Using jTemplate with ASP.NET MVC

Question

In this article, Dave Ward describes how to use the jQuery plugin jTemplate to create what he calls a "client side repeater", that parses JSON data into a template on the client side.

Toward the end of the article, he suggests that the template is placed in a separate file with the extension ".tpl", and that the data is loaded into the document with the following syntax:

function ApplyTemplate(jsonData) {
  // This method loads the HTML template and
  //  prepares the container div to accept data.
  $('#Container').setTemplateURL('myTemplate.tpl');

  // This method applies the JSON array to the 
  //  container's template and renders it.
  $('#Container').processTemplate(jsonData);
}

However, when using ASP.NET MVC I can't just place the template file next to my view and call it with "/Guestbook/myTemplate.tpl". But I would like to place the template file next to the view, to keep things together.

How should I arrange this? A Controller Action that returns the text file contents? Some configuration in Global.asax.cs to make the Framework just return these files as is, without the Controller/Action url parsing? Any other ideas?

Dave Ward · Accepted Answer · 2009-01-29 16:57:03Z

2

I'd suggest using .htm instead. That comes through okay in a default MVC app.

It turns out that using .tpl is a bad idea anyway, due to some versions of IIS blocking it as an unknown file type unless you explicitly add it. I need to update my post.

answered Jan 29, 2009 at 16:57

Dave Ward

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4 Comments

Tomas Aschan Over a year ago

OK, will do. Meanwhile I have used a script tag with type="text/html" with the template, and then i accessed it with $(scriptTagId).html(). However, the .setTemplate() method could not parse it - not when I hardcoded its value into the js either... Does it have to be one line? What did I do wrong?

Dave Ward Over a year ago

To use inline templates, I believe you need to use setTemplateElement('ElementId').

Tomas Aschan Over a year ago

I tried this but without success. The js runs all the way, and debugging i find all values OK, but the content won't update. I have <textarea id="postListTemplate" name="postListTemplate" class="jTemplate"> and ("#gbPostList").setTemplateElement('postListTemplate'); Any ideas? Thanks for all help!

Tomas Aschan Over a year ago

Nevermind, it's working now! Turned out my template wasn't specified the way it should have been. For future finders of this question: the inline template element has to be a textarea, and with the id property referenced in js (name is irrelevant). It can be hidden in css by display: block; Thanks!

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 12:19:32Z

0

I think, you could just ignore the route, and link to your template file like you've suggested:

Check out this previous answer: How to ignore route in asp.net forms url routing

edited May 23, 2017 at 12:19

CommunityBot

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answered Jan 29, 2009 at 11:18

Lewis

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1 Comment

Tomas Aschan Over a year ago

Thanks for the link! I have saved my template as in ~/Views/Guestbook/postListTemplate.htm, and added the following to my Global.asax.cs: <pre>routes.IgnoreRoute("Views/Guestbook/PostListTemplate.htm");</pre> However, I get a 404 error when trying to open the page in firefox. What am i doing wrong?

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