How to Connect controller rendering with Interface Template

Question

I am trying to create a simple Image controller Rendering and I don't want to add the template interface to my page type, because I want to add the image dynamicaly to my site.

So here my "problems" begin.

I've created a simple Controllerrendering with a viewmodel

public class PageImageViewModel
{
    public HtmlString PageImage { get; set; }
}

as simple Controller call to my ModelBuilder

public ActionResult PageImage()
{
    return View(PageImageModelBuilder.GetPageImageViewModel(RenderingContext.Current.Rendering.Item));
}

and the modelbuilder

public PageImageViewModel GetPageImageViewModel(Item currentItem)
{
    var model = new PageImageViewModel();
    model.PageImage = new HtmlString(FieldRenderer.Render(currentItem, Templates.PageImage.Fields.Image_FieldName));
    return model;
}

and the view

@using Bazar.Feature.PageContent
@model Bazar.Feature.PageContent.Models.Models.PageImageViewModel

<div class="">
    <p>Hallo Welt</p>
     @Model.PageImage
</div>

thats the codeside I think that should work.

and now the sitecore elments

• I've created a Interface Template for my _PageImage
• I've created the Controller rendering

• And I've tried to add this new control to my "Home" view where I've some dynamic placeholders but I don't get the modal where I can choose what Image I want to see.
• try to add the controller rendering to my page

• but after that no image selection is opened and the final layout looks like

• and I can't edit or select the Image

• so far I understand my Problem is the controller rendering has no connection to my Interface Template _PageImage but I don't understand how to get this "connection"?

Answer 1

The fix

You need to specify a template in the Datasource Template field of your controller rendering. This is the field that tells Sitecore to prompt an editor to select a data source when adding a rendering.

A cool feature

Sitecore will take template inheritance into account when allowing you to select data sources, which means that you'll be able to select any item that has a base template of the one you select here (e.g. _PageImage).

Another recommendation

Additionally, it's good practice to specify the location under which data sources can be found by putting that path in the Datasource Location field: