Mastering Form Control in IIS 10: Practical Solutions for Software Engineers

When working with IIS 10, you might encounter scenarios where you need to define or redirect the  action  attribute of all forms across your applications. Unfortunately, IIS doesn’t offer a direct, server-level setting for this. However, with a bit of creativity, you can achieve similar results using URL Rewrite rules or by tweaking the application code. Here’s how to do it step by step.

Option 1: Using the IIS URL Rewrite Module

The URL Rewrite module in IIS is a versatile tool that lets you modify request URLs based on specific patterns and conditions. While it won’t directly change the form’s  action  attribute, it can redirect the request to your desired URL.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Install the URL Rewrite Module
   Ensure the URL Rewrite module is installed on your server. If not, download it from the official IIS website.
   
   
2. Open IIS Manager
   Press  Win + R , type  inetmgr , and press Enter to launch IIS Manager.
   
   
3. Select Your Site
   In the Connections pane on the left, expand your server node and select the website you want to configure.
   
   
4. Access URL Rewrite
   In the middle pane, double-click the URL Rewrite icon.
   
   
5. Add a New Rule
   • In the Actions pane on the right, click Add Rules….
   • Select Blank Rule and click OK.
     
     
6. Configure the Rule
   • Name: Assign a name like ForceFormAction.
   • Match URL: Use a pattern like .* to match all requests.
   • Conditions: Add a condition to apply this only for POST requests, such as  {REQUEST_METHOD} equals POST.
   • Action: Set the action to Rewrite, and specify the URL to redirect form submissions.

Here’s an example configuration for your web.config:

xml


<rule name=“ForceFormAction” stopProcessing=“true”>
    <match url=“.*” />
    <conditions> 
        <add input=“{REQUEST_METHOD}” pattern=“POST” />
    </conditions>
    <action type=“Rewrite” url=“https://yourdesiredurl.com/{R:0}” />
</rule>

7. Apply the Rule
Click Apply in the Actions pane to save and enable the rule.

Option 2: Modifying Application Code

If you have access to the application’s source code, you can directly set or override the action  attribute for forms. Here’s how to handle it in common scenarios:

ASP.NET MVC

In ASP.NET MVC, you can create a custom HTML helper to define the action attribute for all forms.

Example:

csharp

public static class HtmlExtensions
{
       public static MvcForm BeginCustomForm(this HtmlHelper htmlHelper,          string actionUrl, FormMethod method)
        {
            return htmlHelper.BeginForm(actionUrl, method, new { @class = "custom-form" });
         }
}

Usage in a View:

csharp

@using (Html.BeginCustomForm("https://yourdesiredurl.com", FormMethod.Post))
{ 
     <!-- form fields -->
}

ASP.NET Web Forms

In Web Forms, you can set the action attribute programmatically in the code-behind.

Example:

csharp

protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
 {
    if (!IsPostBack)
    {
        form1.Action = "https://yourdesiredurl.com";
     }
}

Summary

While IIS 10 doesn’t natively allow you to globally enforce the  action  attribute for forms, you have two effective alternatives:

1. URL Rewrite Module: Redirect form submissions to your desired URL at the server level.
   
2. Modify Application Code: Adjust form behavior directly within the application’s source code.

Both approaches are reliable, but your choice will depend on the level of control you have over the application. Whether you’re working on a shared hosting environment or have full access to the codebase, these methods will help you meet your requirements efficiently.