Setting an alternate controller folder location in ASP.NET MVC

Question

We can an MVC app that uses the default folder conventions for the HTML views, but we\'d like to set up alternate \"Services\" folder with controllers used only for web serv

Answer 1

You'll want to create your own controller factory implementing IControllerFactory.

Check out http://nayyeri.net/custom-controller-factory-in-asp-net-mvc for an example.

Answer 2

If you see yellow folder names Add folder Name in root

After, you have to modify routes.MapRoute into "App_Start > RouteConfig"

Modify Default route

routes.MapRoute(
          "Default",
          "{controller}/{action}/{id}",
          new { controller = "Home", action = "Index", id =     UrlParameter.Optional },
          new string[] { "mvcPartialView.HomeController" } // Namespace 
      );

and Add this

routes.MapRoute(
       "ApiControllerOne", // Name of folder
       "ApiControllerOne/{controller}/{action}/{id}",
        new { controller = "ApiFactory", action = "callFactoryOne", id = UrlParameter.Optional },
        new string[] { "mvcPartialView.ApiControllerOne" } // Namespace
    );

Answer 3

You can do this using Routing, and keeping the controllers in separate namespaces. MapRoute lets you specify which namespace corresponds to a route.

Example

Given this controllers

namespace CustomControllerFactory.Controllers
{
    public class HomeController : Controller
    {
        public ActionResult Index()
        {
           return new ContentResult("Controllers");
        }
    }
}

namespace CustomControllerFactory.ServiceControllers
{
    public class HomeController : Controller
    {
        public ActionResult Index()
        {
           return new ContentResult("ServiceControllers");
        }
    }
}

And the following routing

 routes.MapRoute(
           "Services",
           "Services/{controller}/{action}/{id}",
            new { controller = "Home", action = "Index", id = UrlParameter.Optional },
            new string[] { "CustomControllerFactory.ServiceControllers" } // Namespace
        );


        routes.MapRoute(
            "Default", // Route name
            "{controller}/{action}/{id}", // URL with parameters
            new { controller = "Home", action = "Index", id = UrlParameter.Optional },
            new string[] { "CustomControllerFactory.Controllers"} // Namespace
        );

You should expect the following responses

/Services/Home

ServiceController

/Home

Controllers

Answer 4

In Asp.Net Core: I used AreaFeature library ServiceCollectionExtensions

First set your middleware;

    services.AddMvc(options => 
        options.EnableEndpointRouting = false).
        AddFeatureFolders().SetCompatibilityVersion(Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.CompatibilityVersion.Latest);

In the extenssion:

return AddFeatureFolders(services, new FeatureFolderOptions());

implement as according your requirement:

 public static IMvcBuilder AddFeatureFolders(this IMvcBuilder services, FeatureFolderOptions options)
        {
            if (services == null)
                throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(services));

            if (options == null)
                throw new ArgumentException(nameof(options));

            var expander = new FeatureViewLocationExpander(options);

            services.AddMvcOptions(o => o.Conventions.Add(new FeatureControllerModelConvention(options)))
                .AddRazorOptions(o =>
                {
                    o.ViewLocationFormats.Clear();
                    o.ViewLocationFormats.Add(options.FeatureNamePlaceholder + @"\{0}.cshtml");
                    o.ViewLocationFormats.Add(options.FeatureNamePlaceholder + @"\_Views\{0}.cshtml");
                    o.ViewLocationFormats.Add(options.FeatureFolderName + @"\Shared\{0}.cshtml");
                    o.ViewLocationFormats.Add(options.DefaultViewLocation);

                    o.ViewLocationExpanders.Add(expander);
                });

            return services;
        }

In my case i preferred a separated _View folder for views in the features folders like that

~/Features/Account/_Views/login.cshtml
~/Features/Account/AccountController.cs
~/Features/Account/AccountModel.cs