Hi,

I was thinking of trying to use DNN as an application framework for an intranet application I hope to develop. I was thinking of developing a series of custom modules that would basically perform a subset of the total apps functionality. For example, lets say I wish to build an app to record details of customers who have purchased things from me. I was thinking of breaking the functionality into a series of modules which although may not be of any use to anybody else would be to me if I wished to develop another app with similar functionality. So for example, I'd develop a customer search module, a customer search results module, a customer summary information module etc. Similarly I'd do the same for orders. There would be a bit of overlap between the two, for example there may be a customer order list module. I was hoping I could develop these and somehow integrate them together somehow into a useful app. For example, I was thinking I could add a page with a customer search module, which when a user performed a search would bring them to a page which would have a customer search results module on it. Clicking on a individual result would bring them to a page with the customer summary information module on it etc. Has anybody used DNN in this way? I'd be grateful for any examples or tips on how to achieve this. I see this as slightly different to how DNN was intended to be used (perhaps?) as each module is standalone. Anyway, I'd be grateful for peoples input.

Thanks

Norm

When I started with DNN I intended to just use DNN as base code and then create basically a new application from it. The change for me came when I realized that someone else already wrote a module that did what I needed.

So do I work with DNN and play by the rules so I can use other modules or do I "go it on my own" and just use DNN as a "starting point".

I chose to just do things the "DotNetNuke way" and I have found that I now have to code very little to get what I want.

Therefore if I were you I would only make modules that plug into DNN the normal way. This way you can buy modules to do most of the things you want to do. Coding things yourself when you can buy a module for $50 is just not a good use of your valuable time :)

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http://ADefwebserver.com

I agree with Michael. Changes to the core only make upgrading problematic at best. I like to do things myself when it comes to creating modules. I do follow a general rule of thumb though. If something takes me more than 8 hours to work on, and if a module already exists for sale for under $100, I will usually opt to spend the money and work on something else. This especially holds true if the module comes with source code. That is the icing on the cake.

Programming is fun, but time is money. That's why I can't blame anyone for marketing their modules and trying to earn a little compensation for their hard work.

Jeff Johnson

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http://www.bestmodules.com - Modules, Skins & Skin Objects

Hi Norm

If you are strictly writing dnn modules you should adhere to the dnn way of doing things.  However if you are developing software applications there are other things to consider. 

I'm the process of developing a big application over 50 table many many user controls and just didn't see a fit for the dnn way doing things  so id decided to build my own framework

Here's my reasoning

1)   I need to be the master domain, so i developed and interface between dnn and my application this way i don't need to worry about things that i have no control over.    There's several modules out there that let you this or you can roll your own, it's not that complicated. 

2)   I let dnn do what it does best manage the security and content of the website for my application.  

3)   I use the dnn code for reference, and learn and draw from it

4)   Open Source is great, but when you are selling software applications to businesses, you better be in position to support your code, your clients are going to be looking at you for answers, not the core team  not this forum.

5)  What about if you want port your app to another portal, or another environment or make it a stand alone app.  If your code has dnn dependencies you may end up with two or more versions of your app


ray

Hi,

Thanks for all the replies. I don't think that I can use any off-the-shelf modules to accomplish what I want to do - it's a very business specific app. I agree with the points Ray made (i.e. whereby "I let dnn do what it does best manage the security and content of the website for my application" and "I use the dnn code for reference, and learn and draw from it"). I developed a number of apps using DNNs precursor (iBuySpy) and got a lot of mileage from it even with its limitations. I was still hoping to develop modules that adhere to the way things are done in DNN but these would be outside the core of the system. Ray, when you say "I need to be the master domain, so i developed an interface between dnn and my application this way i don't need to worry about things that i have no control over There's several modules out there that let you this or you can roll your own, it's not that complicated" - could you point me in the direction of these modules?

Thanks again to all,

Norm

If you develop your custom application as a series of user controls, you can use something like Open SmartModule to wrap them so you can use them just like modules in DNN. Just another approach to consider.

Tim

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Tim Rolands
House of Nuke
Where DotNetNuke? Lives

Hey Norm

The approach i took was to create a doorway module for my app, this module captures all the portal settings for the  current user into a business object and then storesit  in the session cache, i dynamically load the user control for the feature requested into a placeholder in the doorway module, form there on my app runs within dnn.

If you are interested in the code, i can share it with it you, is written in vb .net

Somebody is selling something quite similar in snowcovered, that one is written in c#. i think is called smartmodule, here is the link

 http://www.snowcovered.com/snowcovered2/Default.aspx?tabid=166&CatalogItemID=2180


ray

Norm,

We use DNN extensively as an application framework.  We do not modify the core.
We use free and purchased modules when they meet ours needs.  No point in writing something that exists already.

Modules that we develop exclusively for Intranet use do not use the DAL.
You can still use the built-in security features, membership table, roles table and all the other features of DNN without having to do it yourself.  Turn on Windows Authentication in the web.config and you have the most solid, out of the box Intranet framework that there is.

mikez

 

Hi Ray,

I'd be ever so grateful if you could share that code you mentioned.

Thanks,

Norm

Hi Tim,

Thanks for the pointer - I'll take a look also.

Norm