The technology of skinning has really changed from what I'm used to.

I don't understand how to work with XML files in skinning and need some input.

I can upload a file which shows my issue but I don't see where to do this here, that is there is no upload.

I've laid out a View in Visual studio with horiztonally arranged user controls.  That is, I have a user control file, listlinks.ascx.  I've dropped 4 of these onto the view file for the module, which is TopicLinksView.ascx.  They're clearly arranged horizontally.  I'd put the HTML here but it won't render correctly -- trust me that I have a basic table layout on the View control where the table width is set to 100% and each control width is set in its respective td. (<table width="100%"> <tr> <td width="25%"></td</tr></table>, etc.)

This lays out as expected in Visual Studio but on the DNN site, once installed, a vertical rendering is "forced".  Looking in the View Source code I see no reason for this.  I'm no HTML guru but the way the HTML is written should "translate" over DNN.  It doesn't.

I have to say that this new skinning approach does the best for appearance but ... come on?  Where is the "How to" on this?  Nice looking, great job but this was a real shock.  I've told a client I could skin his site and now, no way.

I tried to cut and paste what I'm having trouble with here.  Basically, I can't layout a simple, straightforward module with uncomplicated HTML and just have it work.  This is very frustrating.

What if any answers do you guys have to this situation?  I'm sure I'm not the first to run into this or comment on it.

Thanks,

Mike

Timo,

The error is mine:) , I'm hanging my dirty laundry out to my surprise!

I had a <td></td> tag in the .ascx control which was not enclosed properly in table, tr, etc.  Validation didn't pick it up.  I removed it and things are working.

However, there is a SolPart menu issue.  As I add tabs, the search control begins to write over the login/logout link.  I can't add all the tabs I need to or the menu superimposes itself over module content on the page, if that makes any sense.

Can I send you a screen shot of what I'm running into?

Thanks,

Mike

That one is problem of the 4.9 skin.

There is a version on the way with this corrected, but it's not easy to get it to behave cross browser (Read IE 6).

The easies way it to just make the skin wider.

.template_style is set to 970px in skin.css

you can set that wider 1200px, or you could move the search skinobject to a different location.

HTH

btw, the new skins use DnnMenu not solpart