I browsed around for a solution and I am sure it's a simple question but still not sure how to do that. So, I have a string that contains many words and some times it has links in it. For example:
I like the website http://somesitehere.com/somepage.html and I suggest you try it too.
I want to display the string in my view and have all links automatically converted to URLs.
@Model.MyText
Even StackOverflow gets it.
@Hunter is right. In addition i found complete implementation in C#: http://weblogs.asp.net/farazshahkhan/archive/2008/08/09/regex-to-find-url-within-text-and-make-them-as-link.aspx.
In case original link goes down
VB.Net implementation
Protected Function MakeLink(ByVal txt As String) As String
Dim regx As New Regex("http://([\w+?\.\w+])+([a-zA-Z0-9\~\!\@\#\$\%\^\&\*\(\)_\-\=\+\\\/\?\.\:\;\'\,]*)?", RegexOptions.IgnoreCase)
Dim mactches As MatchCollection = regx.Matches(txt)
For Each match As Match In mactches
txt = txt.Replace(match.Value, "<a href='" & match.Value & "'>" & match.Value & "</a>")
Next
Return txt
End Function
C#.Net implementation
protected string MakeLink(string txt)
{
Regex regx = new Regex("http://([\\w+?\\.\\w+])+([a-zA-Z0-9\\~\\!\\@\\#\\$\\%\\^\\&\\*\\(\\)_\\-\\=\\+\\\\\\/\\?\\.\\:\\;\\'\\,]*)?", RegexOptions.IgnoreCase);
MatchCollection mactches = regx.Matches(txt);
foreach (Match match in mactches) {
txt = txt.Replace(match.Value, "<a href='" + match.Value + "'>" + match.Value + "</a>");
}
return txt;
}
One way to do that would be to do a Regular Expression match on a chunk of text and replace that url string with an anchor tag.
Another regex that can be used with KvanTTT answer, and has the added benefit of accepting https urls
https?://([\w+?.\w+])+([a-zA-Z0-9\~!\@#\$\%\^\&*()_-\=+\/\?.:\;\'\,]*)?
.net string representation:
"https?://([\\w+?\\.\\w+])+([a-zA-Z0-9\\~\\!\\@\\#\\$\\%\\^\\&\\*\\(\\)_\\-\\=\\+\\\\\\/\\?\\.\\:\\;\\'\\,]*)?"