Getting Started with ASP.NET MVC Query Builder Control

9 Dec 202417 minutes to read

This section briefly explains about how to include ASP.NET MVC Query Builder control in your ASP.NET MVC application using Visual Studio.

Prerequisites

System requirements for ASP.NET MVC controls

Create ASP.NET MVC application with HTML helper

Install ASP.NET MVC package in the application

To add ASP.NET MVC controls in the application, open the NuGet package manager in Visual Studio (Tools → NuGet Package Manager → Manage NuGet Packages for Solution), search for Syncfusion.EJ2.MVC5 and then install it.

Install-Package Syncfusion.EJ2.MVC5 -Version 28.1.33

NOTE

Syncfusion® ASP.NET MVC controls are available in nuget.org. Refer to NuGet packages topic to learn more about installing NuGet packages in various OS environments. The Syncfusion.EJ2.MVC5 NuGet package has dependencies, Newtonsoft.Json for JSON serialization and Syncfusion.Licensing for validating Syncfusion® license key.

Add namespace

Add Syncfusion.EJ2 namespace reference in Web.config under Views folder.

<namespaces>
    <add namespace="Syncfusion.EJ2"/>
</namespaces>

Add stylesheet and script resources

Here, the theme and script is referred using CDN inside the <head> of ~/Pages/Shared/_Layout.cshtml file as follows,

<head>
    ...
    <!-- Syncfusion ASP.NET MVC controls styles -->
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/28.1.33/fluent.css" />
    <!-- Syncfusion ASP.NET MVC controls scripts -->
    <script src="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/28.1.33/dist/ej2.min.js"></script>
</head>

NOTE

Checkout the Themes topic to learn different ways (CDN, NPM package, and CRG) to refer styles in ASP.NET MVC application, and to have the expected appearance for Syncfusion® ASP.NET MVC controls. Checkout the Adding Script Reference topic to learn different approaches for adding script references in your ASP.NET MVC application.

Register Syncfusion® script manager

Also, register the script manager EJS().ScriptManager() at the end of <body> in the ~/Pages/Shared/_Layout.cshtml file as follows.

<body>
...
    <!-- Syncfusion ASP.NET MVC Script Manager -->
    @Html.EJS().ScriptManager()
</body>

Add ASP.NET MVC Query Builder control

Now, add the Syncfusion® ASP.NET MVC Query Builder control in ~/Views/Home/Index.cshtml page.

@model List<QueryBuilderSample.Controllers.EmployeeView>

@Html.EJS().QueryBuilder("querybuilder").Width("72%").Columns(col =>
{
   col.Field("EmployeeID").Label("Employee ID").Type("number").Add();
   col.Field("FirstName").Label("First Name").Type("string").Add();
   col.Field("TitleOfCourtesy").Label("Title Of Courtesy").Type("boolean").Values(new List<string> { "Mr.", "Mrs." }).Add();
   col.Field("Title").Label("Title").Type("string").Add();
   col.Field("HireDate").Label("Hire Date").Type("date").Format("dd/MM/yyyy").Add();
   col.Field("Country").Label("Country").Type("string").Add();
   col.Field("City").Label("City").Type("string").Add();
}).DataSource(Model).Render()
public class HomeController : Controller
{
    public ActionResult Index()
    {
        return View(EmployeeView.GetAllRecords());
    }
}
public class EmployeeView
{
    public EmployeeView()
    {

    }
    public EmployeeView(int EmployeeID, string FirstName, string LastName, string Title, DateTime BirthDate, DateTime HireDate, int ReportsTo, string Address, string PostalCode, string Phone, string City, string Country)
    {
        this.EmployeeID = EmployeeID;
        this.FirstName = FirstName;
        this.LastName = LastName;
        this.Title = Title;
        this.BirthDate = BirthDate;
        this.HireDate = HireDate;
        this.ReportsTo = ReportsTo;
        this.Address = Address;
        this.PostalCode = PostalCode;
        this.Phone = Phone;
        this.City = City;
        this.Country = Country;

    }
    public int EmployeeID { get; set; }
    public string FirstName { get; set; }
    public string LastName { get; set; }
    public string Title { get; set; }
    public DateTime BirthDate { get; set; }
    public DateTime HireDate { get; set; }

    public int ReportsTo { get; set; }

    public string Address { get; set; }
    public string PostalCode { get; set; }
    public string Phone { get; set; }
    public string City { get; set; }
    public string Country { get; set; }
    public static List<EmployeeView> GetAllRecords()
    {
        List<EmployeeView> Emp = new List<EmployeeView>();
        Emp.Add(new EmployeeView(1, "Nancy", "Davolio", "Sales Representative", new DateTime(1948, 12, 08), new DateTime(1992, 05, 01), 2, "507 - 20th Ave. E.Apt. 2A ", " 98122", "(206) 555-9857 ", "Seattle ", "USA"));
        Emp.Add(new EmployeeView(2, "Andrew", "Fuller", "Vice President, Sales", new DateTime(1952, 02, 19), new DateTime(1992, 08, 14), 4, "908 W. Capital Way", "98401 ", "(206) 555-9482 ", "Kirkland ", "USA"));
        Emp.Add(new EmployeeView(3, "Janet", "Leverling", "Sales Representative", new DateTime(1963, 08, 30), new DateTime(1992, 04, 01), 3, " 4110 Old Redmond Rd.", "98052 ", "(206) 555-8122", "Redmond ", "USA "));
        Emp.Add(new EmployeeView(4, "Margaret", "Peacock", "Sales Representative", new DateTime(1937, 09, 19), new DateTime(1993, 05, 03), 6, "14 Garrett Hill ", "SW1 8JR ", "(71) 555-4848 ", "London ", "UK "));
        Emp.Add(new EmployeeView(5, "Steven", "Buchanan", "Sales Manager", new DateTime(1955, 03, 04), new DateTime(1993, 10, 17), 8, "Coventry HouseMiner Rd. ", "EC2 7JR ", " (206) 555-8122", "Tacoma ", " USA"));
        Emp.Add(new EmployeeView(6, "Michael", "Suyama", "Sales Representative", new DateTime(1963, 07, 02), new DateTime(1993, 10, 17), 2, " 7 Houndstooth Rd.", " WG2 7LT", "(71) 555-4444 ", "London ", "UK "));
        Emp.Add(new EmployeeView(7, "Robert", "King", "Sales Representative", new DateTime(1960, 05, 29), new DateTime(1994, 01, 02), 7, "Edgeham HollowWinchester Way ", "RG1 9SP ", "(71) 555-5598 ", "London ", " UK"));
        Emp.Add(new EmployeeView(8, "Laura", "Callahan", "Inside Sales Coordinator", new DateTime(1958, 01, 09), new DateTime(1994, 03, 05), 9, "722 Moss Bay Blvd. ", "98033 ", " (206) 555-3412", "Seattle ", "USA "));
        Emp.Add(new EmployeeView(9, "Anne", "Dodsworth", "Sales Representative", new DateTime(1966, 01, 27), new DateTime(1994, 11, 15), 5, "4726 - 11th Ave. N.E. ", "98105 ", "(71) 555-5598 ", " London", "UK "));
        return Emp;
    }
}

Press Ctrl+F5 (Windows) or ⌘+F5 (macOS) to run the app. Then, the Syncfusion® ASP.NET MVC Query Builder control will be rendered in the default web browser.

ASP.NET MVC Query Builder Control

Render with rule

The following example shows a basic Query Builder component with rule.

@Html.EJS().QueryBuilder("querybuilder").Width("72%").Columns(col =>
{
    col.Field("EmployeeID").Label("Employee ID").Type("number").Add();
    col.Field("FirstName").Label("First Name").Type("string").Add();
    col.Field("TitleOfCourtesy").Label("Title Of Courtesy").Type("boolean").Values(new List<string> { "Mr.", "Mrs." }).Add();
    col.Field("Title").Label("Title").Type("string").Add();
    col.Field("HireDate").Label("Hire Date").Type("date").Format("dd/MM/yyyy").Add();
    col.Field("Country").Label("Country").Type("string").Add();
    col.Field("City").Label("City").Type("string").Add();
}).DataSource(Model).Rule(ViewBag.rule).Render()
public class HomeController : Controller
{
    public ActionResult Index()
    {
        QueryBuilderRule rule = new QueryBuilderRule()
        {
            Condition = "and",
            Rules = new List<QueryBuilderRule>()
            {
                new QueryBuilderRule { Label="Employee ID", Field="EmployeeID", Type="number", Operator="equal", Value = 1 },
                new QueryBuilderRule { Label="Title", Field="Title", Type="string", Operator="equal", Value = "Sales Manager" }
            }
        };

        ViewBag.rule = rule;
        return View(EmployeeView.GetAllRecords());
    }
}
public class EmployeeView
{
    public EmployeeView()
    {

    }
    public EmployeeView(int EmployeeID, string FirstName, string LastName, string Title, DateTime BirthDate, DateTime HireDate, int ReportsTo, string Address, string PostalCode, string Phone, string City, string Country)
    {
        this.EmployeeID = EmployeeID;
        this.FirstName = FirstName;
        this.LastName = LastName;
        this.Title = Title;
        this.BirthDate = BirthDate;
        this.HireDate = HireDate;
        this.ReportsTo = ReportsTo;
        this.Address = Address;
        this.PostalCode = PostalCode;
        this.Phone = Phone;
        this.City = City;
        this.Country = Country;

    }
    public int EmployeeID { get; set; }
    public string FirstName { get; set; }
    public string LastName { get; set; }
    public string Title { get; set; }
    public DateTime BirthDate { get; set; }
    public DateTime HireDate { get; set; }

    public int ReportsTo { get; set; }

    public string Address { get; set; }
    public string PostalCode { get; set; }
    public string Phone { get; set; }
    public string City { get; set; }
    public string Country { get; set; }
    public static List<EmployeeView> GetAllRecords()
    {
        List<EmployeeView> Emp = new List<EmployeeView>();
        Emp.Add(new EmployeeView(1, "Nancy", "Davolio", "Sales Representative", new DateTime(1948, 12, 08), new DateTime(1992, 05, 01), 2, "507 - 20th Ave. E.Apt. 2A ", " 98122", "(206) 555-9857 ", "Seattle ", "USA"));
        Emp.Add(new EmployeeView(2, "Andrew", "Fuller", "Vice President, Sales", new DateTime(1952, 02, 19), new DateTime(1992, 08, 14), 4, "908 W. Capital Way", "98401 ", "(206) 555-9482 ", "Kirkland ", "USA"));
        Emp.Add(new EmployeeView(3, "Janet", "Leverling", "Sales Representative", new DateTime(1963, 08, 30), new DateTime(1992, 04, 01), 3, " 4110 Old Redmond Rd.", "98052 ", "(206) 555-8122", "Redmond ", "USA "));
        Emp.Add(new EmployeeView(4, "Margaret", "Peacock", "Sales Representative", new DateTime(1937, 09, 19), new DateTime(1993, 05, 03), 6, "14 Garrett Hill ", "SW1 8JR ", "(71) 555-4848 ", "London ", "UK "));
        Emp.Add(new EmployeeView(5, "Steven", "Buchanan", "Sales Manager", new DateTime(1955, 03, 04), new DateTime(1993, 10, 17), 8, "Coventry HouseMiner Rd. ", "EC2 7JR ", " (206) 555-8122", "Tacoma ", " USA"));
        Emp.Add(new EmployeeView(6, "Michael", "Suyama", "Sales Representative", new DateTime(1963, 07, 02), new DateTime(1993, 10, 17), 2, " 7 Houndstooth Rd.", " WG2 7LT", "(71) 555-4444 ", "London ", "UK "));
        Emp.Add(new EmployeeView(7, "Robert", "King", "Sales Representative", new DateTime(1960, 05, 29), new DateTime(1994, 01, 02), 7, "Edgeham HollowWinchester Way ", "RG1 9SP ", "(71) 555-5598 ", "London ", " UK"));
        Emp.Add(new EmployeeView(8, "Laura", "Callahan", "Inside Sales Coordinator", new DateTime(1958, 01, 09), new DateTime(1994, 03, 05), 9, "722 Moss Bay Blvd. ", "98033 ", " (206) 555-3412", "Seattle ", "USA "));
        Emp.Add(new EmployeeView(9, "Anne", "Dodsworth", "Sales Representative", new DateTime(1966, 01, 27), new DateTime(1994, 11, 15), 5, "4726 - 11th Ave. N.E. ", "98105 ", "(71) 555-5598 ", " London", "UK "));
        return Emp;
    }
}

ASP.NET MVC Query Builder with Rule

NOTE

View Sample in GitHub.