Not possible you say! DotNetNuke uses a very complex n-tier framework which will not work with Visual Web Developer Express(VWD). You're right, but you don't need it to. That's the point of DotNetNuke. Think of DotNetNuke as a souped-up Windows SharePoint Services (WSS). With the SmartDNNModule you can use any .net language VB.Net, C#.Net, C++.Net, J# .Net user control, no special hooks or programming just need the SmartDNNModule.
In this article I am going to show you how to use VWD (also same steps for VS) to build a user control and load it into a DotNetNuke website.
Programmers work smarter not harder!
Resources:
What is DotNetNuke?
Visual Web Developer Download - Free development environment available from the Microsoft Website.
Why is DotNetNuke so popular? (not my site just found it on google)
- DNN also includes Windows,forms,or ldap authentication
- Advanced Security/roles/membership framework
- Skinning….thousands ready to buy CHEAP from snowcovered.com
- DNN 4 Supports ASP.Net 1.1 and 2.0 usercontrols
- A huge community of developers and experts
What is SmartDNNModule?
- It is a user control wrapper that is used to create DNN modules from any user control.
Article:
Basic assumption; that you know how to use Visual Web Developer Express or Visual Studio.
Step1. Create a user control.
- In Visual Web Developer Express create a new website
- File >>New File>>Web User Control (see image)
- Click add
Step 2.
Add controls and or any programming to your user control:
Step 3.
Create your “UserControls” folder in your dotnetnuke root folder hint your UserControls folder should be at the same level as the bin folder:
Step 4.
Put the .ascx and .ascx.resx files in the usercontrols folder (in ASP.NET 2.0 just the .ascx):
Step 5.
Put the .dll into the bin folder (Visual Studio only – VWD is inline code skip this step)
Step 6.
Upload SmartDNNModule.zip into your DNN portal and onto a page then type in the name of your usercontrol(s) – remember in DNN you can have a view and edit controls or just a view. In this sample we just have a view control.
Click Create Module: and wait for the page to finish loading then click on the page link to refresh the page:
That’s it! You can create any user control with any .Net compliant language and load it into a DNN portal installation.
About the Author:
Charles Stratton has been programming since 1999 and enjoys staying on the edge of technology. his skills range from DNN to Sharepoint to Custom Development. currently working in VB.Net and C#.Net web and software. KISS - Programmers work smarter not harder. Charles can be reached at stratcr@peoplepc.com.
