Question

I have below code behind in c#

        if (Session["cmpDictionaryTitle"]!= null)
                {
                    downloadLinks.Text += @"<li><a onclick='pageTracker._trackEvent('dictionary', 'spanish');' target ='_blank' href=" + Session["cmpDictionaryTitle"] + ">" + GetResourceString("c_DictionaryPDFName") + "</a></li>";
                }

I am trying to make below <a> link as shown below:

<li><a target ="_blank" href="/spa/Images/Diccionario_tcm25-18044.pdf" onclick="pageTracker._trackEvent('dictionary', 'spanish');">Diccionario de Español-Inglés GRATIS</a></li>

However my c# code is generating below output when html page get renders, the reason is that I am not able to put proper quotes in my code behind.

<li><a );="" spanish="" ,="" dictionary="" onclick="pageTracker._trackEvent(" href="/spa/Images/Diccionario_tcm25-18044.pdf" target="_blank">Diccionario de Español-Inglés GRATIS</a></li>

Can you please suggest how can I achieve above result in code behind.

Thanks & Best Regards

Answer 1

To use a double-quote in a string built in code, either:

• Escape the double-quote character
  like this: “\””.
• Escape the double-quote character like this:
  “””” (when using @ to create a verbatim
  string literal).

Examples:

// These are both rendered as <a target="_blank" />
Response.Write("<a target =\"_blank\" />");
Response.Write(@"<a target =""_blank"" />");

Here’s your original code using backslash-escaped double-quotes for all the attributes (I’ve chosen the first approach and removed the leading @):

if (Session["cmpDictionaryTitle"]!= null) {
    downloadLinks.Text += "<li><a onclick=\"pageTracker._trackEvent('dictionary', 'spanish');\" target =\"_blank\" href=\"" + Session["cmpDictionaryTitle"] + "\">" + GetResourceString("c_DictionaryPDFName") + "</a></li>";
}

Finally, I recommend reading Jon Skeet’s excellent article “Strings in .NET and C#.”