Hold a data object temporarily in MVC controller,MVC,MVC Controller temp storage

Question

I have a object that i want to store for a moment. The object is in a controller for now, the controller will generate a view. A AJAX request is made from the view to next controller. For that moment i need the object previously stored. Previously, i used session and it worked well. But not sure it is the right thing to do. Is session the answer for this or is there anything else?

I have used cache also.but as per the cache concept.It will access for all the users.So one user data will be override to another.So the cached object data will be change for the same user.I need to handle the data storage for an particular user(Independent).

How is it possible? anyother approach is there please share me.

In Controller I have used Httpcontext.cache["key"]=dataset;

but some one suggested like this.but its not displaying

Explain:

In Controller: httpcontext.current.cache is not coming.

HttpContext.Currenthandler and HttpContext.Currentnotification properties only coming.So How can we handle the temp data storage in MVC.

Please help me.

Answer 1

You could use TempData if you want to store data for the next request only. If data should be accessible between multiple requests, then use Session. Here is short explanation of each one with examples.

Answer 2

As Alex said you could use TempData but if you want to use the data in multiple request, you could use TempData.Keep("YourKey") after reading the value to retain the data for the next request too. For your Information TempData internally uses Session to store your data (temporarily)

Answer 3

I would recommend URL parameters for a HTTP Get, or hidden form fields for a HTTP Post, if this is short lived. This is highly about avoiding the session.

But if it should really persist, then a database might be a reasonable location. Imagine a shopping cart that you don't want to dump just because a session timed out; because you'd like to remind the user next time about items they still haven't purchased.

Why not use the session? I don't generally recommend using the session, as you could find yourself with a global variable that two different browser windows are manipulating. Imagine a glass. One window is trying to fill it with Ice Tea. Another window is trying to fill it with Lemonade. But what do you have? Is it Lemonade? Is it Ice Tea? Or is it an Arnold-Palmer? If you try to put too much stuff on the session, and overly expect it to just be there, you might create an application that is non-deterministic if heaven forbid a user opens a second window or tab, and switches back and forth between the windows.

I'm more ok with Temp Data, if you truly have no other options. But this is not for persisting data for more than a second. Temp data will disappear after the first request reads it, as in, it's meant for a very temporary usage.

I personally only use TempData if I have to do a redirect where I can't otherwise keep it with me, or if I need to have that data for say generating a PDF or image that is going to be called via a HTTP Get by a viewer on the actual page, and then only if the model data is too large for the GET url ( many browsers only support just over 2000 characters, which long description or many fields could fill up.)

But again, pushing items around in hidden form variables, or in url parameters can be safe, because you have no multiple window use conflicts (each carries around its own data for peace of mind.)