# Rendering layouts/views from plugins **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [June 1, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rendering-layouts-views-from-plugins/169280 "2009-06-01T20:38:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rendering-layouts-views-from-plugins/169280/1 "2009-06-01T20:38:45Z")
I am wondering if there is an easy way to render layouts and views from the plugin directory, as well as javascript and css ? I know I could have a rake task copy them from the plugins to where they would normally go, but they may change from time to time within the application and then need to go back into the plugin. If I cause them to function as a plugin, then as I develop my app, the plugin changes as well. This is just a plugin that I use for myself only and would not get used alot except shared between a few apps, though if I updated it, I would update it in one app and then copy the changes to the other apps by copying that plugin from one app to another. The other possibility is I could have a rake task copy them from the app back into the plugin dir, but that seems sort of strange. I’m not sure if there are some better approaches … ---
**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 1:20pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rendering-layouts-views-from-plugins/169280/2 "2009-06-02T13:20:51Z")
You should get the answers to most of your questions here: [http://rails-engines.org/news/2009/05/18/engines-at-railsconf/](http://rails-engines.org/news/2009/05/18/engines-at-railsconf/) - James