Razor Layout doesn't work if file is called _ViewStart.cshtml

Question

I have an MVC3 web app to which I want to start using whole Razor views.

Most of the site is working fine with a Site.Master so I've packaged up most of it into partial views and am trying to add a layout with the same content.

After reading Scott Gu's blog I've added a file called _ViewStart.cshtml in my ~/Views directory so that it'll be applied by default.

Unfortunately this gives me the error:

The name 'RenderBody' does not exist in the current context

If the file is called _viewstart.cshtml.

If it is called _layoutviewstart.cshtml it will work but I have to reference it directly in the view.

If it's called _billyviewstart.cshtml is works but again I have to reference it directly in the view.

Site.Master? Are you just trying to convert an existing site? There's probably configuration changes required that you don't have. — Tridus
hello, we use view start to defined default layout, defined default layout will be stay in shared folder. of course it must have @RenderBody(). — Nuri YILMAZ

Nuri YILMAZ Nuri YILMAZ · Accepted Answer · 2011-08-11T11:33:27

View start

@{
    Layout = "~/Views/Shared/_Layout.cshtml";
}

Layout.cshtml

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
     @RenderBody()
</body>
</html>

Razor Layout doesn't work if file is called _ViewStart.cshtml

1 Answers