This module will give portal administrators advanced file-management capabilities.

Administrators or those with edit-access can add, delete, rename, copy, and move files. You can also add and delete folders, as well as set file-attributes.

The Host may configure the root-folder to anywhere within the website, while an administrator can only set the root-folder to within thier portal upload directory.

Icons for images are generated as-needed on the server, based on file-types associated application. You may also choose to edit or create your own icons for certain file-types as neccessary.

Authorized users with no edit-access are given an easy way to browse and download files, based on the root-folder the administrator has set


Screenshots and demos for this module can be found on www.snowcovered.com

this is a great module. I am currently using it and it is a great management tool to manage files for the site. this is basically windows explorer in your portal!!!!

hey sjstokes, what kind of add-ons do you think you will be adding in the future for this?

-bkim

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-bkim

I am considering an add-on module to allow the explorer to be used for a User-Shared folder system.
It will work with the admin placing the module on a tab, setting a root folder and some share-size limits. Every time a user with edit-access goes to the tab with that instance of the module, a folder is created for him/her that they will be able to store thier own files in, up to share-size limit set on the module.

There are still some things to consider and work out, maybe I will get some suggestions from here.

I am undecided if there will be a public folder within the user-share root. Also am considering optionally allowing users to grant other users access to thier share.

I have a list of enhancments for the main module (such as zip/unzip files) but am going to finish the add-on module first before I consider which enhancments to make to the base.

Will you be adding any additional admin controls to set default folder per user?

Ideally, If a user logs on to the site and they have access to a Tab & DNN Explorer module, they should on be able to see certain files set by the admin based on there logon.

Sleiman

As it works now, if you are not in the edit role for DNN Explorer module, you can still browse/download files, as long as you have view-role access.

For the public-folder add-on, I was thinking each user gets a personal folder created for them, and optionally will have access to certain public folders.

I understand. However, although the user may not have edit access, it would still be a good idea to control a certain directory that they can access. In the case of a non-download folder, more business specific, user A may be assigned to folder A and user B may be assigned to folder B. No one else should be able to see folder A or B.

Hope this clarifies my point.

Also, it the code included with the purchase?

Is the DNN Explorer designed based on the Private Assemlby model? If not, do you plan to do so?

Thanks,

Sleiman

That is basically my idea behind the shared-folder module, a user will get his-own folder that no-one else can access. In addition, I think I will add the ability to also give that user access to a public folder, with read-write access, very similar to how user folders are setup in many lan-environments.

The code is included with the purchase, in PrivateAssembly form. I create my PrivateAssembly slightly different, in that it is not an ASP.NET project, but started as a VB.Net class. I only have to add some extra imports, but I can add the private assembly project to a clean DNN solution, set the DNN solution to not build, set the PrivateAssembly to build into DotNetNuke/bin, and this way debug PrivateAssembly and DNN very easily.

Awesome module. If you're using the DNN Picture Gallery Module, this is perfect for maintaing the directories and images for this module.

Great Module!

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Chris

There is an update I am posting later today that greatly reduces postbacks for the control.
Postbacks have been cut when copying/moving files, as well as browsing the tree. I'll be contacting existing users to provide them with the updated version.

I was also able to include unzip-zip files on upload in the 1.0.5 version.
Here is a quick list for my plans for the next version, which I estimating at about 2 weeks from now:

Add move/rename for folders.
Unzip a zip file on server, ability to specify destination zip-folder. Optionally restoring zip-paths.
Ability to que-files on server to be zipped.
Optionally display opened files in the file-grid pane, using iframe, rather than open a new window.
These updates I plan to provide to all exisiting users, as I did with the 1.0.5 version.

I will also be adding an add-on module that will be the "User Share" system I spoke of in past posts. "Sleiman" has given my some good advice to help with this, and hopefully I will get some more from this thread. The user share module will allow the admin to assign each user different folders they have access to, and set what type of access thy have to each folder.

I am also in the market for a better tree view, maybe even pure-javascript. As great as microsofts tree control is, I think for what I have gained in ease of use, costs equally in client-side performance. Also I have some more ideas to limit postback a bit on the file-grid, but for all updates I will be looking for ways to limit postback.

I have been working on other projects these past couple of weeks, so have not had time to update DNN Explorer.
However, some of the features I am coding into my current projects I plan on using in the next update. I will probably begin the update sometime this week, so this is a good time for current users to post some comments.

Here is small list of things that will happen in next update:

Bye-Bye Microsoft Treeview: I have purchased a new tree to use, which appears faster. Most importantly, it renders with less overhead sent to the client (ViewState-nightmare), and should give me the space to do some better client-side paging on the grid.

Client-side grid paging is something I have almost finished for another module. I wont send ALL files to the client to achieve this, I just wont go back to the server for every page of 10-files. I hate a page that every-time you click the mouse it must go ask the server something...

Per-User folder rights: This will probably be a seperate module, but it will be included in the upgrade. Still have to hash-out the final notes, but this will allow you to specify by group or user read/write access to certain folders. I will use this for my site, each registered user will be get thier-own folder to write to, and a public folder to read from. A module-setting will allow this users-folder to optionally be created automatically (when new user loads module first-time).

The buttons are kinda ugly, I have replacement images for most so far...

In-line file editing...Click a file, the grid gets replaced with file-contents. Hopefully I can get around to allowing use of FreeTextBox in this mode as well.

Zip/Unzip on server. No-one has yet to request this, but I myself have had some uses for it.

There are a few more features on my to-add-list, but these will be the initial focus. Some of the above items have been requested, so I do not want to delay the release to much longer.
I will also continue to provide updates to existing owners.

Sounds like a very promising component! I think I'll sit tight and wait for the enhancements. I agree about hitting the server for every request. That's nonsense. Today with broadband being abundant, giving he client a larger data return is not big ordeal.
I'm looking forward to you next Explorer.

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~Chris

Net Data Design
706Horsman.us

Way to go Scott. Good job on finding a treeview replacement. Looking forward for getting this new stuff to start testing.

Sleiman

What reeview are you going to be using? I am assuming that this means anyone that needs to use your module will need to purchase the treeview you are using

Hey sleiman,
Thanks again for your input(s), Many of the features I'll be adding are coming from ideas you have been giving me these past few weeks.

I will be using the tree from www.treeview.net
My license allows me to use the tree in components, as long as the tree is not redistributed as a standalone product.
Here is the quote from thier site:
"You cannot redistribute the Treeview, or another tree script based on it, as a standalone product. You can, however, distribute HTML applications that include the tree in it. An example of this is an electronic book where the Treeview applet is used to help navigate between the pages.
There are no royalties to be paid for the distribution of products that use the Treeview inside of them. "
I have other tree components, and have looked into many. But, many of them have license terms that are either confusing or prohibitive when it comes to redistribution.

Scott, I checked out the treeview.net site and I love the Web File Browser example that they show on their site. Specially the one with frames where you can view the content of the file in the right frame. Great stuff. Keep up the good work.

Sleiman

Great,

I am looking forward to see how you implement the tree-view. I have also been looking for a good-tree view and how to handle the postback events. I basically want a different panel in my user control to be enabled based on the tree-node the user selects. I looked at a few tree views but coudl not figure out how to get the event handlers working. I am looking forward to your code to see how you implment it. LEt me know if you need a beta tester :)

Bert

Does this module come with source if purchased?

Bert

Yes, it includes source in PrivateAssembly form.