ASP.Net MVC : Working With Helper Methods

ASP.NET MVC : Working With Helper Methods

In this article, we will implement the HTML custom helper methods. This facility allows developers to define the UI as needed by their business requirements.

Task 1: Open VS2010 and create a new MVC 3 application, name it "RAZOR_MVC3_Html_Helper_Methods". In this project add a new Folder, name it "HelperMethodsRepository".

Task 2: In the Model folder add a new class file, name it "DataClasses.cs" and add a classes as in the following:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Web;
namespace RAZOR_MVC3_Html_Helper_Methods.Models
{
public class Person
{
public int PersonId { get; set; } public string PersonName { get; set; }
}
public class PersonList : List<Person>
{
public PersonList()
{
Add(new Person() { PersonId = 101, PersonName = "Mahesh Joshi"});
Add(new Person() { PersonId = 102, PersonName = "Tejas Joshi" });
Add(new Person() { PersonId = 103, PersonName = "Leena Joshi" });
Add(new Person() { PersonId = 104, PersonName = "Rahul Patil" });
Add(new Person() { PersonId = 105, PersonName = "Anagha Patil"});
}
}
}

Task 3: In the folder "HelperMethodsRepository" add a new class file, name it "MyHtmlHelperExtensionClass.cs". This file will contain a HTML helper extension class. Implement it as below:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Web;
using System.Web.Mvc;
using RAZOR_MVC3_Html_Helper_Methods.Models;
using System.Collections;
using System.Reflection;
namespace RAZOR_MVC3_Html_Helper_Methods.HelperMethodsRepository
{
public static class MyHtmlHelperExtensionClass
{
private const string Nbsp = " ";
private const string SelectedAttribute = "
selected='selected'";
/// <summary>
/// Html Helper method for the Specific Collection
/// </summary>
/// <param name="helper"></param>
/// <param name="per"></param>
/// <returns></returns>
public static MvcHtmlString ListData(this HtmlHelper helper,PersonList per)
{
MvcHtmlString resultString = null; string renderedResult = string.Empty; foreach (var item in per)
{
renderedResult += "<table><tr><td>" + item.PersonId + "</td> <td>" + item.PersonName + "</td></tr></table>";
}
resultString = new MvcHtmlString(renderedResult); return resultString;
}
}
}

The method "ListData" is an extension method for the HtmlHelper class. This returns a "MvcHtmlSting" that contains a HTML Table with Person data in it.

Task 4: Build the project and ensure that it is error free.

Task 5: Add a new PersonController in the project in the Controller Project and add a constructor and an Index action as in the following:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Web;
using System.Web.Mvc;
using RAZOR_MVC3_Html_Helper_Methods.Models;
namespace RAZOR_MVC3_Html_Helper_Methods.Controllers
{
public class PersonController : Controller
{
PersonList personList;
public PersonController()
{
personList = new PersonList();
}
//
// GET: /Person/
public ActionResult Index()
{
return View(personList);
}
}
}

Task 6: Now generate an "Empty" Scaffold "Index" view from the person controller with "PersonList" as Model class as in the following:

Task 7: An Empty View will be generated. Add the following code in an Empty view:

@model RAZOR_MVC3_Html_Helper_Methods.Models.PersonList
@{
ViewBag.Title = "Index";
}
<h2>Index</h2>
<br /> <br /> <br /> <br />

My New Extension Method to Display Data

@Html.ListData(Model)

The preceding markup shows that the ListData method is called using an object of the HtmlHelper class.

Task 8: In "_Layout.cshtml" add an ActionLink for the newly added Index page "menucontainer" div tag as in the following:

<li>@Html.ActionLink("Person", "Index", "Person")</li>

Task 9: Run the application, you will get the Person Tab. Click on it, and get the result.