Question

Before rendering into a view model should be formatted:

1. multilingual data localized;
2. date, time values formatted;
3. numbers formatted.

Who performs all this formatting – Controller or View?

Am I right that all the formatting is performed by the Controller which creates so called ViewModel containing only formatted values and sends this ViewModel to the View?

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Eric Petroelje is right, but I would build helper a class(es) to get localised content/dates etc, because localisation isn’t always in the views, e.g. sending emails with localised content. I would have something like LocalisationHelper.GetString(“MyKey”), or LocalisationHelper.GetDate(Date.Now), where the LocalisationHelper knows the users current locale (maybe from Session).

Then use this directly in the views where possible:

<%= Html.Encode(LocalisationHelper.GetDate(Date.Now)) %>