Action Image MVC3 Razor

Question

You can create an extension method for HtmlHelper to simplify the code in your CSHTML file. You could replace your tags with a method like this:

// Sample usage in CSHTML
@Html.ActionImage("Edit", new { id = MyId }, "~/Content/Images/Image.bmp", "Edit")

Here is a sample extension method for the code above:

// Extension method
public static MvcHtmlString ActionImage(this HtmlHelper html, string action, object routeValues, string imagePath, string alt)
{
    var url = new UrlHelper(html.ViewContext.RequestContext);

    // build the <img> tag
    var imgBuilder = new TagBuilder("img");
    imgBuilder.MergeAttribute("src", url.Content(imagePath));
    imgBuilder.MergeAttribute("alt", alt);
    string imgHtml = imgBuilder.ToString(TagRenderMode.SelfClosing);

    // build the <a> tag
    var anchorBuilder = new TagBuilder("a");
    anchorBuilder.MergeAttribute("href", url.Action(action, routeValues));
    anchorBuilder.InnerHtml = imgHtml; // include the <img> tag inside
    string anchorHtml = anchorBuilder.ToString(TagRenderMode.Normal);

    return MvcHtmlString.Create(anchorHtml);
}

You can use Url.Content which works for all links as it translates the tilde ~ to the root uri.

<a href="@Url.Action("Edit", new { id=MyId })">
    <img src="@Url.Content("~/Content/Images/Image.bmp")", alt="Edit" />
</a>

Building on Lucas's answer above, this is an overload that takes a controller name as parameter, similar to ActionLink. Use this overload when your image links to an Action in a different controller.

// Extension method
public static MvcHtmlString ActionImage(this HtmlHelper html, string action, string controllerName, object routeValues, string imagePath, string alt)
{
    var url = new UrlHelper(html.ViewContext.RequestContext);

    // build the <img> tag
    var imgBuilder = new TagBuilder("img");
    imgBuilder.MergeAttribute("src", url.Content(imagePath));
    imgBuilder.MergeAttribute("alt", alt);
    string imgHtml = imgBuilder.ToString(TagRenderMode.SelfClosing);

    // build the <a> tag
    var anchorBuilder = new TagBuilder("a");

    anchorBuilder.MergeAttribute("href", url.Action(action, controllerName, routeValues));
    anchorBuilder.InnerHtml = imgHtml; // include the <img> tag inside
    string anchorHtml = anchorBuilder.ToString(TagRenderMode.Normal);

    return MvcHtmlString.Create(anchorHtml);
}

Well, you could use @Lucas solution, but there's also another way.

 @Html.ActionLink("Update", "Update", *Your object value*, new { @class = "imgLink"})

Now, add this class on a CSS file or in your page:

.imgLink
{
  background: url(YourImage.png) no-repeat;
}

With that class, any link will have your desired image.

This turned out to be a very useful thread.

For those who are allergic to curly braces, here is the VB.NET version of Lucas' and Crake's answers:

Public Module ActionImage
    <System.Runtime.CompilerServices.Extension()>
    Function ActionImage(html As HtmlHelper, Action As String, RouteValues As Object, ImagePath As String, AltText As String) As MvcHtmlString

        Dim url = New UrlHelper(html.ViewContext.RequestContext)

        Dim imgHtml As String
        'Build the <img> tag
        Dim imgBuilder = New TagBuilder("img")
        With imgBuilder
            .MergeAttribute("src", url.Content(ImagePath))
            .MergeAttribute("alt", AltText)
            imgHtml = .ToString(TagRenderMode.Normal)
        End With

        Dim aHtml As String
        'Build the <a> tag
        Dim aBuilder = New TagBuilder("a")
        With aBuilder
            .MergeAttribute("href", url.Action(Action, RouteValues))
            .InnerHtml = imgHtml 'Include the <img> tag inside
            aHtml = aBuilder.ToString(TagRenderMode.Normal)
        End With

        Return MvcHtmlString.Create(aHtml)

    End Function

    <Extension()>
    Function ActionImage(html As HtmlHelper, Action As String, Controller As String, RouteValues As Object, ImagePath As String, AltText As String) As MvcHtmlString

        Dim url = New UrlHelper(html.ViewContext.RequestContext)

        Dim imgHtml As String
        'Build the <img> tag
        Dim imgBuilder = New TagBuilder("img")
        With imgBuilder
            .MergeAttribute("src", url.Content(ImagePath))
            .MergeAttribute("alt", AltText)
            imgHtml = .ToString(TagRenderMode.Normal)
        End With

        Dim aHtml As String
        'Build the <a> tag
        Dim aBuilder = New TagBuilder("a")
        With aBuilder
            .MergeAttribute("href", url.Action(Action, Controller, RouteValues))
            .InnerHtml = imgHtml 'Include the <img> tag inside
            aHtml = aBuilder.ToString(TagRenderMode.Normal)
        End With

        Return MvcHtmlString.Create(aHtml)

    End Function

End Module

This extension method also works (to be placed in an public static class):

    public static MvcHtmlString ImageActionLink(this AjaxHelper helper, string imageUrl, string altText, string actionName, object routeValues, AjaxOptions ajaxOptions)
    {
        var builder = new TagBuilder("img");
        builder.MergeAttribute("src", imageUrl);
        builder.MergeAttribute("alt", altText);
        var link = helper.ActionLink("[replaceme]", actionName, routeValues, ajaxOptions);
        return new MvcHtmlString( link.ToHtmlString().Replace("[replaceme]", builder.ToString(TagRenderMode.SelfClosing)) );
    }