JQuery's $ is in conflict with that of StringTemplate.Net in ASP.Net MVC

Question

I am exploring ASP.NET MVC and I wanted to add jQuery to make the site interactive. I used StringTemplate, ported to .Net, as my template engine to generate html and to send JSON. However, when I view the page, I could not see it. After debugging, I've realized that the $ is used by the StringTemplate to access property, etc and jQuery uses it too to manipulate the DOM. Gee, I've looked on other template engines and most of them uses the dollar sign :(.

Any alternative template engine for ASP.Net MVC? I wanted to retain jQuery because MSFT announced that it will used in the Visual Studio (2008?)

Thanks in Advance :)

Update

Please go to the answer in ASP.NET MVC View Engine Comparison question for a comprehensive list of Template engine for ASP.NET MVC, and their pros and cons

Update 2

At the end I'll just put the JavaScript code, including JQuery, in a separate script file, hence I wouldn't worry about the $ mingling in the template file.

Update 3

Changed the Title to reflect what I need to resolve. After all "The Best X in Y" is very subjective question.

Solution 1

You can of course move your js logic into a .js file. But if you want it inline with your StringTemplate views, you can escape it using the \$ construct.

In addition, you can simply use the jQuery("selector"), instead of $("selector") construct if you want to avoid the escaping syntax.

Here's a good article on using StringTemplate as a View Engine in MVC.

There's also an accompanying OpenSource engine, along with some samples.

Also, as mentioned above, you can modify your Type Lexer. (make it an alternate character to the $).

Solution 2

I would highly recommend Spark. I've been using it for awhile now with jQuery and haven't ran into a single issue so far.

Solution 3

JQuery can be disambiguated by using the jQuery keyword like this:

jQuery(

instead of this:

$(

I would consider this a best practice. It eliminates any possibility of clashing with another library, and makes the code more readable.

Solution 4

Perhaps jQuery.noConflict will work for you

Solution 5

I really like the syntax in Django, so I recommend NDjango :)

View more solutions

Comments

[Mauricio Scheffer]

stackoverflow.com/questions/1451319/…

[OnesimusUnbound]

I think this option is not applicable for StringTemplate. Stringtemplate is not a JavaScript library. The noConflict() is used when another JavaScript library is used and that library uses the $

[OnesimusUnbound]

ST uses \$ to denote it as $ when the engine generates the output, but it looked awkward. Well, I might look on nVelocity and see if I'll like it. :)

[OnesimusUnbound]

Follow up. nVelocity has an issue for $ (mail-archive.com/[email protected]/…) but then nVelocity looks cleaner.

[loudej]

Spark won't collide with jQuery because $ is only recognized directly in front of an {expression}. There's no valid jQuery statement that starts with "${".

[ANaimi]

Why not use "jQuery" instead of "$"

[OnesimusUnbound]

I always wanted the '$' :). Anyway, you have a point ANaimi :). I guess I can let go of the '$'

[OnesimusUnbound]

Spark looks very promising. I seemed to like it.

[DevelopingChris]

using jQuery instead of $ is a good habbit anyway, since prototype and ms ajax libraries hijack $ anyway, and you want to know explicitly what is jQuery and what is not so good.

[Dave Thieben]

I've been using Spark a lot lately, and it's been working great so far. highly recommended.

[jimmyo]

I had experience with it, but I don't see any option for localize content. Using the global resources on my test.aspx template page would parse as is "<%=Resources.Test.FirstName%>".