Issue with rendering a template from a plugin function

Question

I have an issue with rendering a template from within my controller in my plugin. It just seems to re-direct to the dashboard instead of bringing up the template.

I have a widget on the dashboard that calls an action in my plugin's controller file. This works as I can print_r the object I am creating. However when it gets to the render code it just keeps re-directing back to the dashboard. I've even tried stripping out all the code apart from the render call and it still does it. The code making the call is:

return craft()->templates->render('pluginName/index.html');

Which is currently the only code in the plugin function. The plugin has a templates folder where the index.html is held. I've also stripped the template down so it only contains the following:

{% extends "_layouts/cp" %}
{% set centered = true %}
{% set title = "The Title"|t %}

{% set content %}

<p>List the users</p>

{% endset %}

Any clues anyone.

Answer 1

I haven't tried calling a template from a controller, so I may not be any help but I've used

...->render(...)

in my main plugin Class like this:

MyPlugin.php

return craft()->templates->render('myplugin/_settings', array('settings' => $this->getSettings()));

Maybe the render method is looking for another argument?

EDIT

Oh wait... I was wrong, it looks like I do...

MyPluginController.php

$vars['users'] = craft()->user->listUsers();
$this->renderTemplate('myplugin/index', $vars);

Then I have a variables file:

MyPluginVariable.php

public function getContacts()
{
    return craft()->contactForm->getUsers();
}

Which ties back to the my service:

MyPluginService.php

public function getUsers()
{
    return MyPluginRecord::model()->findAll(array('order' => 'dateCreated desc'));
}

Maybe that will help get you rolling?