how to render layout as string in asp.net?

Question

I have my entire Layout as a string in my database and I want to render the layout from database to my View. for example:

 public ActionResult index()
 {
   string layout = GetLayout();

   //in below how should I render layout to view 
   return View("index", layout);
 }

I already use result = Engine.Razor.RunCompile(template, key.ToString()); to render layout but it avoids to render HTML Helpers.

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 26 '18 at 12:32

2

Seems like there is no inbuilt mechanism to achieve that one.Needs to have a custom solution for that one.This topic has already been discussed in this post. Dynamically Produce Razor Views at Runtime? you can refer that one.

answered Apr 26 '18 at 12:32

ErGaurav

81
2

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 26 '18 at 13:26

I am using below code and it is working fine for me.i am also using it in Web API for returning View in form of string.

For more you can create Static Class and make below method static.

 public string RenderPartialView(string controllerName, string viewName, object model = null) {
     System.Web.HttpContextBase contextBase = new System.Web.HttpContextWrapper(System.Web.HttpContext.Current);

     var routeData = new RouteData();
     routeData.Values.Add("controller", controllerName);
     var controllerContext = new System.Web.Mvc.ControllerContext(contextBase, routeData,
      new EmptyController());

     var razorViewEngine = new System.Web.Mvc.RazorViewEngine();
     var razorViewResult = razorViewEngine.FindPartialView(controllerContext, viewName, false);

     var writer = new StringWriter();
     System.Web.Mvc.ViewContext viewContext;


     viewContext = new System.Web.Mvc.ViewContext(controllerContext, razorViewResult.View,
      new System.Web.Mvc.ViewDataDictionary(model), new System.Web.Mvc.TempDataDictionary(), writer);

     viewContext.ViewData["controller"] = controllerName;

     HttpContext.Current.Items.Add("controller", controllerName);

     razorViewResult.View.Render(viewContext, writer);

     string htmlString = writer.ToString();
     writer.Dispose();

     return htmlString;
    }

private class EmptyController: System.Web.Mvc.ControllerBase {
  protected override void ExecuteCore() {}
 }

Now please find example how we can call it from controller.

RenderPartialView("Home", string.Format("~/Views/Home/{0}.cshtml", "Index"));

I hope this will be useful to you.

I want the only layout to render in the controller but this render the view with controller. I read [https://wouterdekort.com/2012/10/12/rendering-an-asp-net-mvc-view-to-a-string-in-a-web-api-controller/] . — Ahmad Ghasemi, Apr 28 '18 at 06:40
Can I use the layout controller that string in the database? — Ahmad Ghasemi, Apr 28 '18 at 06:46
` var razorViewResult = razorViewEngine.FindPartialView(controllerContext, viewName, false); ` how change for layout? @Ankit — Ahmad Ghasemi, Apr 28 '18 at 09:52

how to render layout as string in asp.net?

2 Answers2