Building a Dynamic FAQ Section in ASP.NET Core MVC

Introduction: Creating a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section is a common requirement for many websites. In this article, we'll walk through the process of building a dynamic FAQ section in an ASP.NET Core MVC application. We'll utilize the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture pattern to separate concerns and improve maintainability.

Prerequisites: Before we begin, ensure you have the following prerequisites installed:

• Visual Studio with ASP.NET Core workload

• Basic understanding of C# and ASP.NET Core MVC

Step 1: Setting Up the Project: Start by creating a new ASP.NET Core MVC project in Visual Studio. Choose the appropriate project template and configure the project settings according to your requirements.

Step 2: Creating the Model: We'll begin by defining the Faq model class. This class will represent each FAQ item and contain properties such as Number, Question, and Answer.

public class Faq
{
    public int Number { get; set; }
    public string Question { get; set; }
    public string Answer { get; set; }
}

Step 3: Implementing the Service: Next, we'll create a service class (FaqService) responsible for providing the list of FAQ items. This separation of concerns enhances code organization and maintainability.

public static class FaqService
{
    public static List<Faq> GetFaqList()
    {
        // Implement logic to fetch FAQ items from data source (e.g., database)
        // For demonstration purposes, we'll hardcode the FAQ items
        List<Faq> faqList = new List<Faq>();
        // Add FAQ items to the list
        // Example:
        // faqList.Add(new Faq { Number = 1, Question = "Question 1", Answer = "Answer 1" });
        // faqList.Add(new Faq { Number = 2, Question = "Question 2", Answer = "Answer 2" });
        // ...
        return faqList;
    }
}

Step 4: Implementing the Controller: In the controller (HomeController), retrieve the list of FAQ items from the service and pass them to the view.

public class HomeController : Controller
{
    public IActionResult Index()
    {
        List<Faq> faqData = FaqService.GetFaqList();
        return View(faqData);
    }
}

Step 5: Creating the View: Finally, create the view (Index.cshtml) to render the FAQ items dynamically using Razor syntax.

@model List<Faq>
<div class="accordion" id="accordionPanelsStayOpenExample">
    @foreach (var faq in Model)
    {
        <div class="accordion-item">
            <h2 class="accordion-header" id="panelsStayOpen-heading@(faq.Number)">
                <button class="accordion-button" type="button" data-bs-toggle="collapse" data-bs-target="#panelsStayOpen-collapse@(faq.Number)" aria-expanded="true" aria-controls="panelsStayOpen-collapse@(faq.Number)">
                    @faq.Question
                </button>
            </h2>
            <div id="panelsStayOpen-collapse@(faq.Number)" class="accordion-collapse collapse show" aria-labelledby="panelsStayOpen-heading@(faq.Number)">
                <div class="accordion-body">
                    @Html.Raw(faq.Answer)
                </div>
            </div>
        </div>
    }
</div>

Conclusion: In this article, we've learned how to create a dynamic FAQ section in ASP.NET Core MVC. By following the Model-View-Controller architecture and separating concerns, we've built a scalable and maintainable solution. You can further enhance this implementation by integrating with a database or providing an administrative interface to manage FAQ items dynamically.