Including a MVC View or string in a javascript bundle using Bundling framework

Question

I'm trying to bundle several javascript files together, but I also need to include a variable from app.config in the js.

My thought was to use a Controller to return a string to set the variable, so going to ~/Javascript/Index would return var foo = "bar"; This works fine.

But when I try to build a bundle, the static files are being included, but the string (or view) isn't showing up. In looking around I found that the Optimizing framework was limited to static files up until 1.1 when support for VirtualPathProviders was implemented.

I upgraded to the latest package, but I can't find any information on how to get a mix of static files and ones generated by a Controller/View to bundle. I guess I just want to use the MVC path provider?

My other thought was to try to use the bundling engine to build a string of the bundled static files and then just append my string and return it all to the browser. But, I can't find a method that allows me to use the bundling engine to return a result of the bundling process.

Answer 1

Integration of dynamic content into the bundling process requires the following steps:

1. Writing the logic that requests / builds the required content. Generating content from Controller directly requires a bit of work:

   public static class ControllerActionHelper
   {
       public static string RenderControllerActionToString(string virtualPath)
       {
           HttpContext httpContext = CreateHttpContext(virtualPath);
           HttpContextWrapper httpContextWrapper = new HttpContextWrapper(httpContext);
   
           RequestContext httpResponse = new RequestContext()
           {
               HttpContext = httpContextWrapper,
               RouteData = RouteTable.Routes.GetRouteData(httpContextWrapper)
           };
   
           // Set HttpContext.Current if RenderActionToString is called outside of a request
           if (HttpContext.Current == null)
           {
               HttpContext.Current = httpContext;
           }
   
           IControllerFactory controllerFactory = ControllerBuilder.Current.GetControllerFactory();
           IController controller = controllerFactory.CreateController(httpResponse,
               httpResponse.RouteData.GetRequiredString("controller"));
           controller.Execute(httpResponse);
   
           return httpResponse.HttpContext.Response.Output.ToString();
       }
   
       private static HttpContext CreateHttpContext(string virtualPath)
       {
           HttpRequest httpRequest = new HttpRequest(string.Empty, ToDummyAbsoluteUrl(virtualPath), string.Empty);
           HttpResponse httpResponse = new HttpResponse(new StringWriter());
   
           return new HttpContext(httpRequest, httpResponse);
       }
   
       private static string ToDummyAbsoluteUrl(string virtualPath)
       {
           return string.Format("http://dummy.net{0}", VirtualPathUtility.ToAbsolute(virtualPath));
       }
   }
   

2. Implement a virtual path provider that wraps the existing one and intercept all virtual paths that should deliver the dynamic content.

   public class ControllerActionVirtualPathProvider : VirtualPathProvider
   {
       public ControllerActionVirtualPathProvider(VirtualPathProvider virtualPathProvider)
       {
           // Wrap an existing virtual path provider
           VirtualPathProvider = virtualPathProvider;
       }
   
       protected VirtualPathProvider VirtualPathProvider { get; set; }
   
       public override string CombineVirtualPaths(string basePath, string relativePath)
       {
           return VirtualPathProvider.CombineVirtualPaths(basePath, relativePath);
       }
   
       public override bool DirectoryExists(string virtualDir)
       {
           return VirtualPathProvider.DirectoryExists(virtualDir);
       }
   
       public override bool FileExists(string virtualPath)
       {
           if (ControllerActionHelper.IsControllerActionRoute(virtualPath))
           {
               return true;
           }
   
           return VirtualPathProvider.FileExists(virtualPath);
       }
   
       public override CacheDependency GetCacheDependency(string virtualPath, IEnumerable virtualPathDependencies,
           DateTime utcStart)
       {
           AggregateCacheDependency aggregateCacheDependency = new AggregateCacheDependency();
   
           List<string> virtualPathDependenciesCopy = virtualPathDependencies.Cast<string>().ToList();
   
           // Create CacheDependencies for our virtual Controller Action paths
           foreach (string virtualPathDependency in virtualPathDependenciesCopy.ToList())
           {
               if (ControllerActionHelper.IsControllerActionRoute(virtualPathDependency))
               {
                   aggregateCacheDependency.Add(new ControllerActionCacheDependency(virtualPathDependency));
                   virtualPathDependenciesCopy.Remove(virtualPathDependency);
               }
           }
   
           // Aggregate them with the base cache dependency for virtual file paths
           aggregateCacheDependency.Add(VirtualPathProvider.GetCacheDependency(virtualPath, virtualPathDependenciesCopy,
               utcStart));
   
           return aggregateCacheDependency;
       }
   
       public override string GetCacheKey(string virtualPath)
       {
           return VirtualPathProvider.GetCacheKey(virtualPath);
       }
   
       public override VirtualDirectory GetDirectory(string virtualDir)
       {
           return VirtualPathProvider.GetDirectory(virtualDir);
       }
   
       public override VirtualFile GetFile(string virtualPath)
       {
           if (ControllerActionHelper.IsControllerActionRoute(virtualPath))
           {
               return new ControllerActionVirtualFile(virtualPath,
                   new MemoryStream(Encoding.Default.GetBytes(ControllerActionHelper.RenderControllerActionToString(virtualPath))));
           }
   
           return VirtualPathProvider.GetFile(virtualPath);
       }
   
       public override string GetFileHash(string virtualPath, IEnumerable virtualPathDependencies)
       {
           return VirtualPathProvider.GetFileHash(virtualPath, virtualPathDependencies);
       }
   
       public override object InitializeLifetimeService()
       {
           return VirtualPathProvider.InitializeLifetimeService();
       }
   }
   
   public class ControllerActionVirtualFile : VirtualFile
   {
       public CustomVirtualFile (string virtualPath, Stream stream)
           : base(virtualPath)
       {
           Stream = stream;
       }
   
       public Stream Stream { get; private set; }
   
       public override Stream Open()
       {
            return Stream;
       }
   }
   

   You also have to implement CacheDependency if you need it:

   public class ControllerActionCacheDependency : CacheDependency
   {
       public ControllerActionCacheDependency(string virtualPath, int actualizationTime = 10000)
       {
           VirtualPath = virtualPath;
           LastContent = GetContentFromControllerAction();
   
           Timer = new Timer(CheckDependencyCallback, this, actualizationTime, actualizationTime);
       }
   
       private string LastContent { get; set; }
   
       private Timer Timer { get; set; }
   
       private string VirtualPath { get; set; }
   
       protected override void DependencyDispose()
       {
           if (Timer != null)
           {
               Timer.Dispose();
           }
   
           base.DependencyDispose();
       }
   
       private void CheckDependencyCallback(object sender)
       {
           if (Monitor.TryEnter(Timer))
           {
               try
               {
                   string contentFromAction = GetContentFromControllerAction();
   
                   if (contentFromAction != LastContent)
                   {
                       LastContent = contentFromAction;
                       NotifyDependencyChanged(sender, EventArgs.Empty);
                   }
               }
               finally
               {
                   Monitor.Exit(Timer);
               }
           }
       }
   
       private string GetContentFromControllerAction()
       {
           return ControllerActionHelper.RenderControllerActionToString(VirtualPath);
       }
   }
   

3. Register your virtual path provider:

   public static void RegisterBundles(BundleCollection bundles)
   {
       // Set the virtual path provider
       BundleTable.VirtualPathProvider = new ControllerActionVirtualPathProvider(BundleTable.VirtualPathProvider);
   
       bundles.Add(new Bundle("~/bundle")
           .Include("~/Content/static.js")
           .Include("~/JavaScript/Route1")
           .Include("~/JavaScript/Route2"));
   }
   

4. Optional: Add Intellisense support to your views. Use <script> tags within your View and let them be removed by a custom ViewResult:

   public class DynamicContentViewResult : ViewResult
   {
       public DynamicContentViewResult()
       {
           StripTags = false;
       }
   
       public string ContentType { get; set; }
   
       public bool StripTags { get; set; }
   
       public string TagName { get; set; }
   
       public override void ExecuteResult(ControllerContext context)
       {
           if (context == null)
           {
               throw new ArgumentNullException("context");
           }
   
           if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(ViewName))
           {
               ViewName = context.RouteData.GetRequiredString("action");
           }
   
           ViewEngineResult result = null;
   
           if (View == null)
           {
               result = FindView(context);
               View = result.View;
           }
   
           string viewResult;
   
           using (StringWriter viewContentWriter = new StringWriter())
           {
               ViewContext viewContext = new ViewContext(context, View, ViewData, TempData, viewContentWriter);
   
               View.Render(viewContext, viewContentWriter);
   
               if (result != null)
               {
                   result.ViewEngine.ReleaseView(context, View);
               }
   
               viewResult = viewContentWriter.ToString();
   
               // Strip Tags
               if (StripTags)
               {
                   string regex = string.Format("<{0}[^>]*>(.*?)</{0}>", TagName);
                   Match res = Regex.Match(viewResult, regex,
                       RegexOptions.IgnoreCase | RegexOptions.IgnorePatternWhitespace | RegexOptions.Multiline | RegexOptions.Singleline);
   
                   if (res.Success && res.Groups.Count > 1)
                   {
                       viewResult = res.Groups[1].Value;
                   }
                   else
                   {
                       throw new InvalidProgramException(
                           string.Format("Dynamic content produced by View '{0}' expected to be wrapped in '{1}' tag.", ViewName, TagName));
                   }
               }
           }
   
           context.HttpContext.Response.ContentType = ContentType;
           context.HttpContext.Response.Output.Write(viewResult);
       }
   }
   

   Use an extension method or add an helper function to your controller:

   public static DynamicContentViewResult JavaScriptView(this Controller controller, string viewName, string masterName, object model)
   {
       if (model != null)
       {
           controller.ViewData.Model = model;
       }
   
       return new DynamicContentViewResult
       {
           ViewName = viewName,
           MasterName = masterName,
           ViewData = controller.ViewData,
           TempData = controller.TempData,
           ViewEngineCollection = controller.ViewEngineCollection,
           ContentType = "text/javascript",
           TagName = "script",
           StripTags = true
       };
   }
   

The steps are similiar for other type of dynamic contents. See Bundling and Minification and Embedded Resources for example.

I added a proof of concept repository to GitHub if you want to try it out.