How can I make FindPartialView search inside my Area? - asp.net-mvc

Question

So I register all Areas in Global.asax:
protected void Application_Start()
{
AreaRegistration.RegisterAllAreas();
//...
RouteConfig.RegisterRoutes(RouteTable.Routes);
}
But in my /Areas/Log/Controllers, when I try to find a PartialView:
ViewEngineResult viewResult = ViewEngines.Engines.FindPartialView(ControllerContext, "_LogInfo");
It fails, viewResult.SearchedLocations is:
"~/Views/Log/_LogInfo.aspx"
"~/Views/Log/_LogInfo.ascx"
"~/Views/Shared/_LogInfo.aspx"
"~/Views/Shared/_LogInfo.ascx"
"~/Views/Log/_LogInfo.cshtml"
"~/Views/Log/_LogInfo.vbhtml"
"~/Views/Shared/_LogInfo.cshtml"
"~/Views/Shared/_LogInfo.vbhtml"
And thus viewResult.View is null.
How can I make the FindPartialView search in my Area?
Update:
This is my custom view engine, which I have registered in Global.asax:
public class MyCustomViewEngine : RazorViewEngine
{
public MyCustomViewEngine() : base()
{
AreaPartialViewLocationFormats = new[]
{
"~/Areas/{2}/Views/{1}/{0}.cshtml",
"~/Areas/{2}/Views/Shared/{0}.cshtml"
};
PartialViewLocationFormats = new[]
{
"~/Views/{1}/{0}.cshtml",
"~/Views/Shared/{0}.cshtml"
};
// and the others...
}
}
But the FindPartialView doesn't use the AreaPArtialViewLocationFormats:
"~/Views/Log/_LogInfo.cshtml"
"~/Views/Shared/_LogInfo.cshtml"

Answer 1

I had exactly the same problem, I have a central Ajax controller I use, in which I return different partial views from different folders/locations.
What you are going to have to do is create a new ViewEngine deriving from a RazorViewEngine (I'm assuming your using Razor) and explicitly include new locations in the constructor to search for the partials in.
Alternatively you can override the FindPartialView method. By default the Shared folder and the folder from the current controller context are used for the search.
Here is an example which shows you how to override specific properties within a custom RazorViewEngine.
Update
You should include the path of the partial in your PartialViewLocationFormats array like this:
public class MyViewEngine : RazorViewEngine
{
public MyViewEngine() : base()
{
PartialViewLocationFormats = new string[]
{
"~/Area/{0}.cshtml"
// .. Other areas ..
};
}
}
Likewise if you want to find a partial in a Controller inside the Area folder then you will have to add the standard partial view locations to the AreaPartialViewLocationFormats array. I have tested this and it is working for me.
Just remember to add the new RazorViewEngine to your Global.asax.cs, e.g.:
protected void Application_Start()
{
// .. Other initialization ..
ViewEngines.Engines.Clear();
ViewEngines.Engines.Add(new MyViewEngine());
}
Here is how you may use it in an exemplary controller called "Home":
// File resides within '/Controllers/Home'
public ActionResult Index()
{
var pt = ViewEngines.Engines.FindPartialView(ControllerContext, "Partial1");
return View(pt);
}
I have stored the partial I'm looking for in the /Area/Partial1.cshtml path.