DNN Creative Issues

May 2008

Welcome to issue 32 of DNN Creative Magazine

This is a very special issue dedicated to improving the efficiency of your administration time with DotNetNuke.

In particular we focus on using SQL queries to automate some of the repetitive tasks that you have to carry out as an administrator on a DotNetNuke portal.

These are very powerful techniques which for large DotNetNuke websites can reduce a week of work into seconds.

If you are new to SQL you can follow each of these tutorials through step by step. To begin with we provide a quick start guide to using SQL queries with SQL Server Express. We demonstrate how to set up SQL Server Management Studio Express using Windows Vista so that you can execute a basic query on both a localhost and live DotNetNuke database.

Following this we demonstrate using SQL queries for working with DotNetNuke security roles and users, focusing on exporting registered users to Excel and removing users from a security role based on their email address.

To finish we demonstrate working with shadow / copied modules. This is an essential and powerful administration task that can enhance your DotNetNuke portals and reduce administration time. Shadow or Copied modules can be used to update the same content on several pages from one central area. We demonstrate how you can use SQL queries to easily maintain these copied modules. The SQL techniques outlined in this tutorial are very powerful techniques for easily and quickly manipulating multiple copied modules across thousands of pages in a DotNetNuke portal and are particularly useful if you are re-skinning an already established site.

 

This issue comes complete with 11 videos.


Tutorials:

Administrators:	Introduction to SQL Queries with SQL Server Express, DotNetNuke and Vista (4 videos - 30mins)
	SQL Queries for Exporting DotNetNuke Users and Working with Security Roles (2 videos - 17mins)
	Working with Shadow / Copied Modules and SQL in DotNetNuke (5 videos - 42mins)

View issue 32 to download all of the videos in one zip file

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DNN Creative Magazine for DotNetNuke Web Designers
Covering DotNetNuke module video reviews, video tutorials, mp3 interviews, resources and web design tips for working with DotNetNuke.

In 32 issues we have created 295 videos!

April 2008

Welcome to issue 31 of DNN Creative Magazine

In this issue we demonstrate how to install DotNetNuke to Windows Vista and how to use Virtual PC 2007. To begin with, we walk you through how to configure and install the required programmes for DotNetNuke using a fresh installation of Windows Vista Ultimate and then demonstrate the installation of DotNetNuke to Windows Vista.

Following this, we show you how to setup and use Microsoft’s Virtual PC 2007. Virtual PC virtualizes the hardware of a physical computer; this means that a Virtual PC uses a standard hardware configuration which is not reliant on the hardware of the host computer. Therefore you can transfer a Virtual PC to another host computer without any software driver issues.

Virtual PC is ideal for setting up various applications when working with DotNetNuke. There are many possibilities for improving your working environment by using Virtual PC and in this tutorial we provide a quick start guide to Virtual PC.

 

This issue comes complete with 6 videos.


Tutorials:

Administrators:	How to install DotNetNuke to Vista (4 videos – 33mins)
	How to setup and use Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 (2 videos – 17mins)

View issue 31 to download all of the videos in one zip file

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DNN Creative Magazine for DotNetNuke Web Designers
Covering DotNetNuke module video reviews, video tutorials, mp3 interviews, resources and web design tips for working with DotNetNuke.

In 30 issues we have created 284 videos!

March 2008

Welcome to issue 30 of DNN Creative Magazine

This issue covers E-commerce in DotNetNuke. We begin with the DotNetNuke Store core module. We demonstrate in detail the various configurations that are available with the store so that you can sell your own products using DotNetNuke. We cover elements such as configuration, tax, shipping, categories, products, accounts, managing, CSS, styling, templates, testing and PayPal.

This leads onto the next tutorial which demonstrates how to setup and use the PayPal Developer Sandbox. This allows you to test dummy transactions from a seller to a merchant account without sending any actual money. This is an essential technique for testing your DotNetNuke stores.

Alongside the tutorials we have reviewed four DotNetNuke store modules, the AliCommerce shopping cart, CATALook store, AspDotNetStoreFront and Active Purchase.

 

This issue comes complete with 9 videos.


Tutorials:

Administrators:	DotNetNuke store core module (8 videos – 72mins)
	How to setup and use the PayPal Sandbox (1 video – 13mins)
Module Reviews:	AspDotNetStoreFront Module
	Active Purchase Module
	AliCommerce Shopping Cart Module
	CATALook Store Module

View issue 30 to download all of the videos in one zip file

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DNN Creative Magazine for DotNetNuke Web Designers
Covering DotNetNuke module video reviews, video tutorials, mp3 interviews, resources and web design tips for working with DotNetNuke.

In 30 issues we have created 278 videos!

February 2008

Welcome to issue 29 of DNN Creative Magazine

In this issue we walk you through the User Defined Table (UDT) core module. This module is a very flexible module and we explore in detail the various configurations that this module can create. We cover creating tables, templates, filters, paging, sorting, calculated columns, and XSL transformation file editing and generation.

We then demonstrate Token Replacement, which allows you to place tokens within the content of the Text / HTML, Newsletter and UDT modules. The tokens can display information such as the username, first name, portal title etc. Token Replacement provides a powerful way of personalizing the user experience.

Following this, we have included a skinning tutorial which walks you through various techniques that you can use to style the search box in DotNetNuke.

Alongside the tutorials we have reviewed the Mandeeps.com Live Content web 2.0 module.

To finish, we have created a video interview with Dave Snow, covering his DotNetNuke website, CSS skinning, modules and tips. This is a 100minute video interview where Dave walks us through his website as an administrator. It is available for free download from www.dotnetnukepodcast.com

 

This issue comes complete with 12 videos.


Tutorials:

Administrators:	User Defined Table (UDT) DotNetNuke Core Module (9 videos – 76mins)
	Token Replacement in DotNetNuke (1 video – 13mins)
Skinning:	How to style and skin the search box in DotNetNuke (2 videos – 24mins)
Module Reviews:	Mandeeps Live Content Web 2.0 DotNetNuke Module Review
Podcasts:	Dave Snow, Aging Safely DotNetNuke website, Video Interview

View issue 29 to download all of the videos in one zip file

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DNN Creative Magazine for DotNetNuke Web Designers
Covering DotNetNuke module video reviews, video tutorials, mp3 interviews, resources and web design tips for working with DotNetNuke.

In 29 issues we have created 269 videos!

January 2008

Welcome to issue 28 of DNN Creative Magazine

This issue is part 2 from the DotNetNuke OpenForce 07 conference in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Casino Hotel. The tutorials this month demonstrate the skinning presentation that Lee Sykes gave at the conference, except for in much more detail.

The skinning demonstration at the conference was 30 minutes; this is the second part of the 2 x 1 hour detailed tutorials where we convert a free XHTML template into a DotNetNuke skin.

Following this we have released 7 additional podcast interviews from the OpenForce Conference: www.dotnetnukepodcast.com

 

This issue comes complete with 7 videos.


Tutorials:

Skinning:

How to create a DotNetNuke CSS skin from an XHTML template – part 2 (7 videos – 60min)

Podcasts:

Tracy Wittenkeller, Malik Khan, Alex Delreal, and Brad Schafer – Interview covering OpenForce 07 to DotNetNuke Skinning Peter Schotman – Cestus Websites - DNN Menus, Interview at OpenForce 07 Charles Nurse – DotNetNuke Core Team - DotNetNuke Performance, OpenForce 07 Jon Henning – DotNetNuke Core Team, Interview at OpenForce 07 Cathal Connolly – DotNetNuke Core Team, Interview at OpenForce 07 Joe Brinkman – DotNetNuke Core Team, Interview at OpenForce 07 Kelly Ford – DNN Dev - XMOD, Interview at OpenForce 07

View issue 28 to download all of the videos in one zip file

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DNN Creative Magazine for DotNetNuke Web Designers
Covering DotNetNuke module video reviews, video tutorials, mp3 interviews, resources and web design tips for working with DotNetNuke.

In 28 issues we have created 257 videos!

December 2007

Welcome to issue 27 of DNN Creative Magazine

This issue is related to the DotNetNuke OpenForce 07 conference in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Casino Hotel. The tutorials this month demonstrate the skinning presentation that Lee Sykes gave at the conference, except for in much more detail! The skinning demonstration at the conference was 30 minutes; we have turned this into 2 x 1 hour tutorials split over the next two issues.

Following this we have released 5 podcast interviews from the OpenForce Conference, and have launched a new site: www.dotnetnukepodcast.com where podcasts will be regularly released for free. More podcasts will be released from the OpenForce conference in the next issue with part 2 of the skinning video tutorials.

 

This issue comes complete with 6 videos.


Tutorials:

Skinning:	How to create a DotNetNuke CSS skin from an XHTML template – part 1 (6 videos – 51min 32secs)
Podcasts:	Nik Kalyani - DotNetNuke Core Team, Interview at OpenForce 07 Tony Valenti and John Grange - PowerDNN Hosting, Interview at OpenForce 07 Peter Donker - Bring2Mind, Interview at OpenForce 07 Sebastian Leupold - DotNetNuke Core Team, Interview at OpenForce 07 Attendees of the DotNetNuke presentations, Interview at OpenForce 07

View issue 27 to download all of the skins in one zip file

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DNN Creative Magazine for DotNetNuke Web Designers
Covering DotNetNuke module video reviews, video tutorials, mp3 interviews, resources and web design tips for working with DotNetNuke.

In 27 issues we have created 250 videos!

November 2007

Welcome to issue 26 of DNN Creative Magazine

In this issue we explore the development and deployment of a DotNetNuke website, how to synchronise a local installation with a live installation.

This allows you to update the content on the live or local installation and keep both versions in sync without taking the live site offline.

We also demonstrate how to set access to the admin menu so that users can access elements of the menu without the need for full administration privileges.

To finish, we have also included a new pure CSS XHTML skin.

 

This issue comes complete with 5 videos.


Tutorials:

Administrators:	How to synchronize local and live DotNetNuke installations (Deployment using Red Gate Data Compare software) (4 videos – 33mins)
	How to limit access to the admin menu (Video - 11min)
Skin:	Free CSS Skin – Internet Sharing

View issue 26 to download all of the skins in one zip file

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DNN Creative Magazine for DotNetNuke Web Designers
Covering DotNetNuke module video reviews, video tutorials, mp3 interviews, resources and web design tips for working with DotNetNuke.

In 26 issues we have created 244 videos!

October 2007

Welcome to issue 25 of DNN Creative Magazine, this is our second year anniversary!

In this issue we demonstrate how to create advanced pure CSS search engine optimized skin layouts.

These techniques were developed for the new DNN Creative skin. Following the release of the DNN Creative skin we have responded to the requests of our subscribers for tutorials covering how to create these SEO CSS skins.

Continuing the SEO CSS skin layout tutorials we also explore multiple skin layout techniques and reducing CSS code through the skinname.css file.

These are advanced and flexible techniques for improving your pure CSS skins.

 

 

This issue comes complete with 8 videos.


Tutorials:

	Pure CSS SEO Layouts for DotNetNuke skins (8 videos – 64mins)
	Multiple skin layouts using skinname.CSS (1 video – 8mins)

View issue 25 to download all of the skins in one zip file

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DNN Creative Magazine for DotNetNuke Web Designers
Covering DotNetNuke module video reviews, video tutorials, mp3 interviews, resources and web design tips for working with DotNetNuke.

In 25 issues we have created 239 videos!

September 2007

Welcome to issue 24 of DNN Creative Magazine.

In this issue we demonstrate how to work with and create your own page templates. We have discovered an easy technique for creating page templates so that you do not require any programming skills to create complex templates.

Page templates are a powerful time saving tool. If you have certain modules that you regularly need to add to a page, you can do this automatically with a page template. If you have content in a Text / HTML module that you always use as a starting point, you can have default content added to a module through a page template.

Following page templates we demonstrate the new page management functions in the latest versions of DotNetNuke. This covers username permissions and various page copying functions.

 

 

This issue comes complete with 6 videos.


Tutorials:

	How to create Page Templates in DotNetNuke (4 videos – 32mins)
	Page Management – New Functions DotNetNuke v4.5.x (2 videos – 19mins)

View issue 24 to download all of the videos in one zip file

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DNN Creative Magazine for DotNetNuke Web Designers
Covering DotNetNuke module video reviews, video tutorials, mp3 interviews, resources and web design tips for working with DotNetNuke.

In 24 issues we have created 231 videos!

August 2007

Welcome to issue 23 of DNN Creative Magazine.

We have now completed the changeover to the new pure CSS skin for DNN Creative, so for issue 23 we have released 5 free pure CSS XHTML compliant skins for DotNetNuke.

These skins are open source html templates which we have converted to DotNetNuke skins.

Viewing the code from a variety of designers helps to improve your CSS skills and learn multiple techniques for manipulating the layouts and styling of CSS skins.

 

Free CSS Skins:

	andreas 01
	andreas 09
	Summer Breeze
	FreeStyle
	Curiously Green

View issue 23 to download all of the skins in one zip file

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DNN Creative Magazine for DotNetNuke Web Designers
Covering DotNetNuke module video reviews, video tutorials, mp3 interviews, resources and web design tips for working with DotNetNuke.

In 23 issues we have created 225 videos!