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EditorBlockFor HTML helper
Aug 28, 2011 .netc#web

In ASP.NET MVC, Microsoft has done a nice job with creating various HTML helpers that can be used in a form, e.g. LabelFor, EditorFor, ValidationMessageFor. Let’s see how we can make our own.

In my opinion, despite these nice helpers, the HTML markup still tend to become tedious and repetitive.

For instance, this HTML generates a form that can be used to create groups in a web application:

@using (Html.BeginForm())
{
    @Html.ValidationSummary(true)
    
    <div class="editor-label">
        @Html.LabelFor(model => model.Name)
    </div>
    <div class="editor-field">
        @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Name)
        @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Name)
    </div>
    
    <div class="editor-label">
        @Html.LabelFor(model => model.CollectionName)
    </div>
    <div class="editor-field">
        @Html.EditorFor(model => model.CollectionName)
        @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.CollectionName)
    </div>
    
    <div class="form-buttons">
        <input type="submit" value="@this.GlobalResource(Resources.Language.Create)" />
    </div>
}

That’s quite a lot of code for handling two single properties. Furthermore, the two editor blocks look rather similar.

To improve, we can create a small HTML helper extension that can generate an editor block as above, with a label, and editor and a validation message. With it, the form becomes a lot shorter and cleaner:

@using (Html.BeginForm())
{
    @Html.ValidationSummary(true)
    @Html.EditorBlockFor(model => model.Name);
    @Html.EditorBlockFor(model => model.CollectionName);
    
    <div class="form-buttons">
        <input type="submit" value="@this.GlobalResource(Resources.Language.Create)" />
    </div>
}

Please let me know if I have ruined the order of the universe.