public class Project
{
    public Project()
    {
        CategoryId = 0;
        Name = "";
        Description = "";
        //Categories = new Dictionary<int, string>();

        Entities _db = new Entities(); //ef4
        CateogoriesList = from c in _db.Categories
                        orderby c.Name
                        select c.Name;
    }

    public int CategoryId { get; set; }

    [Required]
    [DataType(DataType.Text)]
    [Display(Name = "Project Name")]
    public string Name { get; set; }

    [Required]
    [DataType(DataType.MultilineText)]
    [Display(Name = "Project Description")]
    public string Description { get; set; }

    public IQueryable<string> CateogoriesList;

}

public ActionResult Create()
{
    Models.Project.Project proj = new Models.Project.Project();
    return View(proj);
}

@{
    ViewBag.Title = "Create";
    Layout = "~/Views/Shared/_Layout.cshtml";
}

@model Models.Project.Project


@using (Html.BeginForm())
{
    @Html.ValidationSummary(true);

    <fieldset>
        <legend>Submit Your Request</legend>
        <div class="editor-label">@Html.LabelFor( Model => Model.CateogoriesList  )</div>
        <div class="editor-field">
            @Html.DropDownList("Category", new SelectList( Model.CateogoriesList ) )
        </div>
    </fieldset>
    <p><input type="submit" value="Send for RFP" /></p>
}

Riebro.RiebroEntities _db = new Riebro.RiebroEntities();
    CategoriesList = (from c in _db.Categories
                    orderby c.Name
                    select c.Name).ToArray<string>();
}


[Display(Name = "Choose a category")]
public string[] CategoriesList;

@Html.DropDownList("Category", new SelectList(Model.CategoriesList))

<div class="editor-label">@Html.LabelFor( Model => Model.CateogoriesList  )</div>

<div class="editor-label">@Html.LabelFor( Model => Model.CategoryId  )</div>

@using (Html.BeginForm())
{
@Html.ValidationSummary(true);

<fieldset>
    <legend>Submit Your Request</legend>
    <div class="editor-label">@Html.LabelFor(x=>x.CategoryId )</div>
    <div class="editor-field">
        @Html.DropDownList("Category", new SelectList(Model.CateogoriesList) )
    </div>
</fieldset>
<p><input type="submit" value="Send for RFP" /></p>
}

public class Project {
    public Project() {
        CategoryId = 0;
        Name = "";
        Description = "";
        //Categories = new Dictionary<int, string>();

        //Entities _db = new Entities(); //ef4
        //CateogoriesList = from c in _db.Categories
        //                  orderby c.Name
        //                  select c.Name;
        //IQueryable<string> categoriesList = (new string[] { }).AsQueryable();
        CateogoriesList = new string[] { "abc", "def", "hij", "klm" };
        CategoriesList2 = (new string[] { "abc", "def", "hij", "klm" }).AsQueryable();
    }

    public int CategoryId { get; set; }

    [Required]
    [DataType(DataType.Text)]
    [Display(Name = "Project Name")]
    public string Name { get; set; }

    [Required]
    [DataType(DataType.MultilineText)]
    [Display(Name = "Project Description")]
    public string Description { get; set; }

    public string[] CateogoriesList;

    public IQueryable<string> CategoriesList2;

}

@model MvcApplication3.Models.Project


@using (Html.BeginForm())
{
  @Html.ValidationSummary(true);

  <fieldset>
    <legend>Submit Your Request</legend>
    <div class="editor-label">@Html.LabelFor(x=>x.CategoryId )</div>
    <div class="editor-field">
        @Html.DropDownList("Category", new SelectList(Model.CategoriesList2) )
    </div>
  </fieldset>
  <p><input type="submit" value="Send for RFP" /></p>
}

@model Models.Project.Project

public ActionResult Create()
{
    Riebro.Models.Project.Project proj = new Riebro.Models.Project.Project();
    return View(proj);
}

@Html.LabelFor(Model => Model.CateogoriesList)

<div class="editor-label">@Html.LabelFor( Model => Model.CateogoriesList  )</div>

<div class="editor-label">@Html.LabelFor( m=> m.CateogoriesList  )</div>