DotNetNuke 5 module development tutorial - part 1: The tools

28. January 2010 21:04

To Visual Basic version

So, you want to create your own DNN modules, but don't know how? Started programming with the Visual Studio Starter Kit but got stuck because it seems so... complicated? Fear not. There is no über advanced programming neccessary. Once you get a grip on how it all fits together you will wonder what all the fuss was about.
In this tutorial series I will assume that you have at least basic skills in ASP.NET development. I will also frequently skip over info and procedures you easily can google yourself.
So, since this is meant to be a tutorial, let's start from the beginning and look at what you need to get some serious module dev action.
Of course there are several setups and practices regarding the development of DotNetNuke modules, but I usually work with the following setup for my development machine:

  • DotNetNuke 5 installed and running on IIS
  • Visual Studio 2008 Professional
  • SQL Server (SQL Server Express will work just as well)
  • DotNetNuke Visual Studio Starter Kit

In this tutorial series I will use version 5.2 of both DotNetNuke web application and Visual Studio Starter Kit.

DotNetNuke installation

Make sure you have IIS installed, configured and running on your machine. This tutorial won't cover setting that up since there is tons if guides for that out there.
Next, download the new install version of DotNetNuke. You'll find it under "Recommended Download" in the downloads section of DNN's project page on CodePlex. To simplify things i suggest you do not use the source code version since this will make things slower and possibly confuse you, since all the source files for DotNetNuke will be in your installation.
I have DotNetNuke installed in the web root of my local web server, but installation in a virtual directory works fine too.
To install, simply unzip the contents of the installation package from CodePlex into your web root or virtual folder. Now set up an empty database in SQL Server or SQL Server Express. Point your web browser to your DotNetNuke installation, e.g. "http://localhost" or "http://localhost/MyDnnInstallation". This will start the installation wizard, which I won't go through in detail either. Read the info on the screens carefully when you go through it and you should be fine.

Visual Studio Starter Kit

The Visual Studio Starter Kit will help you with templates for our new module. It can also be downloaded from CodePlex under "Other Available Downloads". The installation is very simple so I won't go into that at all. The starter kit contains templates for both C# and Visual Basic, but I will only use C# in this tutorial series. Sorry all VB lovers.

Now we have the tools ready, so the next part will be about starting our first module project and take a look at what is in the templates.

Tags: , ,

DotNetNuke | Modules | Tutorials

Comments

4/17/2010 12:45:40 AM #

Stevie

I've been searching a good website on dotnetnuke and related stuff. Thanks for putting this up.
Thanks again

Stevie Macao S.A.R. |

5/6/2010 7:44:01 PM #

el figha

trés bien

el figha Morocco |

5/9/2010 5:47:25 AM #

Billy

I should really be working

Billy Argentina |

5/11/2010 9:20:18 PM #

Clark

This tutorial is wonderful.  Johan rocks better than Wrox (if you get my drift)!

Clark United States |

5/11/2010 9:29:38 PM #

Johan

Clark, that comment actually put a big grin on my face, and it feels like it's going to stay there a while Smile
Thanks man!

Johan Sweden |

7/11/2010 9:41:06 PM #

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7/21/2010 6:14:23 AM #

Anhduc.bkhn

Thanks! Laughing

Anhduc.bkhn Vietnam |

8/13/2010 11:51:53 AM #

Usman

Hello,

I have installed the starter kit but when I open: File, new website, I don't see template in C# but when I click to vb I see the template. I want to work in C#. When I installed starter kit C# was selected but still not showing up.

Please help.


Thanks

Usman |

8/16/2010 9:18:17 AM #

Johan

Usman,
You have probably found the info yourself by now, but take a look at part 2 of this tutorial. There you can read how to set up your module project.

Setting up a DNN website with the starter kit is outside this tutorial, but just for info: the website template is only available in VB.

Johan Sweden |

10/21/2010 5:20:05 AM #

Smithenstein

Johan,

I ran through your entire series on module creation and I am impressed.  Fabulous code (that works) with great and simple examples. You have a great writing style and have made my life incredibly easy (no thanks to the Wrox book I shouldn't have just read).

Thanks again!

Smithenstein Canada |

10/21/2010 10:12:50 AM #

Johan

So good to hear! Life should be easy ;)
Thanks for the kind words. They made my day!

Johan Sweden |

11/6/2010 3:42:35 AM #

gordon

Will Visual Web Developer 2010 or Visual Studio 2010 Express work as well when building DNN 5 modules?
Thanks

gordon United States |

11/8/2010 11:18:38 AM #

Johan

I have not used any of them myself, but I doubt it works. Anybody else out there knows for sure?

Johan Sweden |

2/1/2011 7:03:23 PM #

communitymodder

I tried this in visual studio 2010 on windows 7 iis. In short, nothing works. I didn't realize how much this new version of iis has changed before trying to install dotnetnuke 5. Also, the template for generating c# modules doesn't generate the right stuff. I did get dotnetnuke working by installing it on webmatrix but creating the module on that had its own challenges. Couldn't get intellisense to see the existing controls.

Aside from all the problems I encountered, this is a great tutorial. I will probably install vs 2008 soon.

communitymodder United States |

2/17/2011 9:04:05 AM #

Mark

Hi,

I build this using VS 2010 and iis7 and it has killed DNN. I got up to step 4 where you need to create the database. I went to my localhost and found that DNN though it was running, was not rendering any module content. The module containers were still there, I could see the titles but no content. That included the login module so the app is crippled. I removed DNN, made a new database and created a new DNN instance and the results were the same. A friend of mine followed the tutorial on his laptop as well to the same result. Any help resolving this would be very appreciated.

Mark United States |

3/23/2011 7:04:34 PM #

Jeffrey

Did you every figure this one out?  I'm having the same problem with my DNN installation.  I can browse to the site, but none of the modules render.

Thanks!

Jeffrey United States |

4/18/2011 2:57:19 AM #

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2/1/2012 9:32:34 PM #

Marsh Narweec

Hello there,

Can you do a DNN 6 version of this tutorial

Marsh Narweec |

3/29/2012 12:18:59 PM #

willson

Free Video, How to Install a Module to DotNetNuke 5. This demonstrates how to install a standard 3rd party module to DNN 5 using.

Thank for sharing.
<a title="DNN Module Development" href="www.daffodilsw.com/dotnetnuke-development">DNN Module Development</a>

willson India |

5/17/2012 5:46:56 PM #

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10/4/2012 11:49:17 AM #

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10/9/2012 6:38:58 AM #

Jeff

thanks,it is very useful!

Jeff People's Republic of China |

9/4/2013 11:48:42 AM #

Nirpakhsoch

www.mirpakhsoch.com
I build this using VS 2010 and iis7 and it has killed DNN. I got up to step 4 where you need to create the database. I went to my localhost and found that DNN though it was running, was not rendering any module content. The module containers were still there, I could see the titles but no content. That included the login module so the app is crippled. I removed DNN, made a new database and created a new DNN instance and the results were the same. A friend of mine followed the tutorial on his laptop as well to the same result. Any help resolving this would be very appreciated.

Nirpakhsoch India |

9/4/2013 11:49:20 AM #

Nirpakhsoch

http://www.nirpakhsoch.com

I build this using VS 2010 and iis7 and it has killed DNN. I got up to step 4 where you need to create the database. I went to my localhost and found that DNN though it was running, was not rendering any module content. The module containers were still there, I could see the titles but no content. That included the login module so the app is crippled. I removed DNN, made a new database and created a new DNN instance and the results were the same. A friend of mine followed the tutorial on his laptop as well to the same result. Any help resolving this would be very appreciated.

Nirpakhsoch India |

12/8/2014 2:18:02 AM #

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About the addict

Johan Seppäläinen lives in Uppsala, Sweden. He spends most of his days working as a systems architect/developer, specialized in solutions built on Microsoft platforms.
Occasionally there is time for some recreational coding, when he pursues optimal solutions and code zen, mainly in C#. When he is not writing in this blog, that is.