DNN Creative Issues

In this issue we have converted 5 open source html templates into DotNetNuke skins.

These templates have been chosen due to their different design and CSS techniques used. Each of these template designs used a different approach while converting them to a DotNetNuke skin, so you will be able to view the code and learn from this variety of implementations.

Skins:

	Lazy Days Fluid design, re-size the browser window and view how the balloons and buildings move. View the text styling, especially the implementation of blockquotes. The DotNetNuke control panel in this skin had to be moved to the bottom of the page so it would not interfere with the design.
	Zenlike Fluid design centred with a background image. This skin presented an interesting challenge when converting to DotNetNuke, especially so that the background image would not interfere when administrating in DNN. The control panel in this skin is placed underneath the main header.
	Bitter Sweet Stylish fixed width skin. The main challenge for this skin was the layout of the panes in DotNetNuke, if a pane did not contain any content, the layout collapsed. This was fixed by changing and improving the original CSS of the XHTML template so that it is suitable for a CMS. Notice how the title backgrounds extend outside the text in the content pane.
	Greenery Interesting fixed width design with an image cutting the skin in half. This presented interesting challenges when implementing the right pane in DotNetNuke and preventing the pane dropping below the main content in IE6.
	Dark Ritual Fixed width 3 pane skin. Dark background skins always present a challenge in DotNetNuke when working in the administration area. A 1 pane skin was created with a white background in the content area for administration tasks, along with special styling for the FCK editor so that content can be viewed when adding images and links using the FCK editor.

View issue 34 to download all of the videos in one zip file

Following on from our special SQL issue last month, we are dedicating another full issue to improving the efficiency of your administration time with DotNetNuke using SQL queries.

The SQL methods we show you this month are very powerful techniques which will reduce weeks of work into seconds. These tutorials are especially useful if you are re-skinning a large DotNetNuke installation.

To begin with we demonstrate how to update the Page Settings of a page using SQL queries.

We then demonstrate how to use SQL queries to delete a group of modules from a page, move modules between content panes and insert a copy of a module to a page. If you were to manually move, delete and insert modules when re-skinning your DotNetNuke installation it could take up to 10 minutes per page, for a 500 page website this would take 5000 minutes. Using SQL queries will allow you to apply changes across your entire site within seconds.

Following this we take a look at the DotNetNuke SQL Module. This module comes free with DotNetNuke and is only available to the host user on your DotNetNuke installation. This module allows you to execute SQL queries without the need for SQL Server Express. Although we thoroughly recommend you use SQL Server Express to build and check your queries, this module is very useful if you already have a good understanding of SQL queries.

And finally, we demonstrate how to work with Skins and Containers in DotNetNuke using SQL queries. In the previous tutorials we demonstrated how to change a container on a single page, in this tutorial we show you how to change the container for a copied module that is displayed on all or several pages, how to change the container of a module to a new container based on the name of the old container, and how to change the skin of a page to a new skin based on the name of the old skin.

As you can see, using all of the techniques outlined in this issue will literally save you weeks of work.

This issue comes complete with 11 videos.


Tutorials:

Administrators:	How to Update the DotNetNuke Page Settings Using SQL Queries (2 videos - 19mins)
	Administrating modules in DotNetNuke using SQL (5 videos - 35mins)
	The DotNetNuke SQL Core Module (1 video - 5mins)
	Administrating Skins and Containers using SQL (3 videos - 24mins)

View issue 33 to download all of the videos in one zip file

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

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

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
	CATALook Store Module

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

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

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

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

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

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