Today we announced that our DotNetNuke Module for syncing to outlook was updated to DNN 6. Check out the details here.
http://www.dotnetnuke.com/Resources/Forums/forumid/112/threadid/451288/scope/posts.aspx
Recently we launched a new website called Network You. The site can be found at networkyou.org.
Of particular interest on the site is a new module or ours soon to be released to the DotNetNuke Community called Mushroom Video Module.
The module will feed Youtube Play Lists from youtube.com directly into your site in an easy to manage and easy to use video feed.
The end result of the feeds looks like this:
http://www.networkyou.org/Network/GlobalVillage.aspx
With the video feeds being selected directly from a play list selector button that referenced a YouTube account name.
The module also uses the template system developed by InteractiveWebs for the display system that allows simple to load templates to be customized to the users requirements.
An example of the module with multiple feeds onto a single page is this one: http://www.networkyou.org/Network/Professionals/VideoTopics.aspx
We will be releasing the module to the public in the next few weeks. We would love to hear any comments!
Today we updated some code in our Contact Details module for DotNetNuke.
The module makes it easy to add your contact details to a page in DNN.
There is a map control function that uses Bing Maps that can be seen in the demo here: http://www.interactivewebs.com/contactdetails/Demo.aspx
We have updated the module today to support the use of SSL or https connections to the page that contains the module.
So here are the two ways to add the Bing Ajax control to your page in HTTP or HTTPS:
HTTP:
<script src=”http://ecn.dev.virtualearth.net/mapcontrol/mapcontrol.ashx?v=6.3” type="text/javascript"></script>
HTTPS:
<script src=”https://ecn.dev.virtualearth.net/mapcontrol/mapcontrol.ashx?v=6.3&s=1” type="text/javascript"></script>
Now on the HTTPS version notice I changed the URL to start with HTTPS, this is what pulls from the secure site over at the good Bing folks. Also notice I added the “s” parameter and set it to 1, default is 0, this tells the Bing API to get the image tiles for the map from HTTPS.
Why? you ask.
Well it seems that the API determines what protocol to use for JavaScript and other parts from the document.location.protocol, however when it comes to the map tiles it looks to a global setting that is set based on the parameter being passed.
One of the most asked for features of the DotNetNuke user registration process is to allow users to register without the need for a user name.
Today we have added this feature to the DotNetNuke Advanced Login Module.
Normally DotNetNuke requires a user name to be entered at registration. The Advanced Login Module will automatically create a DNN user name at registration time, even if the token for User Name is not included in the registration form. This way you can allow users to register with an email address and no user name, while in the background the Advanced Login Module handles the user name for you.
If omitted from the registration form, the user name will be taken from the email address.
david@domain.com for example will generate a user name using all data from before the @ symbol.
david@domain.com = david as the user name.
If david is already taken as a user name, then david-01 or david-02 etc. will be used automatically.
This keeps the username familiar to users should it ever be provided to them, yet keeps the registration process as simple as possible.
The module is available as a Free DNN Module trial on our site.
DotNetNuke 6x has a great looking default skin called DarkKnight, and the skin design has previously caused some layout issues with the Mushroom Light Module Templates.
To correct this, we have created two new templates that are designed specifically to work with the DarkKnight skin in DotNetNuke.
Called:
They produce the following results…
With the Large template being the content on the left, and the bottom right showing the content of the small template.
This makes the module perfect for use with DotNetNuke 6x our of the box.
The templates are selected through the normal RSS Template Tab in the module.
1. Select Load Template Button
2. Select the appropriate template and press the select button.
That will load the new templates and be ready to use on your site.
Advanced Login module for DotNetNuke works with DotNetNuke 4x, 5x and now 6x.
However because DotNetNuke 6x has some popup effect by default with the login button it interferes with the Advanced Login Module popup mode.
To fix this issue, the solution is relatively easy.
After selecting “Popup" from the Advanced Login Basic Settings Edit the skin object login and register as follows.
Default Settings
Update to:
Login
#dnn_Login,#dnn_LOGIN1_loginLink
Register
#dnn_USER1_registerLink
Save Tab Changes
Then we need to make a small mod to the templates. After Selecting the Templates tab, click on Custom Script.
And modify the script to:
jQuery(document).ready(function(){
/*
add any custom initialization logic here,
*/
jQuery("#dnn_LOGIN1_loginLink").attr("onclick","");
jQuery("#dnn_USER1_registerLink").attr("onclick","");})
function custom_validate_login(){
/*
add any custom login form validation logic here,
return true if pass validation
*/
return true;
}
function custom_validate_registration(){
/*
add any custom registration form validation logic here,
return true if pass validation
*/
return true;
}
Note: We added two new lines highlighted in yellow.
Save Tab Changes and you should be done. With the default skin in DNN 6.0.1, now the advanced login popup mode should work fine. Look at the Advanced Login Module for more assistance with configuring the module with different skins.
InteractiveWebs DotNetNuke Modules require a license to be activates on each sub domain from which the module is accessed.
The license is per sub domain, and NOT for each instance of DotNetNuke.
A sub domain example is:
In the case of domain.com and www.domain.com, these are considered as one single license. EVERY other sub domain needs it’s own license.
If you activate a module on dev.domain.com then browse to the same module using another sub domain (like dev2.domain.com) the module will not be activate with the new sub domain in the browser URL.
Each module will automatically enter into a 100% functional TRIAL mode the first time you access the module with any particular sub domain.
The trial period is automatically set from the date you first visit the module with any particular sub domain.
If you access dev1.domain.com the module will start it’s trial period from today, and may expire if you don’t activate.
If you then use another sub domain like dev2.domain.com the module will start a new trial and you will continue to be able to access the module on that dev2.domain.com sub domain.
Note: All the settings and modifications you make to any module in trial WILL be preserved and waiting for you once you activate the module license. So if your trial expires on your development sub domain, you can simply activate the module in it’s final www.domain.com location when you are ready to go live.
We recommend that if you need to configure and test (development site) before going live, that you do that on a development sub domain (like dev.domain.com), IN TRIAL MODE.
From that dev.domain.com, Setup the module, test and be sure things are working. Don’t be concerned if you get things just right, and the trial time expires. Because as soon as you access the module page on a new sub domain, it will go back into trial, and be available fro activation.
All your module settings and customizations will carry over to the new sub domain when you access it. So in this example, if you are ready to go live with www.domain.com you can access the module page with that sub domain, and extend the trial, or activate the module.
For this reason we always suggest that you only activate your module on www.domain.com as your final public URL of your website.
Select the Licensing Dropdown Menu Item from the module Menu:
The module will tell you about the Module Name, Version Installed, sub domain you are on, and trial days remaining.
If you have not purchased a License yet, you can click the Buy Now icon and purchase a license from our site.
Note: Check that the sub domain shown in the module is the final correct sub domain you wish your license to be active on: 
Click: Request License Activation
Fill in the details requested, including the store you purchase from and the email address that you used with your purchase.
Note: The email address must be the one you have on file. With SnowCovered, it is apparently possible to have more than one address on file. The address we need is the one that is in the purchase order confirmation data sent during purchase. This is the accounts primary e-mail address.
If we are unable to match the email address against a valid license activation, we return the error:
We suggest that you verify the email address used for purchase and try again with the correct address. You can also monitor your License Management on our site by logging in with the email address that you try to activate with.
With the correct details, you will receive a message like this:
You can monitor your licenses and activations by visiting our License Management page here.
Ensuring that you login to our site using the e-mail address that the license was purchased with.
We provide several Support services for our modules.
Then use the support menu to find module specific support. This will include KB Articles, Support Forums, Blog Posts.
Today we have released an update to the Advanced Login Module for DotNetNuke to allow it to support DotNetNuke 06.00.00.
Although the default DNN login is much improved, the advanced login module offers a range of especially useful feature that can greatly improve the users experience.
http://www.interactivewebs.com/advancedlogin/DNNLoginModule.aspx
Today we released a version of Word Editor that is ready and tested on DotNetNuke 06.00.00 release.
The popular Word Editor module allows users to edit the content of HTML on a DotNetNuke website using Microsoft Word 2007 or later.
If you have not seen the module, check out the website here:
http://www.interactivewebs.com/dnnwordeditor/AboutDNNWordEditor.aspx
Or the online demo here: http://demo.interactivewebs.com.au/dnnwordeditor_demo/dnnwordeditor_demo.htm
Today we released an update to the Automatic Backlink Module for DotNetNuke.
Details of the update are available here: http://www.interactivewebs.com/automaticlinkbuilder/Support/VersionHistory.aspx
But include improvements on the way site monitoring is handled and the way the module works with the known GZIP issues.
An example of the module can be seen here: http://www.interactivewebs.com/Admin/DotNetNukeWebsites.aspx?&action=add
where you can add your site for back linking.
Today we have released a new version of our Users Online gadget is getting ready for our iPhone app release that will support this module.
Today we have released a new version of the DotNetNuke Users Online Gadget module that allows you to monitor your website from:
Todays update can be seen here: http://www.interactivewebs.com/usersonline/Support/VersionHistory.aspx
and is getting the module ready for the pending release of our iPhone app that will allow you to connect and monitor your site directly on your iPhone.
Monitoring your DotNetNuke users is easy with the DotNetNuke Users Online Gadget Widget App.
After Installing the DNN Module, you add it to a page on your DotNetNuke website as you would any other module.
The page can be visible to the public or visible to only administrators. Either way the module will function fine.
Once on the site the module will display something like this.
1. Download the appropriate Gadget, Widget or App by selecting the “Click do Download” link at the top of the module.
2. Install the Gadget to your local website.
3. Enter the configuration of the Gadget / Widget as you would any others on your local computer.
4. In the Settings for the Gadget / Widget enter a Title to use to identify the site you are connecting to. The title will display in the top of the gadget.
5. Then enter the URL for your site, remembering to use the child portal name if you are on a child portal. For Example:
Parent Portal: http://www.interactivewebs.com
Child Portal: http://www.interactivewebs.com/usersonline
(Where UsersOnline is the Child Portal name)
6. Enter a refresh cycle for the gadget / widget to run off to your site and retrieve new data. (Recommended 300 seconds).
OK and you are done!
Note:
Clicking on the Users name in the Gadget will deliver you to the sites user profile page.
We “Eat our Own Dog food”; as the saying goes (user our own software), and use the module on our own site in many locations. Have a look at these pages, much of the content is from our blog site here:
http://www.interactivewebs.com/feedbackdesigner/Support/HelpandSupport.aspx
http://www.interactivewebs.com/mushroom-image/Support/HelpandSupport.aspx
Check out the links and the way the Mushroom Lite Module for DotNetNuke works.
Mushroom Lite Module for DotNetNuke is a module developed to bring rich content in an 
RSS feed directly into your DNN website.
We created the module to fill a particular need we have that would allow us to bring a WordPress blog to DNN, but it could be any sort of blog, or any RSS feed with images and text.
Our blog is at: http://www.interactivewebs.com/blog
We use WordPress to power the blog, because it is extremely powerful as blog technology, and far superior to many other blog technologies available.
The blog allows RSS feeds of almost every item listing, either by cloud tag, or category. It is one of the powerful features of WordPress. If you click on a Category such as iPhone, you receive this web view: http://www.interactivewebs.com/blog/index.php/category/apple-mac/
and if you add /feed/ to the end of that URL, you will be given the same content in an RSS feed.
http://www.interactivewebs.com/blog/index.php/category/apple-mac/feed/
Shown in Internet Explorer
The same content can then be fed into the InteractiveWebs Mushroom Lite DotNetNuke Module using the same URL as above.
Giving a great result on page. Note that the module is automatically pulling
or
So in this way, you can bring your blog content in the form of an RSS feed directly to the page of your DotNetNuke website, and display it in style.
Best of all, the module allows you to customize the layout using CSS, jQuery and a template.
Loading Effect
With Loading Effect also controlled by template, allowing you to select a number of effects.
The last tab on the module shows the installed version, and if there are any updates available past the version installed.
With the images pulled from you RSS feeds, you can set the image display size.
Set the number of characters pulled from the feed source:
with the automatic truncation of the content stream.
The module allows for the reader of your page to click on the content and view the original stream in several styles:
With handy information sharing links built into the popup:
for sharing your posts.
There are also options that allows for sorting the feed:
To allow you to use the module and it’s feeds in different ways. For example we use the post on this page.
http://www.interactivewebs.com/mushroom-lite/Support/HelpandSupport.aspx
to provide a help and support for one of our other modules. The posts in this page were done with the most relevant to least, so the content we want at the top of the page remains there.
An important part of performance is that the module does not hit an RSS stream each time the page loads. We have provided for this with server site caching, controlled within the module.
Allowing you to define how frequently the module reloads the RSS stream with new content.
For more information and demonstration, see our site here:
http://www.interactivewebs.com/mushroom-lite/MushroomLite.aspx
DotNetNuke can use jQuery to enable popup style and image rotator effects. These are great and a big improvements on technologies like flash. However it is not hard to find two separately coded jQuery modules that can cause conflicts when used on the same page as each other.
The reason in most cases is that modules can be hard coded to use their own version of jQuery. (Think of jQuery as a plugin that is required for the code to load onto the web page).
The library that powers jQuery is often updated to include new features. Earlier version of DotNetNuke did not have any ability to load jQuery or reference it as “part” of the core of DNN.
So for any module written for early DNN versions, the library plugin for jQuery needed to be included or referenced to an online source like the free Google jQuery reference.
If two module are on the same page and calling different versions of jQuery into play, it is likely that one of the modules will conflict and fail to work correctly. Often it will be the more advanced or later built module that fails.
The solution to this is to built a common core library into the core of DotNetNuke, and allow modules and other code to reference this single source when calling on the jQuery library for any reason.
DotNetNuke have included jQuery as an option in the host settings, to allow it to be loaded from there.
They run a release version of the jQuery library that is presumably updated with releases of DotNetNuke. The last version of DotNetNuke 5x shows this.
Modules can either call this library, or use their own library.
Well developed code or modules will usually have a setting that allows you to reference the HOST DNN version of jQuery, or call into play the version that shipped with the module.
On our modules, we use a tab setting that looks like this:
If the “Load jQuery” is ticked, the module will use the jQuery library that is shipped with the module.
If the option is not ticked, the module will use the DotNetNuke included version of jQuery.
When conflicts occur, the best way to resolve it is to ensure that both modules are referencing the exact same jQuery library version. The easy way to do this is to ensure that both modules are NOT using their own version, or in our case “Load JQuery” is NOT CHECKED. 
And, ensure that any other modules are also not referencing their own version of jQuery but are looking to the hosted jQuery. (Talk to the module developer on how to do this.)
1. One of the modules may require a feature that is more advanced than the the hosted jQuery version. In this case, a later jQuery library will need to be referenced. To allow this to be done, DotNetNuke have allowed you to reference a URL for another version of jQuery.
For example, in our Mushroom Image module for DotNetNuke, the rotator effect requires a later version of jQuery than the last version of DotNetNuke 5x references. 1.4.4. To set a later version, you simply find an online resource like this Google hosted jQuery library:
And enter that URL into your HOST jQuery settings.
2. Another issue is that there may be a conflict in the jQuery script used to call the module actions. We have included the ability to customize the script used to reduce conflict.
Naturally this is an option for advanced users, and not all modules have this feature.
When a conflict occurs, there is usually no “developer” at fault, but rather an incompatibility between the ways that the jQuery is being called. Don’t assume that the last module installed is to blame.
In most cases the conflicts can be resolved using the steps outlined above. This assumes that the modules installed have similar flexibility as we do in our modules.
We had a situation that clearly shows the use of the DotNetNuke Advanced Login Custom Script template, and how it can be used to deliver expected results.
The client wanted to use a custom search function that enabled search, twitter and Facebook into the top area of their skin.
The issue was, that when the this would cause some errors with the way that the search would display on top of the Advanced Login Module slide down effect that was set to run on the site.
The solution to this turned out to be a great example of how the “Custom Script” option from within the module, can be used to deliver a custom experience that takes into account other custom features of the skin or site.
So in this case we needed to move the Search, twitter, and Facebook information into the same layer as the slide down effect. We then changed some CSS styles to make the alignment of the item sit in the correct place on the skin, and not move to the right when the skin was on a wise display.
or
The custom script ended up looking like this:
jQuery(document).ready(function(){
jQuery(“#open”).click(function(){
jQuery(“div#adv_slidedown_panel”).slideDown(“slow”);
jQuery(“.search_style”).css(‘display’,'none’);
});
// Collapse Panel
jQuery(“#iwebs-close”).click(function(){
jQuery(“div#adv_slidedown_panel”).slideUp(“slow”);
jQuery(“.search_style”).css(‘display’,'block’);
});
// Switch buttons from “Log In | Register” to “Close Panel” on click
jQuery(“#toggle a”).click(function () {
jQuery(“#toggle a”).toggle();
});jQuery(“#dnn_dnnLOGIN_cmdLogin”).css(“display”,”none”);
jQuery(“#dnn_dnnUSER_cmdRegister”).css(“display”,”none”);if(jQuery(“.wsc_login”).length>0){
jQuery(“.wsc_login”).css(“visibility”,”hidden”);
}jQuery(“.search_style”).appendTo(jQuery(“.tab”));
jQuery(“.search_style”).css(‘margin-top’,’10px’);var w=jQuery(“.search_style”).offset().left- jQuery(“#s_wrap_main”).offset().left-jQuery(“#s_wrap_main”).width()+jQuery(“.search_style”).width();
if(w>0){
jQuery(“.search_style”).css(‘margin-right’,w+’px’);
}})
function custom_validate_login(){
/*
add any custom login form validation logic here,
return true if pass validation
*/
return true;
}
function custom_validate_registration(){
/*
add any custom registration form validation logic here,
return true if pass validation
*/
return true;
}
The end result being that the skin, search and advanced login module slide down effect works well together.
Google Picasa has the ability to enter a description for an image. That description text is usually an explanation of what the image is about.
We have the ability to access this description text of images using the token: ${item.description} within the template.
To make this easy, we have added a second template to the templates within this module, using the same name but with “Desc” in the name.
Where The – Dec versions of the templates like the Light box-Desc will display the description text.
The templates remain editable as usual, to those of you who are skilled with HTML, CSS etc. We just thought it would be best to include these templates to simplify the process.
An example of the DotNetNuke user login via way of jQuery popup effect can be seen here.
The example shows two button images defined that when pressed will give the pop-up template effect shown here.
Popup of Login
Popup of Register
The configuration of this mode is really easy to manage.
1. Mode = Popup
2. Show Profile as Popup
Giving a Basic Settings tab looking like this:
We selected the Template-gray.
Look and Feel
We loaded some .png images for the Login and Register Buttons, and set the profile form width and height.
We left as default.
That was it. This will place the module into a Pop-Up mode, allowing dotnetnuke users to register on your website with a jQuery style of popup effect.
The DotNetNuke Advanced Login Module offers a New Slide Down Effect as seen on the Demo pages on the dnn module website here. Or see our DotNetNuke forum post here.
Some interesting and easy to use effects that are template driven and display content with the dropdown effect replacing the normal login and registration skin objects on your site.
The configuration of this mode takes only seconds to configure. With these quick Options.
1. Show Both – Display Mode
2. Slide Down – Mode
We saved Tab and out demo page looks like this in the back end.
1. Load Template
Select Grey – then press the Select Button
Save Tab Changes and we are done.
The template page looks like this:
Giving a great resulting page that looks like this:
We also put up tow examples of the Slide Down DotNetNuke login effect that are done in RED and BLUE.
DotNetNuke Slide Down Demo – Grey
DotNetNuke Slide Down Demo – Blue
DotNetNuke Slide Down Demo – Red
All are using the same skin template, but with different CSS colours defined, and different slide down templates in the Advanced Login Module.
How to Configure DotNetNuke Websites to use DotNetNuke Advanced Login ModuleDotNetNuke had the ability to configure a custom page to be used as the login page on your website. This page does not need to appear in your menu structure and the login process can effectively be made to use the Advanced Module in a seamless way to the default DNN login process.
1. Create a New Page in your DNN Website using the normal Add Page Method: 
2. On that new page, uncheck the menu item for Show in Menu, and make the page viewable by all users or unauthenticated users:
This ensures that people who are not logged into your website have the permissions to view the login page. 
3. Add the DNN Advanced Login Module to the web page, and format the page as desired. Remember too that you can have content that is visible in different states. i.e. Users that are not logged in can see modules and content set to “unauthenticated” but cannot see content for Authenticated users until they have logged in. We use this to our advantage on our DotNetNuke Module Download Page, by providing instructions to people about login before they are logged in, but after they are authenticated and logged in those instructions are no longer displayed.
4. Configure the module into the mode you wish to use for login. Options like logging in with email address in place of user name etc. This is an example we use for the login settings to our site:
5. To set the page you have just created as the default site login page, go to the Admin / Site Settings / Advanced Settings / Page Management, and select the page you have just created as the login page for the site, and set the Home Page as the page you wish to display by default after users have logged into your site:
The end result is that when someone clicks on the “Login” menu option in your DNN skin they will be directed to the login page of your website. Once authenticated the user will be directed to the Home Page, unless they were looking for a members only URL when they hit your website. In that case the login process will deliver the user to the original place they were attempting to reach.
