Adding a custom node to core tree

Questions
1

Hello!

I’m looking in to adding a custom node to a core tree, in this case a Tags node to the Content tree.

As I see it, there are a couple of way this can potentially work:

1:
Use the TreeControllerBase.TreeNodesRendering event to run something like this:

void AddTagsToContentTree(TreeControllerBase sender, TreeNodesRenderingEventArgs e)
{
    var node = sender.CreateTreeNode("-600", "-1", qs, "Tags", "icon-tag",  false, route);
    e.Nodes.Add(node);
}

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In this option, I’m able to render the node (and get child nodes to populate) with the first option, but I am completely unable to override any routing, so I am unable to implement any desired logic.

I would have figured using the newly created node’s routePath property would have had some benefit for me, but all I can manage is to get it to route to something custom within /umbraco/views/[etc] by using something like:

    routePath = "backoffice/TagEditor/tags";

2: Add a custom tree housed within the Content application:

    [PluginController("TagEditor")]
    [Tree("content", "tageditor", "Tags", iconClosed: "icon-tag")]
    public class TagEditorTreeController : TreeController

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In the second option, I’m able to route to my desired controllers/views and implement the logic I require but I don’t want to add the extra folder layer to the content tree (specifically Home etc under the folder).

I was hoping I could perhaps mix both methods adding the new node to Content but have it use the routing/behavior of the custom tree controller.

Does anyone have any insight on this or am I just barking up the wrong tree altogether?

Edit: I should note that this is slightly related to the following issue on YouTrack, that’s hasn’t seen much action:
U4-6617: v7 Custom Tree Routing is Confusing and Doesn’t Allow for Specific URL’s

This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://our.umbraco.com/forum/73883-adding-a-custom-node-to-core-tree