HtmlHelper inside HtmlHelper - html

Question

Is it possible to make a HtmlHelper for parts where another htmlherlper is already used.
like in this case:
<div class="control-group">
#Html.LabelFor(model => model.cLinks.Link2Privates)
<div class="controls">
#Html.TextBoxFor(model => model.cLinks.Link2Privates, new { #class = " span7"})
#Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.cLinks.Link2Privates)
</div>
</div>

Answer 1

I'm assuming you simply want a helper that will generate all this information for you. While it's technically possible to create a custom helper that will do just that, it's actually better to use editor templates:
Views\Shared\EditorTemplates\BootstrapControlGroup.cshtml
<div class="control-group">
#Html.Label("")
<div class="controls">
#Html.TextBox("", ViewData.TemplateInfo.FormattedModelValue, new { #class = " span7"})
#Html.ValidationMessage("")
</div>
</div>
Form
#Html.EditorFor(m => m.cLinks.Link2Privates, "BootstrapControlGroup")
That basically says to use this template to render the "editor" for this property. If you don't want to have to specify the template name, there's other ways. You can decorate your property with the UIHint attribute:
[UIHint("BoostrapControlGroup")]
public string Link2Privates { get; set; }
Or you can rely on a particular C# type or DataType. For example, if you wanted all strings to be handled this way, you could name that template String.cshtml instead and then just do:
#Html.EditorFor(m => m.cLinks.Link2Privates)
Razor would see that it was a string and use the String.cshtml editor template automatically if it existed. You can also use the DataType attribute, for example:
[DataType(DataType.EmailAddress)]
public string Email { get; set; }
And, then create a Views\Shared\EditorTemplates\EmailAddress.cshtml template. Razor will use this template, then, any time you call Html.EditorFor for this property.

Answer 2

I have created a HtmlHelper extension library that works well with Twitter Bootstrap scenarios.
http://buildmvc.codeplex.com
There's even a HtmlHelper add-on for Twitter Bootstrap Form Groups:
https://www.nuget.org/packages/Build.Mvc.TwitterBootstrap
#using ( Html.BuildForm().Begin(FormRenderStyle.Horizontal) )
{
Html.UpdateFormBuilderContext(ctx =>
{
ctx.RenderValidationMessages = true;
});
<fieldset>
<legend>User Information</legend>
#Html.BuildTextBoxGroupFor(m => m.FirstName, b=> b.TextBox(t=> t.Autofocus()))
#Html.BuildTextBoxGroupFor(m => m.Nickname)
#Html.BuildTextBoxGroupFor(m => m.LastName)
</fieldset>
}
Note: The library expects you to be using TwitterBootstrap > v3. The example above has version 2.3.2 class names.