MVC 4 @Scripts "does not exist"

Question

The key here is to add

 <add namespace="System.Web.Optimization" /> 

to BOTH web.config files. My scenario was that I had System.Web.Optimization reference in both project and the main/root web.config but @Scripts still didn't work properly. You need to add the namespace reference to the Views web.config file to make it work.

UPDATE:

Since the release of MVC 4 System.Web.Optimization is now obsolete. If you're starting with a blank solution you will need to install the following nuget package:

Install-Package Microsoft.AspNet.Web.Optimization

You will still need to reference System.Web.Optimization in your web.config files. For more information see this topic:

How to add reference to System.Web.Optimization for MVC-3-converted-to-4 app

As many pointed out, restart of VS could be required after the above steps to make this work.

@Styles and @Scripts are 2 new helpers provided by System.Web.Optimization library. As the name suggests, they bundle and minify CSS and JavaScript files or resources respectively.

Try including the namespace System.Web.Optimization either by @using directive or through web.config

http://ofps.oreilly.com/titles/9781449320317/ch_ClientOptimization.html#BundlingAndMinification

UPDATE

Microsoft has moved the bundling/minification to a separate package called Microsoft.AspNet.Web.Optimization. You can download the assembly from nuget.

This post will be useful to you.

There was one small step missing from the above, which I found on another post. After adding

<add namespace="System.Web.Optimization" />

to your ~/Views/web.config namespaces, close and re-open Visual Studio. This is what I had to do to get this working.

I am using areas, and have just come up against this issue, I just copied the namespaces from the root web.config to the areas web. config and it now works!!

    <add namespace="System.Web.Helpers" />
    <add namespace="System.Web.Mvc" />
    <add namespace="System.Web.Mvc.Ajax" />
    <add namespace="System.Web.Mvc.Html" />
    <add namespace="System.Web.Optimization" />        
    <add namespace="System.Web.Routing" />
    <add namespace="System.Web.WebPages" />

I had the same problem and I used WinMerge to help me track this down. But as I researched it more, I found that Rick has the perfect blog post for it.

Summary:

• Add <add namespace="System.Web.Optimization"/> to both web.config files
• Run Install-Package -IncludePrerelease Microsoft.AspNet.Web.Optimization
• Update Bundling code
• Update Layout file
• The last step is to update 10 other libraries. I didn't and it worked fine. So looks like you can procrastinate this one (unless I already updated 1 or more of them). :)

I had the same issue:

The System.Web.Optimization version I was using was outdated for MVC4 RC.

I updated my packages using the package manager in VS 2010.

In this MSDN blog, Mr. Andy talks about how to update your MVC 4 Beta project to MVC 4 RC. Updating my packages got the Scripts (particularly the web optimization one) to resolve for me:

To install the latest System.Web.Optimization package, use Package Manager Console (Tools -> Library Package Manager -> Package Manager Console) and run the below command:

Install-Package -IncludePrerelease Microsoft.AspNet.Web.Optimization

Use the System.Web.Optimization file included in the package in your references.

To update other packages: Tools menu -> Library Package Manager -> Manage NuGet Packages for Solution.

Create a new MVC 4 RC internet application and run it. Navigate to Login which uses the same code

 @section Scripts {
    @Scripts.Render("~/bundles/jqueryval")
}

What allows Login.cshtml to work is the the Views\Web.config file (not the app root version) contains

<namespaces>

    <add namespace="System.Web.Optimization"/>

  </namespaces>

Why is your Create view not working and Login is?