Hi,

I'm trying to build a kind of application using a DNN third party tool called XMOD PRO.

Basically it allows me to generate forms and templates to display data from a database table that I create. I can display a list of records and then select one to display another page with more details (the details page).

So I have two DNN pages each containing a module, one displays a list of records, the other displays the details for the record.

What I'd also like to do is add some DNN modules to the details page and populate them module based on the record selected. Does anyone know if this is possible?

Although I'm using a 3rd party tool, I think this is more of a DNN question, the reason I'm posting this question here.

You can see where I am so far here: http://www.netmonics.co.uk/Offerings.aspx
If you click on one of the images (not the text), you will see NewsDetails.aspx displays the record you selected. I would like to add DNN modules to the NewsDetails.aspx and populate them based on the record selected. A photo gallery for example, but would like to be able to use any module if possible.

The following url: http://www.netmonics.co.uk/NewsDeta....aspx?ID=2
has an ID parameter, it's a database primary key. Is it possible for each DNN module to somehow use this for data storage and retrieval in addition whatever else is used.

Please let me know if you need more detail.


Regards,

Steve

As you have discovered, using a querystring variable (ID=2, etc.) is a great way to pass information from one page or module to another.

The trick is that you will need to use modules that can read the querystring and determine what to display. Besides creating another Xmod Pro module, you could use, for example, the Reports module. It can read a querystring variable, and then incorporate that into the report. Another example is the module that displays user profiles.

I'm not aware of many other generic modules that can use a querystring variable. Mainly, this is because of the context: besides the querystring variable, you need to know what to retrieve and from where to retrieve it. But, the reports module is quite good in this respect. That is due to the fact that the module can be used with visualizers that determine the how part of the display. Som other choices include:

- Form & List module.
- One of my all-time favorite modules, SGSV from Tressleworks.ca
- Indoo Grid (I think)
- Dynamic Forms and (I expect) Dynamic Views from DataSprings.com

I'll bet you can find others that I just don't know about.

And, you can use multiple querystring variables where it is appropriate.

Hi Joe,

I don't want to use the reports module as I would like the content for each module to be maintained on the page via the modules themselves.
And for example I have a 3rd party slide show module which I'd like to use to display a slideshow according to the record being accessed.

I don't know if it's possible to set the context (using a unique key available from a url parameter) in some way for a module.
But have logged question in the DNN forums.

As you suggest, I can use an XMOD PRO module to pick up the url parameter. But after that I'm stuck.
How to set the DNN module from a XMOD PRO module, assuming it's possible, a question I've put into a XMOD PRO forum.

If I can't get it to work via XMOD PRO I will need to look at your other suggestions., thankyou.
At least I will have one more question to ask before deciding on another product.

Steve

Steve,

I don't believe that you will find many modules that have been designed to understand a "context" and reconfigure themselves.

Besides the use of querystring parameters, modules can infer a context from the page, module, user info, etc. that is available. For example, the User Profile module can understand who is the logged in user, privileges, etc and display content based on that context.

When you refer to a slideshow module that displays based on "the record being accessed" what does that mean? What is "the record"? Is it the logged in user?

Hi Joe,

Thankyou for your reply.

From you last reply:
>>When you refer to a slideshow module that displays based on "the record being accessed" what does that mean? What is "the record"? Is it the logged in user?

I've created a database table and generated a form to populate it using XMod Pro. Using a template i can display records from the database table, as in this page:
http://www.netmonics.co.uk/Offerings.aspx (the list page, for want of a better name)

There are two 'articles', one for each record in the database table. You can click on the text or image of each article to view the full details on the 'details' page, which has no styling at present.

I would like to be able to add DNN modules on the 'details' poge which would be able to display information relating to a given article (in this case).
For example, a slideshow with a different set of images for each article.

Overall what I'm trying to do is be able to allow users to create rich pages with no html knowledge.
I can create and configure everything with almost no programming required i.e. create a database table, generate the entry form and configure templates for the list and details pages. And this would mean the pages could be prepared very quickly, i.e. low cost.

The structure on the page is partly defined by the database table for the page. But I would like the 'details page to contain DNN modules, but that is now seeming like it may not always be possible.

I can achieve a one to many relationship. Let's say I was creating a recipe form for a coookery web site. Each recipe would have a list of ingredients.
I could therefore create a recipe table with things like title, main image, description etc. And then another table called 'Ingredients' which would contain a list of ingredients for each recipe. I could create an ingredients form and template and make them accessible on the 'details' page. I would have the primary key from the recipes table to at that point to save in the ingredients table. It's even possible to create drop downs for the fields of the page for things like ingredient quantityl (Kg, teaspoon, pint, etc.)

So the whole thing is like a simple web application for creating content easily and quickly.

But, I made a bad assumption before starting out on with this little project. I just assumed that the modules could pick up different data baed on some kind of context, but I was wrong.

So as far as I can see, there are a few options.
1) Buy modules which are context sensitve, but that as you mention seems unlikely that many are available.
2) Take the source code for and existing module and modify the module to be context sensitive.
3) Create modules with Xmod Pro, these are context sensitive and could access the stored procedures and tables belonging to a DNN module.
4) Create modules from scratch using ASP.NET. But this could be an awful lot of effort for something like a slideshow.

But I am so surprised that it's not possible to do this right out of box. Doesn't anyone else want to create pages in this way?

The restriction of modules with no context sentivity, does mean that the pages couldn't be very rich, which is a great pity.
But are there any other alternative approaches which would achieve the same things?
I thought about page templates, there could be two page templates for the list and details page.
The links on the list page to the details page could be unique based on the primary key of the underlying table i.e.
www.websitename.com/detailspage1.aspx, www.websitename.com/detailspage2.aspx, www.websitename.com/detailspage3.aspx etc.
The web site content administrator would be respsonible for creating a details page with the correct details page name, slighly more work but acceptable.
But this having a physical page for each details page would create a maintenance nightmare.

So the only other way I can think of is to generate the physical pages. That way, the could simply be regenerated when a change is required.
I assume there would just be some tables in the database to to update to register the page and it's modules. As the pages are physical, their modules would be able to contain specific content. I am just floating an idea here, does this seem reasonable?

If the user were logged in, that could be used affect the content, but I haven't really considered this possiblity yet.

Many thanks for your replies once again.

Steve

Modules can display content based on context. But, and this is the big thing, you have to design that into the module.

The default context available to DotNetNuke is the details of the http request and the logged in user's identify. These can be used. Anything about the logged in user is accessible, including profile properties, security rol membership, etc.

There is an intermodule communications cabability. Using it, though needs to be designed in.

Use of querystring variables is a standard technique.

You could use cookies if you want to go down that path.

DotNetNuke 6.2 (which will be released on 5/30) includes that Active Social module. That incorporates the use of social groups, personal pages, etc.

Hi Joe

Thankyou for your reply.

Yes as you point out, the module must be designed to use url parameters, as are modules created with XMod Pro.
But for most modules, I can't use the same technique to select data so my only option is to create physical pages from a page template.
That way each module on each page stores it's own data and knows how to retrieve it.

Physical pages do have the advantage that they can be customised individually.
But the downside is when you want to make a change to all pages.
Let's say you now need to add a new module to each page and there are 1000 pages, a lot of work.

Is it possible to change pages programatically to add in the new module (or do whatever).
I am guessing that in this case it would involve something like adding an entry in the tabmodules table and changing the page layout to refer to the new page.
I just wonder if this is possible should the need ever arise?

Steve