Inline HTML Syntax for Helpers in ASP.NET MVC
- by kouPhax
I have a class that extends the HtmlHelper in MVC and allows me to use the builder pattern to construct special output e.g.
<%=
Html.FieldBuilder<MyModel>(builder => {
builder.Field(model => model.PropertyOne);
builder.Field(model => model.PropertyTwo);
builder.Field(model => model.PropertyThree);
})
%>
Which outputs some application specific HTML, lets just say,
<ul>
<li>PropertyOne: 12</li>
<li>PropertyTwo: Test</li>
<li>PropertyThree: true</li>
</ul>
What I would like to do, however, is add a new builder methid for defining some inline HTML without having to store is as a string. E.g. I'd like to do this.
<%
Html.FieldBuilder<MyModel>(builder => {
builder.Field(model => model.PropertyOne);
builder.Field(model => model.PropertyTwo);
builder.ActionField(model => %>
Generated: <%=DateTime.Now.ToShortDate()%> (<a href="#">Refresh</a>)
<%);
}).Render();
%>
and generate this
<ul>
<li>PropertyOne: 12</li>
<li>PropertyTwo: Test</li>
<li>Generated: 29/12/2008 <a href="#">Refresh</a></li>
</ul>
Essentially an ActionExpression that accepts a block of HTML. However to do this it seems I need to execute the expression but point the execution of the block to my own StringWriter and I am not sure how to do this. Can anyone advise?
