# Can't access my plugin views **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [February 18, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/cant-access-my-plugin-views/183664 "2010-02-18T14:09:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![captaffy](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@captaffy](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/captaffy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/cant-access-my-plugin-views/183664/1 "2010-02-18T14:09:19Z")
I have created a plugin with a controller and views inside lib/app of the folder. I have added the controller’s folder to the LOAD\_PATH, but not the views. When using the plugin, the controller is loaded, but not the view of the action. It always searches on RAILS\_ROOT/app/views, not in my plugins folder. I have followed the Rails guides about how to create plugins, but it does not explain how to render views inside a plugin. Can anyone help? Should I put some code to user the plugin views? I’ll appreciate any help. ---
**Author:** ![captaffy](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@captaffy](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/captaffy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/cant-access-my-plugin-views/183664/2 "2010-02-18T14:44:48Z")
On Feb 18, 1:09 pm, John S. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > I have created a plugin with a controller and views inside lib/app of > the folder. I have added the controller’s folder to the LOAD\_PATH, but > not the views. When using the plugin, the controller is loaded, but not > the view of the action. It always searches on RAILS\_ROOT/app/views, not > in my plugins folder. I have followed the Rails guides about how to > create plugins, but it does not explain how to render views inside a > plugin. Can anyone help? Should I put some code to user the plugin > views? What version of rails do you have ? In 2.3 the easiest way to do this is add a rails engine, in which case this should all just work, provided that the plugin has the correct directory structure (it needs to look a bit like an app ie controller in plugin/app/controllers, views in plugin/app/views Prior to that you have to do a bit more messing around - ActionController has a view\_paths setting which controls where it searches for stuff. Fred ---
**Author:** ![captaffy](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@captaffy](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/captaffy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 6:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/cant-access-my-plugin-views/183664/3 "2010-02-18T18:14:31Z")
Frederick C. wrote: > On Feb 18, 1:09�pm, John S. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > > I have created a plugin with a controller and views inside lib/app of > > the folder. I have added the controller’s folder to the LOAD\_PATH, but > > not the views. When using the plugin, the controller is loaded, but not > > the view of the action. It always searches on RAILS\_ROOT/app/views, not > > in my plugins folder. I have followed the Rails guides about how to > > create plugins, but it does not explain how to render views inside a > > plugin. Can anyone help? Should I put some code to user the plugin > > views? > > What version of rails do you have ? In 2.3 the easiest way to do this > is add a rails engine, in which case this should all just work, > provided that the plugin has the correct directory structure (it needs > to look a bit like an app ie controller in plugin/app/controllers, > views in plugin/app/views > Prior to that you have to do a bit more messing around - > ActionController has a view\_paths setting which controls where it > searches for stuff. > > Fred Ok. I’ll look for rails engines. Maybe with Rails 3.0 it’s different too.