MVC SelectList not working

Question

``` List items = new List(); if (a) { SelectListItem deliveryItem = new SelectListItem() { Selected = a.selected, Text = "Delivery", Value = "1" }; items.Add(deliveryItem); } if (b) { SelectListItem pickupItem = new SelectListItem() { Selected = b.selected, Text = "Pickup", Value = "2" }; items.Add(pickupItem); } SelectList selectList = new SelectList(items); ViewData["OrderTypeList"] = selectList; ``` Then using it with ``` Html.DropDownList("OrderTypeList") ``` Renders ``` ``` Why it is not rendering options properly?

Accepted Answer

The constructor method you're calling when you do:

```
SelectList selectList = new SelectList(items);
```

Creates a set of SelectListItems that themselves point to SelectListItems (hence the weird option since it just calls ToString on the object). Instead set your list to the ViewData key directly

```
ViewData["OrderTypeList"] = items;
```

MVC SelectList not working

Solution

Problem