y01nk wroteNot to diminish the wide utility of the IFrame, but the original question was:
kantreddi1 wrote
...Is this feature already available in DNN ... |
I can whole-heartedly recommend the Content Rotator from Ventrian system, as an "inside DNN" solution.
I completely agree that the IFrame adds a lot of utility that cannot otherwise be easily achieved (esp. by non-techies like myself) but one then ends up managing numerous other resources outside of DNN...
Cheers!
Managing external resources is not really difficult with most applications out there... In fact, many are easier than managing those that are DNN modules. There are some additional benefits in that of server load, Ram eaten as well as simply speed. We for example bought a forms module that was crass... We were then told (via a host provider) to go and buy XMod which is more than we needed really. We were then told to look at a variety of other form modules. So what we did was go to HotScripts.com, found a free one that is easily as capable as and DNN module and it works perfectly.
Managing a questionairre script within DNN or an external script will require no more effort one way or another. At the same time the original poster stated that they are Joomla/Mambo aware. Not that I recall the name of the application but there is an entire "Free" application for Joomla/Mambo that is designed specifically for education, questionairre's and then some it is an entire teaching application.
One of the advantages of DNN is its flexibility of the framework and ease of use/teaching to webmasters. So we design a site, set it all up and it takes minimal training/support for the party whom contracts us to teach them to administrate a DNN site. Joomla/Mambo in this regard are much more complex albeit they are CMS systems.
The nature of the DNN core framework affords alot of flexibility and its excellent code, I've looked at a great deal of the programming. DNN strengths are not only in the varied modules but the fact it CAN co-exist with externals happily. This is not the case with most CMS based environments. DNN is not (from what we can see) as fast, resource sensitive or user volume capable as Mambo, Joomla, Drupal etc. A Joomla based site can happily given a decent host hold thousands of active users at one time... Amazon for example uses Drupal for mich of the site dealing with tens of thousands of active sessions at once.
DNN as computing server power continues to grow and Microsoft continues to refine ASP, IIS, the CLR etc. will eventually truly accomplish very interactive webs where the user can sit down and create very good web apps and sites without needing to know anything about engineering, servers etc.
The Chat module is a good example of "hmm". We tried the one good module out there and were told to remove a backdrop would be $50. Yet, that chat program in comparison of functionality to say "Worldgroup" which is now a 15+ year old "BBS" platform looks silly. For $5 we found a PHP Chat program that is not reliant on DNN at all, we could host it at another IP if we liked completely offloading any work from the DNN server. For the $5 it has superior functionality, runs happily and will readily handle any amout of users who care to "Chat".
The same can be said of CoffeeCups video script. This is just a SUPER piece of work CHEAP, effective and since it does not need to integrate to DNN it can (and does) work completely independent.
Why anyone would want restrict sites to only DNN based modules is just out there. Some modules are great, a good many are not worth anywhere near whats being charged and there are myraids of ASP, PHP, PERL scripts out there that are far more capable, cheaper if not free and wont run the webmaster into instability.
Tis' not to knock DNN... DNN is fantastic. Again, DNN's strength is in the flexibility and ease of that. That does not mean one should limit oneself. It means the framework is so flexible that it can indeed use many other externals and happily co-exist.