How do you create a new Widget Designer for a custom MVC widget?

To create a new Widget Designer for a custom MVC widget in Sitefinity, you need to follow a specific structure and naming convention when working with the view files. The correct approach involves creating a .cshtml file in the designated directory within your MVC structure. Specifically, the file should be located in the ~\MVC\Views[WidgetName] directory, where [WidgetName] corresponds to the name of your widget.

The .cshtml file must follow the naming convention of DesignerView.[DesignerViewName], which clearly distinguishes it as a designer view for the widget. This convention is essential because Sitefinity looks for files that match this structure to render the widget's design interface within the Sitefinity backend. This allows you to customize how the widget appears in the administrative interface, enabling editors to configure the widget's properties effectively.

The other methods mentioned do not align with the specific requirements for creating a Widget Designer for MVC widgets. Configuring through the dashboard typically focuses on settings rather than the creation of custom views, whereas creating a new widget definition in the API would be more about defining the widget's behavior and properties rather than its design interface. Lastly, using a pending update in the widget settings does not pertain to the creation of a designer view either