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HomeHomeUsing DNN Platf...Using DNN Platf...Skins, Themes, ...Skins, Themes, ...How can I make sure I donHow can I make sure I don't break DNN?
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5/24/2006 6:15 PM
 

Okay I've worked very hard on my html and my css and my xml (what a pain in the neck!) Can you tell I've never wrote any html stuff before?

Anyway, I'm scared that if I upload it and something is messed up, that it will mess up my DNN portal again (local machine) so I won't be able to log on (already did that once somehow and it took hours to fix.)

So, I've read somewhere that I need an admin page? All I've managed to write is a main home page and it's all so confusing to me that I don't even know if it will work. There seems to be a hundred ways to write this stuff...use tables, don't use tables, use div, etc. If I try this out without an admin page, what will happen (I do have the SOLPART menu written into my code). I can't find any instructions on how to write an admin page either. What is it supposed to be?

Oh, and I am also stuck on the floating box thing (using <DIV> float: left). Here's my so far floating thing (css):

.container { /*this is a full page container; not sure I need it...will it mess up the rest of my styles below?*/
  position: relative;
  padding-left: 6px;
  padding-right: 6px;
  padding-top: 12px;
  padding-bottom 0px;
  height: 100%;
  width: 1014px /*box model hack width*/
  voice-family: "\"}\"";
  voice-family: inherit; /* "box model hack" */
  width: 1002px; /*actual box width*/
  }
.menu1 { /*this is the style for box menu 1 to hold the tokens*/
  float: left; /*should make the box float at top under control panel and inside container?*/
  background-image: url(menu1.jpg);/*the menu background*/
  height:32px;
  padding: 0;
  width: 295px; /*should not need box model hack here*/
  }
.menu2 { /*this is the style for box menu 2 which holds the actual SOLPART menu*/
  float: left; /*should make the box float at top to right of menu 1 (under control) and inside container?*/
  valign: top;
  background-image: url(menu2.jpg); /*the menu background*/
  height: 32px;
  padding-top: 0px;
  padding-left: 0px;
  padding-right: 0px;
  padding-bottom: 5px;
  width: 495px; /*actual box width*/
  }
.rightpane { /* a content pane that is supposed to go all the way down the right side*/
  float: left /*pan should float pane to right of menu 2*/
  valign: top;
  padding: 0;
  height: 100%;
  width: 200 px;
  }
.logo { /*a content pane*/
  float: left; /*will this thing come back over to under the menu1 like I want it to?
  valign: top;
  padding: 0;
  height: 194px;
  width: 290px /*actual box width*/
  }
.banner { /*a content pane*/
  float: left; /*supposed to go to right of logo and under menu2 */
  valign: top;
  height: 194px;
  padding-left: 5px;
  padding-right: 5px;
  padding-top: 0px;
  padding-bottom: 5px;
  width: 500px; /*box model hack width*/
  voice-family: "\"}\"";
  voice-family: inherit; /* "box model hack" */
  width: 490px; /*actual box width*/
  }
.mediapane { /*this box holds a table with 1 content pane in each*/
  float: left; /*I need this back up under the logo*/
  valign: top;
  padding-top: 0;
  padding-left: 0;
  padding-right: 0;
  padding-bottom: 5px;
  width: 290px; /*actual box width*/
  }
.contentpane { /* the main content pane */
  float: left; /*I need this to the right of media pane and under banner */
  padding: 0;
  height: 100%; /*flexible size supposed to stretch*/
  valign: top;
  width: 290px; /*actual box width*/
  }
/*that's it, no more panes. Will this thing work?*/

What I don't get is, first, whether my .container will make a page box for the rest of the stuff the way I have it written here. And second, will my floats look like this?

menu1, menu2, right pane
logo, banner
media pane, content pane
left pane

My html file doesn't have any tables (except 1 that goes inside the media box) and I'm counting on this style sheet to do the job. So do I have to declare these panes as content panes in a skin.xml file so that they will show up as content panes that I can put modules in? Or should I just start all over and make an html template with a table for my layout like I was going to do in the first place? Arrrgh!

Sorry for asking what are probably very basic questions. I hope someone takes pity on my lack of knowledge and gives me some simple answers. I'm sick to death of reading and reading and reading and ....

~B

 
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5/27/2006 10:45 AM
 

I'm sorry that your post wasn't answered earlier - I've set my post viewing to 25 items now so get a longer page, I and a few others here really try to make sure we keep the skinning posts answered, since that's in our scope of skills.

I also noticed you've posted another thread, so I'm going to answer a couple of things here for you and move to the other post..

Firstly - You don't need an admin skin to make your skins work. They are cosmetic elements of  DotNetNuke to make information display elegantly since some module using admin functionality can use up alot of space, specially the registration page - it's sort of greedy in size.

Secondly - if you break your site because you've left off tags, tokens and can't get back in, use FTP or copy a renamed default skin - from the dnn-blue or grey folder, renamed to your skin and overwrite it - It might look a bit wonky but will work - and will let you get back in. 

To make a skin work the only prerequisites you need are a content pane - to drop modules in to - and a menu to navigate your way around.  That's basically it - so if you make a mistake or want to practice and get the feel of things, that's all you need to remember.

I noticed you were using divs and such and attempting tableless skinning which in my opinion, and that's all I can give you, will not give you results you're looking for unless you know and understand DotNetNuke. I have a basic video that gives you instructions about skinning on my site that covers alot of the common problems newcomers find.. I can tell you that in the early days - it took me a bit to get my head around the concepts required for skinning, but it will come together.

I'll look at your other post now and answer the questions as best I can, and hope this sees you solve a few of the problems you've run in to. 

Nina Meiers


Nina Meiers My Little Website
If it's on DNN, I fix, build, deploy, support,skin, host, design, consult, implement, integrate and done since 2003.
Who am I? Just a city chic, having a crack at organic berry farming.. and creating awesome websites.
 
New Post
5/27/2006 1:47 PM
 

You're so kind. I was totally freaked out because after I watched your tutorial I tried some of the stuff and messed up my DNN installation so badly I had to delete everything and start over and it took mye like a whole day, so you can see why I was worried about doing that again. LOL. I really don't care if my admin pages use the default DNN blue. Nobody but the admins see that right? So I don't need to do anything special at all in order for that to work?

Thank you again!

~Bee

 
New Post
5/27/2006 8:17 PM
 

Ok - Now you raise an interesting point - you tried *some of the stuff* and it messed up your DNN installation - I can assure you there is NOTHING in skinning that will mess up an installation so badly it needs to be rebuilt - BUT if you make a mistake - all you ever need to do is copy and past a renamed default skin back over the top.

The one thing that DotNetNuke provides is layers of activity - the core code, the module developers and the skinning element - and the skinning element will NEVER EVER kill a dnn site - it might break access to it - but NEVER do anything to the database to require a rebuild.

That having been said, I'm only ever an email away.. I've been doing this for nearly 3 years now and have done hundreds of skins, but I do know that incorrect code will bring up errors.

I have never ever heard anyone in the 1,000 or so downloads having problems but like you, in my dnn testing, I seem to be the only one that can bring up errors that NO ONE else can, so if you have problems, shoot me through an email - there are links on my site, and I don't mind helping people with one or two questions to get them started... helping them build up their career...wellll, then it's going to cost money if it's taking me away from my paying work, but a few questions to sort out the mess you get yourself into is fine, since that's how you learn.

My tutorial about skinning on my site is about setting up your environment, how to package, how to install. It doesn't cover creating, naming and such, so I'm not quite sure where I may have mislead you but will look over it again, to be sure that it's clear for everyone, since I certainly dont' like to be the cause of problem, just like to help with the solutions.

Nina Meiers


Nina Meiers My Little Website
If it's on DNN, I fix, build, deploy, support,skin, host, design, consult, implement, integrate and done since 2003.
Who am I? Just a city chic, having a crack at organic berry farming.. and creating awesome websites.
 
New Post
5/28/2006 1:02 PM
 

You are right, I should have also mentioned that the reason it got messed up so bad is that I tried changing a template and uploading it without any idea what I was doing and I had a totally inactive screen and was unable to do ANYTHING LOL. Plus I never had any experience before with HTML, SQL or any of it and had absolutely NO idea how to get anything back without starting over, so the more I tried to fix it the more I broke it. That said, I eventually got it going again but was "gun" shy after that LOL! Thanks again for your kindness!

~Bee

 
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