get; set; }
[Display(Name = "Currency")]
[Required(ErrorMessage = "Currency Is Required!")]
public int CURRENCY_ID { get; set; }
[Required(ErrorMessage = "Fee Name Is Required!")]
[Display(Name = "Fee Name")]
public string NAME { get; set; }
}
}
Small service for the ViewModel
public void createFees(FEES fee, FeesViewModel viewModel)
{
fee.FEE_ID = viewModel.input.FEE_ID;
fee.CURRENCY_ID = viewModel.input.CURRENCY_ID;
fee.NAME = viewModel.input.NAME.Trim();
}
I call the service and the ViewModel in my controller.
Controller
public ActionResult Create()
{
FeesViewModel fees = new FeesViewModel();
fees.CurrenciesList = new SelectList(_currenciesService.GetCurrencies().Where(c => c.ACTION_STATUS != 2), "CURRENCY_ID", "CURRENCY_NAME");
fees.FeeTypesList = new SelectList(_feetypesService.GetFeeTypes().Where(c => c.ACTION_STATUS != 2), "FEE_TYPE_ID", "FEE_TYPE_NAME");
return View();
}
[HttpPost]
public ActionResult Create(FeesViewModel fees)
{
try
{
if (ModelState.IsValid)
{
//check if values is duplicate
if (_feesService.GetFees().Where(c => c.ACTION_STATUS != 2).Any(c => c.NAME.ToLower().Trim() == fees.input.NAME.ToLower().Trim()))
{
this.AddNotification("Fee Name already exist.<br/> Kindly verify the data.", NotificationType.ERROR);
}
else
{
var fee = new BPP.CCSP.Admin.Web.BPPCCSPAdminFeesService.FEES();
var helper = new FeesService();
helper.createFees(fee, fees);
_feesService.AddFee(fee);
var notif = new UINotificationViewModel()
{
notif_message = "Record saved successfully",
notif_type = NotificationType.SUCCESS,
};
TempData["notif"] = notif;
return RedirectToAction("Index");
}
}
}
catch (Exception e)
{
this.AddNotification("Fees cannot be added.<br/> Kindly verify the data.", NotificationType.ERROR);
}
fees.CurrenciesList = new SelectList(_currenciesService.GetCurrencies().Where(c => c.ACTION_STATUS != 2), "CURRENCY_ID", "CURRENCY_NAME");
return View(fees);
}
And the View
#model BPP.CCSP.Admin.Web.ViewModels.FeesViewModel
#{
//ViewBag.Title = "Create";
}
<div class=" box box-body box-primary">
#using (Html.BeginForm("Create", "Fees", FormMethod.Post, new { #class = "form-horizontal", #enctype = "multipart/form-data" }))
{
#Html.AntiForgeryToken()
<div class="form-horizontal">
#Html.ValidationSummary(true, null, new { #class = "text-danger" })
#*#Html.HiddenFor(model => model.faculty_activation_date, new { #Value = System.DateTime.Now })*#
<div class="row .col">
<div style="margin-top:20px" class="mainbox col-md-12 col-md-offset-0 col-sm-8 col-sm-offset-2">
<div class="panel panel-info">
<div class="panel-heading">
<div class="panel-title">Create Fee</div>
</div>
<div class="panel-body">
<div class="col-md-6">
<div>
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.input.NAME, "Fee Name")
#Html.TextBoxFor(model => model.input.NAME, new { #style = "border-radius:3px;", #type = "text", #class = "form-control", #placeholder = Html.DisplayNameFor(m => m.input.NAME), #autocomplete = "on" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.input.NAME, null, new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
<div>
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.input.AMOUNT, "Amount")
#Html.TextBoxFor(model => model.input.AMOUNT, new { #style = "border-radius:3px;", #type = "text", #class = "form-control", #placeholder = Html.DisplayNameFor(m => m.input.AMOUNT), #autocomplete = "on" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.input.AMOUNT, null, new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
</div>
<div class="col-md-6">
<div>
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.input.CURRENCY_ID, "Currency")
#*#Html.DropDownList("CURRENCY_ID", (IEnumerable<SelectListItem>)ViewBag.name, "Please Select a Currency", new { #class = "form-control", #style = "border-radius:3px;" })*#
#Html.DropDownListFor(x => x.input.CURRENCY_ID, Model.CurrenciesList, "Please Select a Currency", new { #class = "form-control", #style = "border-radius:3px;" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.input.CURRENCY_ID, null, new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
<div>
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.input.FEE_TYPE_ID, "Fee Type")
#Html.DropDownListFor(model => model.input.FEE_TYPE_ID, Model.FeeTypesList, "Please Select a Fee Type", new { #class = "form-control", #style = "border-radius:3px;" })
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.input.FEE_TYPE_ID, null, new { #class = "text-danger" })
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="panel-footer">
<div class="panel-title">
<div class="form-actions no-color">
<input type="submit" value="Create" class="btn btn-success" />
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
}
</div>
}
When I clicked on the View (Create), I got this error
The CurrencyID is a DropDownList coming from CURRENCIES model class.
I have these questions:
Why am I getting this error and how do I resolve it.
How do I do ViewModel without mapping.?

Answer 1

Why am I getting this error and how do I resolve it.
Because the Model is not set in your view. It is null.
When the users visit the Create page, you need to make sure to present them with options in the dropdown. Therefore, you need to make sure you pass the model into the view during GET.
public ActionResult Create()
{
// your code and pass fees to your view.
return View(fees);
}
How do I do ViewModel without mapping. Any example please.
You can use AutoMapper NuGet package to do the mapping.