How to set ViewBag properties for all Views without using a base class for Controllers?

Question

In the past I\'ve stuck common properties, such as the current user, onto ViewData/ViewBag in a global fashion by having all Controllers inherit from a common base controlle

Answer 1

Un-tried by me, but you might look at registering your views and then setting the view data during the activation process.

Because views are registered on-the-fly, the registration syntax doesn't help you with connecting to the Activated event, so you'd need to set it up in a Module:

class SetViewBagItemsModule : Module
{
    protected override void AttachToComponentRegistration(
        IComponentRegistration registration,
        IComponentRegistry registry)
    {
        if (typeof(WebViewPage).IsAssignableFrom(registration.Activator.LimitType))
        {
            registration.Activated += (s, e) => {
                ((WebViewPage)e.Instance).ViewBag.Global = "global";
            };
        }
    }
}

This might be one of those "only tool's a hammer"-type suggestions from me; there may be simpler MVC-enabled ways to get at it.

Edit: Alternate, less code approach - just attach to the Controller

public class SetViewBagItemsModule: Module
{
    protected override void AttachToComponentRegistration(IComponentRegistry cr,
                                                      IComponentRegistration reg)
    {
        Type limitType = reg.Activator.LimitType;
        if (typeof(Controller).IsAssignableFrom(limitType))
        {
            registration.Activated += (s, e) =>
            {
                dynamic viewBag = ((Controller)e.Instance).ViewBag;
                viewBag.Config = e.Context.Resolve();
                viewBag.Identity = e.Context.Resolve();
            };
        }
    }
}

Edit 2: Another approach that works directly from the controller registration code:

builder.RegisterControllers(asm)
    .OnActivated(e => {
        dynamic viewBag = ((Controller)e.Instance).ViewBag;
        viewBag.Config = e.Context.Resolve();
        viewBag.Identity = e.Context.Resolve();
    });