How to Inject HTML on ASP.NET MVC master page

Question

I have a simple, but probably common problem on how to inject HTML inside an ASP.NET MVC master page. I have a google analytics tracking code that sits on my master page. The code looks like this:

var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-XXXXX-1']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
// need to inject ecommerce code here
(function () {
    // google analytics code here
})();

I'm using ecommerce tracking and I want to inject the "cart" information in side this HTML on the receipt page (and ONLY on this page). So I do something like this:

var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-XXXXX-1']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
<% if(ViewData["googleanalytics"]!=null) {%>
<%= ViewData["googleanalytics"] %>
<% } %>
(function () {
    // google analytics code here
})();

Then in the controller, I have code that looks like this:

[HttpGet]
public ActionResult Receipt()
{
    var receipt = // get receipt model

    // get google analytics javascript. This function pulls
    // the data from the receipt model
    ViewData["googleanalytics"] = GetAnalyticsInfo(receipt); 

    return View(receipt);
}

This whole thing seems like a little bit of a kludge and I was wondering if anybody had better ideas to handle this situation?

Answer 1

Can you split the javascript into two parts:

At the top of your master page, put:

var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-XXXXX-1']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);

At the bottom of your master page, put:

(function () {
    // google analytics code here
})();

And then, somewhere in your receipt page's view (where it will be output in between the two pieces of javascript from the master page), put

<% if(ViewData["googleanalytics"]!=null) {%>
<%= ViewData["googleanalytics"] %>
<% } %>

Worth a try?

Answer 2

I think I misread your original question. If this has to happen on only one page, then adding a filter would be a 'cleaner' option.

Filter:

public sealed class GAFilter: ActionFilterAttribute
{
   public override void OnActionExecuting(ActionExecutingContext filterContext)
   {
       filterContext.Controller.ViewData["googleanalytics"] = GetAnalyticsInfo();
       base.OnActionExecuting(filterContext);
   }

   private MvcHtmlString GetAnalyticsInfo()
   {
   }
}

Action:

[GA]
public ActionResult ()

{ return View(); }

It would be nice if you could bind a strongly-typed viewmodel to a MasterView but the current MVC framework does not allow that. ViewData is your friend for pushing info from a Controller into a Master.

Answer 3

public override void OnActionExecuting(ActionExecutingContext filterContext) { MyController myController = (MyController)filterContext.Controller; myController.GetAnalyticsInfo(); base.OnActionExecuting(filterContext); }