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HomeHomeUsing DNN Platf...Using DNN Platf...Skins, Themes, ...Skins, Themes, ...skins and containersskins and containers
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1/21/2009 10:59 AM
 

I'm totally new to DNN. I've been developing sites since the 90's, so I understand the environment. I've also read the DNN Skinning Guide. Can I just say, that all the documentation, both in the guide and others online are all written assuming somebody already understands the basics. There is a huge leap from what the documentation considers fundamental, and what a newbie like myself needs to know.

What is the difference between a "skin" and a "container"? Is the container IN the skin or AROUND the skin, or what?

The Guide says "Content panes are the containers for the content modules which are automatically injected at runtime. Content panes are simply HTML tags with some custom attributes specified which allow them to interact with the DNN skinning engine."

Then after searching pages of results I found this online definition:

"Containers are best known as the wrappers or decorative features around information that is displayed on a website. They are similar to skins in the design application and can be applied to a module, a page, a site and with some clever coding, appear on only certain areas of a website, without having to do anything, eg.. it's managed within the skin.

Containers can make an impact on a page, by providing images instead of text for headings, or extra padding between content, or helping break up a site and providing whitespace between content areas."

This is the problem with experts writing "guides". They lose touch with their audience.

I have a site template developed. I put it in the file/folder structure required by DNN. I will put in the appropriate Tokens, but I have no idea what this difference is. Can somebody tell me, or point me to an explanation?

Thanks.

 
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1/21/2009 1:17 PM
 

Hi Scott

Please see my layman's answer to your question, similarly asked here:

http://www.dotnetnuke.com/Community/Forums/tabid/795/forumid/109/threadid/281411/scope/posts/Default.aspx

Cheers
Jon


Shebang Websites - A product of Mogridge Design
Hey, we're partnered with UntangleMyWeb.com

 
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1/21/2009 7:54 PM
 

Hi Scott.

Please send me an email, I'm working on the skinning documentation and would like some feedback from somebody without any DNN experience.

timo dot breumelhof at dotnetnuke dot com

Thanks, Timo

 

 
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1/23/2009 12:48 PM
 

I believe I understand it somewhat now. I opened the default DNN skins/containers and looked at the code. That helps...

I have a question: I've taken an existing site design, stripped all content and anything that would be considered a "container", so now it's just the blank graphical background ("skin")... now I'm inserting the tokens. For the top horizontal menu (which I think should be a container???), I have about 5 rollover button links that direct to unique pages. I want to make this the main "portlette" nav menu (I'll also have a side sub-menu). So, I'm not sure what token to use. Should the entire menu use ONE token? Or, should each individual menu item be a token? For example, should each menu item be [LINKS]?

What token should I use in the skin for this menu? And, what token should I use for the menu items in the container?

 
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