DotNetNuke 4

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DotNetNuke 4

• Patrick J. Santry
• Microsoft ASP.NET MVP
• wwwCoder.com

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DotNetNuke

• DotNetNuke Overview
• Features
• Module Development
• What are Modules?
• Skinning
• Containers
• Resources

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DotNetNuke Overview

• Started by Shaun Walker of Perpetual Motion
  Interactive Systems Inc. in Jan. 2002 as an
  extension to IBuySpy, initially called IBuySpy
  Workshop.
• Consists of developers from various backgrounds.
• Large community support, ASP.NET forums.
• Written in VB.NET
• Open Source license. BSD
• Over 400,000 registered users and growing.
• More than a starter kit, thousands of
  professional implementations worldwide.

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Features

• Multi portal implementation
• Role based security
• Skinning, provides flexibility of design.
• Content is editable in-line and searchable (full
  text).
• Various tools provided traffic log reporting,
  file management, bulk email, payment handling,
  vendor management.
• Friendly URLs, SEO
• Comes with several modules built into the core.
  Hundreds of third party modules are available
  (free and commercial)

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Modules

• What are Modules
• Desktop Modules
• Relation to DNN
• Architecture

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What are Modules?

• Provides a developer with a means of extending
  DNN.
• Third party modules can purchased for out of the
  box solutions.
• Core modules are included in DNN for basic
  functionality.

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Module Example Text /HTML
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Desktop Modules

• Provide a basic look and feel via Containers
• Contain administrative features
• Security
• Meta data
• Positioning
• Syndication

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Module Development

• Architecture
• Data Provider
• Data Abstraction
• Business Logic Layer
• New Interfaces
• Personalization
• Scheduler
• Logging Provider
• Importing / Exporting
• Searching
• Text Editor Provider
• DNN User Controls
• Other items

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Module Architecture
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Provider Model

• Provides abstraction layer to physical provider
• Reduces need for recompiling in order to switch
  physical providers.
• Separates physical providers from business logic
• DNN Providers
• Security and Membership Provider
• Text/HTML Provider
• Logging Provider
• Scheduler
• Friendly URLs

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Physical Providers

• Each provider will contain unique logic for
  dealing with each physical database.
• Compiled into its own assembly for plug and
  play use.
• (For SQL) Contains methods corresponding to
  stored procedures.
• Defined in the Web.config

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Abstraction Layer

• Contains overridable methods for doing database
  operations
• Located within the modules project, compiled
  into the same assembly as the module.

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Business Logic Layer

• Divided into two classes
• ModuleInfo Contains the properties for our
  object.
• ModuleController Contains wrapper methods for
  calling the abstraction layer to populate an
  arraylist of objects (ModuleInfo).

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Presentation Layer

• User controls (ascx)
• Inherits the PortalModuleBase provides values
  for Settings hash, ModuleID, security, TabID
• Binds the objects from the controller class to
  our controls.
• Utilizes DNN user controls
• This is your module (refer to DesktopModule)
• Create an admin control (for populating settings,
  and view control for viewing data)

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Personalization

• Provided by the DotNetNuke.Services.Personalizatio
  n interface.
• Allows developer to store unique values for each
  user
• Provides both read and write of personalization
  values and keys.

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Scheduler

• Provided by DotNetNuke.Services.Scheduling
• Provides a means of running a process outside of
  the user request (batch jobs).

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Logging Provider

• Provided by Log.EventLog.EventLogController
• Provides the ability to write to the DNN log
  located under the admin menu.
• Similar to the Windows event log, will log code
  errors, informational (developer), etc.

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Import / Export

• Provided by DotNetNuke.Entities.Modules.IPortable
  
• Allows the developer to provide a means of
  exporting data from within a module so it can be
  inserted into another instance of that module.
• Must generate an XML file that is used in the
  export and import process.

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Searching

• DNN provides its own indexing mechanism for
  content.
• Developer can define content to be indexed in
  DNNs catalog.
• Will need to implement DotNetNuke.Services.Search.
  ISearchable in your class.

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Text Editor Provider

• Default is FreeTextBox
• Can be freely exchanged with another provider
  (via the web.config)

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DNN User Controls

• Address This control provides the address entry
  control that you see in DNN when registering for
  an account within the portal.
• DesktopModuleTitle Provides the title area
  above a module.
• DesktopPortalBanner The banner ad area within
  the portal, includes the login, banner ad, logo,
  and other items.
• DesktopPortalFooter The footer control for a
  portal.
• DualListControl A control containing two list
  controls for moving data between the two.
• Help Help control for a module. Accepts
  localization information, and help file
  references.
• LabelControl Contains properties for storing
  localization information, help information, and
  other information provided the DNN core.
• ListItemComparer Used to compare items within a
  list.
• ModuleAuditControl For auditing a module, such
  as who created the module and when the module was
  created.
• SectionHeadControl For creating collapsible
  areas within your module.
• TextEditor Discussed previously
• UrlControl Provides NavigateURL, friendly URLs,
  etc.
• URLTrackingControl For click tracking.

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Items of Note

• Easy distribution and install of modules via a
  package which contains a definition file,
  assemblies, ascx controls, content files, and
  data provider (for database creation).
• Starter Kits Available for DotNetNuke installs,
  Modules, and Skins.

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Skinning
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Skinning

• Separate look from content
• Multiple skins per portal. Each page can have
  unique skin.
• Can be created using designer tools Expression
  Web
• Contains HTML, CSS, Images
• Easily Distributed via Zip Files
• Skins can be assigned at the host or site level.

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Parts of a Skin

• HTML File Containing Directives
• XML File Containing Properties for Controls
• Associated Files CSS, Images, etc.

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HTML Example

• ltTABLE class"pagemaster" border"0"
  cellspacing"0" cellpadding"0"gt
• ltTRgt
• ltTD valign"top"gt
• ltTABLE class"skinmaster" width"770" border"0"
  align"center" cellspacing"0" cellpadding"0"gt
• ltTRgt
• ltTD id"ControlPanel" runat"server"
  class"contentpane" valign"top"
  align"center"gtlt/TDgt
• lt/TRgt
• ltTRgt
• ltTD valign"top"gt
• ltTABLE class"skinheader" cellSpacing"0"
  cellPadding"3" width"100" border"0"gt
• ltTRgt
• ltTD vAlign"middle" align"left"gtLOGOlt/TDgt
• ltTD vAlign"middle" align"right"gtBANNERlt/TD
  gt
• lt/TRgt
• lt/TABLEgt

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XML Definition

• ltObjectsgt
• ltObjectgt
• ltTokengtBREADCRUMBlt/Tokengt
• ltSettingsgt
• ltSettinggt
• ltNamegtSeparatorlt/Namegt
• ltValuegtlt!CDATAnbspraquonbspgtlt/Valuegt
  
• lt/Settinggt
• ltSettinggt
• ltNamegtRootLevellt/Namegt
• ltValuegt0lt/Valuegt
• lt/Settinggt
• lt/Settingsgt
• lt/Objectgt

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Generates an ASCX Files

• Once the skin files are uploaded they generate an
  ASCX file for the final skin.
• You can create ASCX files directly, zip, upload
  and install.

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Containers

• Similar to skinning, separates look from function
• Surrounds the module
• Create the same as a skin
• HTML with directives
• XML file for object properties
• Associated files
• Once uploaded, DNN will parse into an ASCX file.
• Can use ASCX files directly

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Resources

• DotNetNuke.com The official DNN site.
• SnowCovered.com Third party modules.
• WWWCoder.com DNN news, articles, and resources.
• Documentation at DotNetNuke.com

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www.DotNetNuke.com