ASP.NET MVC: Views using a model type that is loaded by MEF can't be found by the view engine

Question

I\'m attempting to create a framework for allowing controllers and views to be dynamically imported into an MVC application. Here\'s how it works so far:

• I\'m usin

Answer 1

The imported libaries aren't in the /bin directory so aren't probed when trying to resolve references. I discovered a work around which I published in my MVC + MEF article (Part 2). Essentially you need to add your directories where your extensions sit to the probing path of the AppDomain.

Essentially where I am building my container:

/// 

/// Creates the composition container.
/// 
/// 
protected virtual CompositionContainer CreateCompositionContainer()
{
    var catalog = new AggregateCatalog();
    catalog.Catalogs.Add(new DirectoryCatalog(MapPath("~/bin")));

    var config = CompositionConfigurationSection.GetInstance();
    if (config != null && config.Catalogs != null) {
        config.Catalogs
            .Cast()
            .ForEach(c =>
            {
                if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(c.Path)) {
                    string path = c.Path;
                    if (path.StartsWith("~"))
                        path = MapPath(path);

                    foreach (var directoryCatalog in GetDirectoryCatalogs(path)) {

                        // Register our path for probing.
                        RegisterPath(directoryCatalog.FullPath);

                        // Add the catalog.
                        catalog.Catalogs.Add(directoryCatalog);
                    }
                }
            });
    }

    var provider = new DynamicInstantiationExportProvider();
    var container = new CompositionContainer(catalog, provider);
    provider.SourceProvider = container;

    return container;
}

I register all the directories of catalogs in the current domain:

/// 

/// Registers the specified path for probing.
/// 
/// The probable path.
private void RegisterPath(string path)
{
    AppDomain.CurrentDomain.AppendPrivatePath(path);
}

I believe the same should work for MVC3.

UPDATE: Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't believe that ViewEngines are instantiated once per request, you create a single instance that you register with MVC. Because of this only one IModule instance is ever used with your ViewEngine, so if a path doesn't match that first IModule.Name it won't be found? Does that make sense?