I want to use custom action filter to manipulate parameters to one action.

User inputs: 2 names in a form ;

Action: actually needs to take 2 ids;

Action Filter (onExecuting, will verify the input names and if valid, convert them into 2 ids and replace in the routedata)

because i don't want to put validation logic in Action Controller.

here's part of the code:

1. Routing Info

   routes.MapRoute( "Default", // Route name "{controller}/{action}", // URL with parameters new { controller = "Home", action = "Index"} // Parameter defaults );

   routes.MapRoute( "RelationshipResults", // Route Name "Relationship/{initPersonID}/{targetPersonID}", // URL with parameters new { controller = "Relationship", action = "Results" });

2. Form to submit (Create 2 input box and submit via jquery)

   <% using (Html.BeginForm("Results", "Relationship", FormMethod.Post, new { id = "formSearch" })) {%>
   ...

       <td align="left"><%: MvcWeibookWeb.Properties.Resource.Home_InitPersonName%></td>
       <td align="right"> <%= Html.TextBox("initPersonName")%></td>
       <td rowspan="3" valign="top">
           <div id="sinaIntro">
           <%: MvcWeibookWeb.Properties.Resource.Home_SinaIntro %>
           <br />
           <%: MvcWeibookWeb.Properties.Resource.Genearl_PromotionSina %>
           </div>
       </td>
   </tr>
   <tr>
       <td align="left" width="90px"><%: MvcWeibookWeb.Properties.Resource.Home_TargetPersonName%></td>
       <td align="right"><%= Html.TextBox("targetPersonName")%></td>
   </tr>
   <tr>
       <td colspan="2" align="right">
           <a href="#" class="btn-HomeSearch" onclick="$('#formSearch').submit();"><%: MvcWeibookWeb.Properties.Resource.Home_Search%></a>
       </td>
   

3. Action Filter

   public override void OnActionExecuting(ActionExecutingContext filterContext)
   {
       Sina.Searcher searcher = new Sina.Searcher(Sina.Processor.UserNetwork);
       String initPersonName, targetPersonName;
   
   
   // form submit names, we need to process them and convert them to IDs before it enters the real controller.
   initPersonName = filterContext.RouteData.Values["initPersonName"] as String;
   targetPersonName = filterContext.RouteData.Values["targetPersonName"] as String;
   
   
   // do sth to convert it to ids and replace
   

4. Action/Controller

   [ValidationActionFilter] [HandleError] public ActionResult Results( Int64 initPersonName, Int64 targetPersonName) { ...

My problem is: in the actionFilter, it never gets the 2 parameter "initPersonName" and "targetPersonName", the RouteData.Values don't contain these 2 keys...

:(