ASP.NET MVC - How can I build an HtmlHelper that doesn't need to be Wrapped in MvcHtmlString?

Question

When I use the build in Html Helpers, I can simply write the following.

@Html.Actionlink(bla)

But when I write my own Html Helpers, I need to block the encoding by wrapping it in a MvcHtmlString

@MvcHtmlString.Create(Html.CustomPager(bla))

Is there anything I can do in the extension method so that I don't have to worry about "not" encoding it?

sorry had left a reply but realised that this may have been razor syntax specific, so removed — jim tollan, Dec 09 '10 at 16:46
yup, this is razor. in WebForms you can use `<%=` instead of `<%:` which is quite a bit nicer. — Chase Florell, Dec 09 '10 at 16:47
It's a big enough pain that I'm considering going back to WebForms View Engine instead of Razor. — Chase Florell, Dec 09 '10 at 16:48
why? once you learn the few quirks of razor it will save you lots time writing code by not forcing you to write <%%> every time you want to switch to server code and makes your code much more pleasurable to read — Chris McGrath, Jan 04 '12 at 22:28

jim tollan · Accepted Answer · 2010-12-09T17:18:07.187

5

yes, you can make the helper return a MvcHtmlString - i.e:

public static MvcHtmlString Css(this HtmlHelper html, string path)
{
    return MvcHtmlString.Create(/* some code*/);
}

rather than:

public static string Css(this HtmlHelper html, string path)
{
    return (/* some code*/);
}

i don't know the razor requirements, so this is a blind stab in the dark answer perhaps..

edited Dec 09 '10 at 17:18

answered Dec 09 '10 at 16:45

jim tollan

Nice. I didn't know that's how it all came together, though it makes perfect sense. – Chase Florell Dec 09 '10 at 17:06
yes, a flow chart of how all these bits related would be SOO helpful.. :) – jim tollan Dec 09 '10 at 17:10
1

marc - in particular, the interfaces between the helpers and the various interfaces on the views. i.e. tools on the floor appraoch – jim tollan Dec 09 '10 at 21:51

1 Answers1