Beginning DotNetNuke® Skinning and Design

Chapter 1. Introducing DotNetNuke Skinning

DotNetNuke (DNN) is a dynamic, database-driven web application that leverages Microsoft ASP.Net to construct a full-featured website in minutes. As an open source product, the barrier to entry is low in terms of dollars; however, the wealth of features can seem daunting at first. DotNetNuke uses Internet Information Services (IIS), the web server included in Windows, and SQL Server 2005 Express Edition, a free database server available for download from Microsoft out of the box. As you migrate a DotNetNuke website out to a hosted web server on the Internet, you'll probably implement a SQL Server 2000 or SQL Server 2005 database for a little more horsepower.

DNN offers plenty of features to solve common business problems. Graphic design and custom module development both have input on the usability and construction of a website. There's a certain balance to strike between beauty, familiarity, and discoverability.

The Origins of DotNetNuke

DotNetNuke's history stems from the IBuySpy Portal that promoted the ASP.Net version 1.0 Framework. Shaun Walker continued the concept over the subsequent years. Professional DotNetNuke 4: Open Source Web Application Framework for ASP.NET 2.0(Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2006) is the most recent book written by Shaun and several other folks close to the DotNetNuke Core Team. This book is available at www.wrox.com and is a worthy addition to your web development library. The first chapter provides a firsthand detailed ...