Implementing Custom Action Filters in MVC

Implementing Custom Action Filters in MVC 

Action filter is an attribute to an action in MVC. The action filters is used in the scenarios like if you want to run some specific logic before or after an action method runs . In order to achieve this kind of functionality we can use action filters. In other words action filter is attribute to an action that helps us to modify the way in which the action execute .

Types of Action filters

• OutPutCache - Caches the output of a controller action for a certain period of time.
• Handle Error - Handles the error raised when an controller action executes .
• Autherise - This enables to autherise to a particular user roles .
• Custome Filters - We can also create different custom filters so that our custom logic should run before /after the controller action executes .

How Can we user action filters in MVC ?

We can use action filters in MVC as Attributes . We can apply action filters mainly 2 types.

Apply for individual action with in a controller

public class HomeController : Controller

{

[OutputCache(Duration = 10)]

public string test()

{

return DateTime.Now.ToString();

}

}

or we can apply it for all actions in a controller.

[OutputCache(Duration = 10)]

public class HomeController : Controller

{

public string test()

{

return DateTime.Now.ToString();

}

}

ActionFilterAttribute Class

The MVC Framework included a base class called ActionFilterAttribute class in order to implement the custom action filters . The ActionFilterAttributeclass implemets both IActionFilter and IResultFilter and inherited from Filter Class . Basically when ever you are creating a custom action filter by inheriting ActionFilterAttribute class it is both Action filter and Result filter.

In ActionFilterAttribute Class we can override the following methods

• OnActionExecuting – Called before controller action is executed.
• OnActionExecuted  – Called after a controller action is executed.
• OnResultExecuting – Called before controller action result is executed.
• OnResultExecuted  – Called after a controller action result is executed .

I have created a Custom filter class and inherit the ActionFilterAttribute class

and called it as attribute in two controller action 'register' and 'forgotpassword'

My filter class looks like below

public class TestActionFilter : ActionFilterAttribute

{

public override void OnActionExecuting(ActionExecutingContext filterContext)

{

LogFilterSequence("OnActionExecuting", filterContext.RouteData);

}

public override void OnActionExecuted(ActionExecutedContext filterContext)

{

LogFilterSequence("OnActionExecuted", filterContext.RouteData);

}

public override void OnResultExecuting(ResultExecutingContext filterContext)

{

LogFilterSequence("OnResultExecuting", filterContext.RouteData);

}

public override void OnResultExecuted(ResultExecutedContext filterContext)

{

LogFilterSequence("OnResultExecuted", filterContext.RouteData);

}

private void LogFilterSequence(string methodName, RouteData routeData)

{

var controllerName = routeData.Values["controller"];

var actionName = routeData.Values["action"];

var message = String.Format("{0} controller:{1} action:{2}", methodName, controllerName, actionName);

Debug.WriteLine(message, "Custome Action filter sequence ");

}

}

I have called this filter attribute to my controller action

[TestActionFilter]

public ActionResult register()

{

return View();

}

[TestActionFilter]

public ActionResult ForgotPassword()

{

return View();

}

The result will be as below.

Custom Action filter sequence : OnActionExecuting controller:Home action:register

Custom Action filter sequence : OnActionExecuted controller:Home action:register

Custom Action filter sequence : OnResultExecuting controller:Home action:register

Custom Action filter sequence : OnResultExecuted controller:Home action:register

Custom Action filter sequence : OnActionExecuting controller:Home action:forgotpassword

Custom Action filter sequence : OnActionExecuted controller:Home action:forgotpassword

Custom Action filter sequence : OnResultExecuting controller:Home action:forgotpassword

Custom Action filter sequence : OnResultExecuted controller:Home action:forgotpassword