ASP.NET MVC Read files from server

Question

I have 3 questions:

1. Where is the correct place to put some template files? I'll be using these templates to render emails with DotLiquid. I'm thinking about just having it at ~/Templates/.
2. How do I unit test this? Should I even unit test reading files from the file system?
3. Best way to read the file into a string?

Answer 1

1. I would make a views folder for them /Views/Emails perhaps
2. Unit test code that you write, not code from the .NET framework imo
3. string s = System.IO.File.ReadAllText( path );

• bzlm: @Lol Just provide sample files as assets available to the test. If you have a "test project", put the files there.
• PositiveGuy: why a views subfolder? and what do you mean unit test code you write and not from the .NET framework...can't understand or infer what you're saying there specifically.

Answer 2

Check out this blog entry, which talks about how to send emails using a view as a template: ASP.NET MVC 2 Render Template to String.

In short, you create a method that renders the View into a string and then call that method from an action to generate the email body content.

Answer 3

Placing the code in ~/Content/Templates/ and downloading the content using a web client worked best for me.

var welcomeMailTemplatePath = "yourPath";
var webClient = new WebClient();
string html = webClient.DownloadString(WelcomeMailTemplatePath); 

This way, you don't need to deal with controllers/views and can directly grab the contents of the template file.