Question

OK, I’m trying to implement the Repeater extension methods to the HtmlHelper as explained in Phil Haack’s blog here http://haacked.com/archive/2008/05/03/code-based-repeater-for-asp.net-mvc.aspx
However, when I try to use it in my View I get a Compilation error ‘System.Web.Mvc.HtmlHelper’ does not contain a definition for ‘Repeater’.

Here is my extension class:

namespace MyAwesomeBlog.Helpers {
public static class HtmlHelpers {
    public static void Repeater<T>(this HtmlHelper html
      , IEnumerable<T> items
      , Action<T> render
      , Action<T> renderAlt) {

// Implementation irrelevant
});
}

    public static void Repeater<T>(this HtmlHelper html
      , Action<T> render
      , Action<T> renderAlt) {

// Implementation irrelevant
});
}

    public static void Repeater<T>(this HtmlHelper html
      , string viewDataKey
      , Action<T> render
      , Action<T> renderAlt) {

// Implementation irrelevant
});
}

    public static void Repeater<T>(this HtmlHelper html
                                      , IEnumerable<T> items
                                      , string className
                                      , string classNameAlt
                                      , Action<T, string> render) {

// Implementation irrelevant
});

    }
}

}

I have included this in my Web.Config:

<add namespace="MyAwesomeBlog.Helpers"/>

This is my use of the extension method in my view:

<% HtmlHelper.Repeater<Post>(Model, "post", "post-alt", (post, cssClassName) => { %>
    <div class="<%=cssClassName %>">
        <h1><%= post.Title %></h1>
        <p>
        <%= post.Body %>
        </p>
    </div>
<% }); %>

Still, the compiler gives me squiggly lines under “.Repeater” saying that HtmlHelper does not have such a method.

What have I missed?

Answer 1

Regarding my comment in my other answer, I have just checked and I am almost sure that is your problem. You can’t have extension methods on static classes (or add static extension methods), so you need an instance of HtmlHelper to call Repeater.