Controller does not find the view when the startup is in another project

Question

To write the integration tests more easily, I've put the controllers in another project than the host (the one with the startup). This project has the following files:

|
|-- Controllers
|   +-- HomeController.cs
|
+-- Views
    +-- Home
        +-- Index.cshtml

My startup can find the controller thanks to this solution:

services.AddMvc().AddApplicationPart(typeof(HomeController).Assembly);

However, I didn't find any way to set the path of the views. It seems to be relative to the startup place, and not the controller: when I run the application, I get that error:

InvalidOperationException: The view 'Index' was not found. The following locations were searched:
/Views/Home/Index.cshtml
/Views/Shared/Index.cshtml
/Pages/Shared/Index.cshtml

How to specify that the views are in the same folder that the controllers?

I've tried this solution, and it did not work: https://www.jackhiston.com/2017/8/15/sharing-controllers-and-views-in-aspnet-core/ — Boiethios, Aug 30 '19 at 16:36
I'm not that familiar with Asp.Net Core, but in .Net Framework MVC, you would implement a custom `IViewEngine`. — , Aug 30 '19 at 19:01
@FrenchBoiethios 1. I tried the [solution](https://www.jackhiston.com/2017/8/15/sharing-controllers-and-views-in-aspnet-core/) you mentioned above, it works fine for me. Did you add the `` within the library? 2. Apart from that solution, a much easier way is to change your controllers & views project to be **[Razor component Library, RCL]**, and then simply add a reference to the RCL, in this case, there's no need to `AddApplicationPart()` as well as `Configure` — itminus, Sep 02 '19 at 04:50
@itminus 1. I'm stupid, I did add the `` tag in the host project. It works when I put it inside the library project 2. This solution is indeed the best one. Since you solved my issue, can you write an answer? — Boiethios, Sep 02 '19 at 07:24

itminus · Accepted Answer · 2019-09-02T07:33:55.557

2

I tried the solution you mentioned above, it works fine for me. Did you add the <EmbeddedResource ...> within the library?
Apart from that solution, a much easier way is to change your controllers & views project to be a Razor component Library, RCL:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Razor">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>netstandard2.0</TargetFramework>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc" Version="2.2.0" />
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>

and then simply add a reference to the RCL, in this case, there's no need to AddApplicationPart() as well as .Configure<RazorViewEngineOptions>()

edited Sep 02 '19 at 07:33

answered Sep 02 '19 at 07:30

itminus

23,772
2
53
88

1

The reference to `Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc` was marked as private in my csproj, so I had to remove the `PrivateAssets="All"` for this solution to work. – Boiethios Sep 02 '19 at 07:32
@FrenchBoiethios I update the demo `*.csproj` of RCL for reference :) – itminus Sep 02 '19 at 07:36

Controller does not find the view when the startup is in another project

1 Answers1