How to make 4 columns across in ASP.NET MVC - How to make my current code suck less

I have the following code, I'm trying to get a table with 4 columns across. If I run out of columns, create a new row and make 4 more coumns. rinse. lather. repeat.

<tbody>
<%
int i = 0;
foreach (ItmXtnMultimedia multimedia in ViewData.Model.ItmXtnMultimedia) {
  if (i%4 == 0 && i== 0)
  {
    %><tr><%
  }
  if (i%4 == 0 && i != 0)
  {
    %></tr><tr><%
  }
  %>                    
  <td><%= multimedia.ImgTag100 %></td>                            
  <%
  i++;
  } %>

It works, but it sucks. Is there something built in to the framework or an extension method I can use? I guess I could roll my own, but figured there had to be something out there.

From stackoverflow

• I'd recommend looking at Tablebuilder. It is written in C# 3.0, and does what you need it to do, from what I can gather.

• You should replace the second if with else if.. Other than that, it's okay.

  foreach (ItmXtnMultimedia multimedia in ViewData.Model.ItmXtnMultimedia) 
  {
    if (i%4 == 0 && i== 0)
    {
        %><tr><%
    }
    else if (i%4 == 0 && i != 0)
    {
        %></tr><tr><%
    }
    %><td><%= multimedia.ImgTag100 %></td><%
    i++;
  }%>
  

• Actually, I popped the fir out of the loop... (still smells though)

                  <tbody>
                      <tr>
                      <%
                      int i = 0;
                      foreach (ItmXtnMultimedia multimedia in ViewData.Model.ItmXtnMultimedia) {
  
                          if (i%4 == 0)
                          {
                              %></tr><tr><%
                          }
                          %>                    
                          <td><%= multimedia.ImgTag100 %></td>                            
                          <%
                          i++;
                      } %>                    
                  </tbody>
  

  Kyle West : parser killed half my first comment. I took the first tr tag out of the the loop.

• What about a little refactor?

  <%
  foreach (ItmXtnMultimedia multimedia in ViewData.Model.ItmXtnMultimedia) {
    manageColumnsForMe( 4 )
    %><td><%= multimedia.ImgTag100 %></td><%
    } 
  %>
  

  And the put the other code in a function using a static variable to store i

  You can reuse the same function with different number of columns

• I am assuming ViewData.Model.ItmXtnMultimedia is a list of some sort:

  <tbody>
  <%
      for (int i = 0; i < ViewData.Model.ItmXtnMultimedia.Count; i++ )
      {
          %><tr><%
          for (int j = 0; i < 4; j++)
          {
              if (i < ViewData.Model.ItmXtnMultimedia.Count)
              {
                  %><td><%= ViewData.Model.ItmXtnMultimedia[i].ImgTag100 %> %></td><%
              }
              else
              {
                  %><td></td><%
              }
          }
          %></tr><%
      } 
  %>
  </tbody>
  

  Still a mess of code, but maybe more readable?

• This is a good place to create an extension method. Here's some almost-compilable C# pseudocode:

  public static void IDunnoWhatToCallThis<T>(
      this HtmlHelper me, 
      T[] items,
      int columns,
      Action headerTemplate,
      Action<T> itemTemplate,
      Action newRowTemplate,
      Action footerTemplate )
  {
    headerTemplate();
  
    for(int i = 0;i < items.Length; i++)
    {
      if(i != 0 && i%columns == 0)
        newRowTemplate();
  
      itemTemplate(items[i]);
    }
  
    footerTemplate();
  }
  

  And here's an example in use:

  <% Html.IDunnoWhatToCallThis(
    ViewData.Model.ItmXtnMultimedia,
    4,
    () => %><table><tr><%,
    (item) => %><td><%= item.ImgTag100 %></td><%,
    () => %></tr><tr><%,
    () => %></tr></table><%);%>
  

  I LOVE helpers like this, mixing inline code, lambdas and markup. Its like watching magic.