Articles from October 2008
The other day I was reading Antonio Chagoury's blog and came across one of his recent postings "Just In Case You're Not Keeping Tabs" ahd it got me thinking. I just got done filling out a few forms where I needed to list my community involvement, and much like Antonio I had a hard time sitting down and really coming up with the list of everything that I do on a volunteer basis. So I though I'd do something similar to what Antonio did and post my list here. I know I'm missing items, so if you know of something I'm leaving out, let me know!
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Posted by Mitchel on Thursday, October 23, 2008
As I mentioned yesterday I am starting to put the finishing touches on my "Professional DotNetNuke 5 Module Programming" book. In talking with the publisher last night I found out that I need to get a bit more content into the book, so I have added a few development topics that I feel are very valuable, however, I wanted to reach out to the development community and ask, what else is needed? Below is a listing of the current Table of Contents.
Chapters
- Introduction to DotNetNuke and Resources
- Creating the Development Environment
- Underneath the DotNetNuke Hood
- Guestbook Module Requirements
- Starting the Module Creation Process
- Investigating DotNetNuke Components
- Creating the Module backend
- Creating the Localized Module Interface
- Packaging, Installing, and Debugging the Module
- Implementing Optional DotNetNuke Interfaces
- DotNetNuke Scheduled Tasks
- DotNetNuke User Controls
- Module Navigation and Communication
- Third-Party Components and Tools
- DotNetNuke, Modules and Ajax
- Creating DotNetNuke Skin Objects
- Creating DotNetNuke Authentication Providers
Appendix Items
- Community Resources
- Additional Web.Config Options
- Distributing your Module
- Additional .dnn Manifest Options
Please feel free to provide any input on this table of contents, and list any suggested additions below, all options will be considered. Please note that I am looking to finalize this soon, so please post your comments early!
Update
I will be posting an updated final TOC soon, but for now, if you want to pre-order here is a link to Amazon. Professional DotNetNuke Module Programming
Posted by Mitchel on Tuesday, October 21, 2008
As we start winding down to the end of the year and the upcoming OpenForce 2008 event, I thought I would take a few moments to give everyone an update on some of the things I have in the works, and a few fun new announcements.
Announcements & Updates
The past few months have been very busy times, and for a while I disappeared from the community while trying to arrage a few things, and to get over a really bad cold that took me out of commission for over a week. So with this hiatus, I thought I would share some updates on progress that has been made since my last update on this blog.
Product Support Website
Late last week IowaComputerGurus launched a new Product Support website. This site was launched to create a formal roadmap and issue tracking system for the various products we provide. Historically new feature requests were submitted via the forums and I simply kept track of the items in the works. Well, the projects have all outgrown that process and this should help keep a solid process behind the madness. So take this opportunity to submit your feature requests today!
Open Force 2008 Giveaways and Discounts
I am also proud to announce that not only is IowaComputerGurus an exhibitor in booth 606 but we have also provided two items to be given away at the community event that will take place during the conference. One of these items is 10 hours of custom module development services, a $950 value!
In addition to the product giveaway items, we will be extending 10% discount coupons to attendees for use with our Technical Support plans. We have a proven track record of providing quality, responsive, technical support for DotNetNuke site administrators and development teams and want to pass a conference discount on to attendees. (If you are not going and are still interested in the discount, send me an e-mail)
Book Update
I am also proud to announce that as of last night there are only two remaining chapters to be written for the Professional DotNetNuke 5 Module Programming book. Those chapters should be completed by next Monday and the book will continue to move through the production process. I hope to see a release of the book close to the current target release date.
Microsoft MVP Nomination
The last announcement comes from an e-mail that I received from Microsoft a few weeks ago. I have received a Microsoft MVP nomination, I will find out for sure if I receive the award on January 1st. I have to say that even receving this nomination is something that I am proud of.
Upcoming Items
Will all the above in mind, it is time to put the eyes on the future. What is coming up, and what can you expect to see here on this site?
Articles
Well, right now I have a listing of over 20 topics that I will be writing about in the near future, but the following is a quick hit listing of items to expect in the very near future.
- Final review of Active Forums 4.0
- Installing DotNetNuke on Mosso's Cloud Computing Service
- Advantages of using VS 2008 for DotNetNuke WAP Module Development
- Fun new items in DNN 5.0
- Why using ObjectQualifier can cause you pain?
- How to add helpful information to the Visual Studio Debugger
- Multi-view DNN Controls? How to do it without Isolation
Modules
Recently a few community members have been donating time to help crate documentation for the free modules. This has created some free time for me to focus on new releases and some much needed enhancements to existing modules. However, the most promising upcoming item of all is the DNN Quiz module. it has been my long promised module, and finally it will become a reality! The module has been tested in one format, and only needs slight modifications before I can release it to the general public!
Videos
Lastly after almost a year hiatus I have secured video capture software and will start to record and publish video tutorials to go alongside the text based articles.
Comments/Feedback
As always feedback from the readers of this blog and the greater community is always appreciated. If you have any comments, suggestions, or requests please be sure to let me know via one of the many available communication systems.
Posted by Mitchel on Monday, October 20, 2008
Recently when working with a client I was asked how in a SQL Server database environment with multiple databases how we can prevent users from seeing all other databases on the server. Permissions are configured to restrict who can actually query the database, but in the end, individuals still can see the names of the other databases on the server, getting potentially an idea of who else you are hosting, or information that you just don't want to share. I have found many blog articles that talk about how to get around this, but all of them were a bit choppy, so I thought I would take a moment to walk through a demo of the process. This article walks through the entire scenario.
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Posted by Mitchel on Wednesday, October 15, 2008
For those of you that follow me on Twitter you might have caught a few remarks about my attempts at putting up a DotNetNuke site at Mosso. For those unfamiliar with Mosso, they are a provider of Cloud Computing hosting services, essentially a dynamically scalable solution based on a model where you pay for your usage. For those establishing new sites that are expected to gain popularity, it can be a very helpful thing to have a hosting arrragement like Mosso. The reason is that the cost is affordable when starting out, and continues to be so as your site scales up in usage. There is no need to spend $300+ a month from the beginning to have a big beefy dedicated server to just be ready to handle your later growth! Below I'll provide some feedback on my experiences, their service, and will include a VERY nice discount offer!
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Posted by Mitchel on Monday, October 13, 2008
As we can see from the ticker on the right side of my blog here we have about 34 days until OpenForce North America, with OpenForce Europe currently underway. I'm working farily hard right now to get marketing an other materials ready for the IowaComputerGurus booth at the conference.
I'm looking forward to the opportunity to meet many members of the community and clients that I have yet to meet face-to-face. So if you are going to OpenForce, post a message here, or drop me a line and lets arrange some time to at least say hello. I'll also be available at Expo hall in booth #606!
Posted by Mitchel on Monday, October 06, 2008
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