Get/Set HttpContext Session Methods in BaseController vs Mocking HttpContextBase to create Get/Set methods

Question

I created Get/Set HttpContext Session Methods in BaseController class and also Mocked HttpContextBase and created Get/Set methods.

Which is the best way to use it.

Answer 1

Just a little correction for the SetDataInSession method of the latest post. In my opinion, it´s a elegant solution! Thanks Darin Dimitrov.

public static class SessionExtensions
{
 public static T GetDataFromSession<T>(this HttpSessionStateBase session, string key) {
            return (T)session[key];
        }

        public static void SetDataInSession(this HttpSessionStateBase session, string key, object value) {
            session[key] = value;
        }
}

• First create this class, and after remember to refer its namespace in the Controller class that will call this methods.

• When getting the session value:

string value = Session.GetDataFromSession<string>("key1");

The must be a compatible type with the object persisted in the session.

Answer 2

The second one seems the best. Although I would probably write those two as extension methods to the HttpSessionStateBase instead of putting them into a base controller. Like this:

public static class SessionExtensions
{
    public static T GetDataFromSession<T>(this HttpSessionStateBase session, string key)
    {
         return (T)session[key];
    }

    public static void SetDataInSession<T>(this HttpSessionStateBase session, string key, object value)
    {
         session[key] = value;
    }
}

and then inside the controllers, or helpers, or something that has an instance of HttpSessionStateBase use it:

public ActionResult Index()
{
    Session.SetDataInSession("key1", "value1");
    string value = Session.GetDataFromSession<string>("key1");
    ...
}

Writing session wrappers is useless in ASP.NET MVC as the HttpSessionStateBase provided by the framework is already an abstract class which could be easily mocked in unit tests.