Question

I browsed around for a solution and I am sure it’s a simple question but still not sure how to do that. So, I have a string that contains many words and some times it has links in it. For example:

I like the website http://somesitehere.com/somepage.html and I suggest you try it too.

I want to display the string in my view and have all links automatically converted to URLs.

@Model.MyText

Even StackOverflow gets it.

Answer 1

@Hunter is right.
In addition i found complete implementation in C#: http://weblogs.asp.net/farazshahkhan/archive/2008/08/09/regex-to-find-url-within-text-and-make-them-as-link.aspx.

In case original link goes down

VB.Net implementation

Protected Function MakeLink(ByVal txt As String) As String
    Dim regx As New Regex("http://([\w+?\.\w+])+([a-zA-Z0-9\~\!\@\#\$\%\^\&\*\(\)_\-\=\+\\\/\?\.\:\;\'\,]*)?", RegexOptions.IgnoreCase)

    Dim mactches As MatchCollection = regx.Matches(txt)

    For Each match As Match In mactches
        txt = txt.Replace(match.Value, "<a href='" & match.Value & "'>" & match.Value & "</a>")
    Next

    Return txt
End Function

C#.Net implementation

protected string MakeLink(string txt) 
{ 
   Regex regx = new Regex("http://([\\w+?\\.\\w+])+([a-zA-Z0-9\\~\\!\\@\\#\\$\\%\\^\\&\\*\\(\\)_\\-\\=\\+\\\\\\/\\?\\.\\:\\;\\'\\,]*)?", RegexOptions.IgnoreCase); 

   MatchCollection mactches = regx.Matches(txt); 

   foreach (Match match in mactches) { 
    txt = txt.Replace(match.Value, "<a href='" + match.Value + "'>" + match.Value + "</a>"); 
   }
   return txt; 
}