Those of us that have been creating DotNetNuke modules over the years know that there is no one-stop source for information on module programming. You can find particular pieces of knowledge on the internet, but more often than not, the information you are searching for is spread out over dozens of different websites, and is often incomplete.

Until Now

I personally have had to deal with the task of teaching myself module programming using the vast fragmented body of information available on the internet. That’s why today I am excited to tell you about the new book by Mitchel Sellers entitled Professional DotNetNuke Module Programming. This book is the essential guide for any programmer who has the task of developing for DotNetNuke. I am so blown away by this book that I have to say it again: This book is the essential guide for any programmer who has the task of developing for DotNetNuke.

Stop reading this blog post and go order a copy right now!

What Makes This Book So Special?

I’m not going to lie to you. Programming a DotNetNuke module can be a real pain in the ass. If you don’t know how to avoid the millions of gotchas and you are not aware of the best (essential) practices involved, then most of what you write is going to be wrong.

Mitchel Sellers is one of the most experienced DotNetNuke module programmers out there. During his many years involved with DotNetNuke, he has figured out how to create modules correctly and successfully. Mitchel’s prolific amount of experience and knowledge is infused throughout this book. And this is knowledge that you cannot afford to not have if you intend to create successful DotNetNuke modules.

What’s Covered In This Book? Almost Everyting.

This book demonstrates a real-life example of the entire module development process. You will learn how to setup a proper development environment, not only using the Web Site Project (WSP) method, but also using the lesser documented Web Application Project (WAP) method. You will learn the best practices for structuring you module, separating concerns into a data access layer, a business logic layer, and a view. You will learn the proper DotNetNuke integration points. You will learn how to properly debug and package your module for distribution. And that is just a sampling of what is covered in this book.

You can see a complete overview of the book’s contents at the Wrox website.

Summary: You Need This Book

I could continue saying great things about this book, but I’d rather simply urge you to go out and get a copy. This is simply the single most important DotNetNuke book to have in your library. So what are you waiting for? You need this book.

From the start, the BlogEngine.Net open source project has been designed using the provider model. In short, the provider model allows software to interface with numerous types of system, rather than being tied to one in particular. For example, BlogEngine.Net allows you to store and retrieve blog post data using either an XML file, or a database, depending on which Blog Provider you tell it to use. To switch between the two you simply change two lines of code inside the Web.Config file.

The .Net framework includes a nice provider called ActiveDirectoryMembershipProvider that allows applications to interface with Active Directory for user authentication purposes. You can use it with BlogEngine.Net in order to store user accounts and their associated passwords, as well as to authenticate users when they login to the blog system. This works great and I highly recommend using this provider if it makes sense for you to interface with Active Directory for you user system.

If you do decide to interface with Active Directory, you should know that even though the user accounts are managed by Active Directory, things like Roles (which defined permissions) and Profiles (which save user details) are not part of what the membership provider manages. User roles are managed by the Role Provider you configure BlogEngine.Net to use. And Profiles are managed by the Blog Provider, which there is only one of.

Today I am happy to announce a new Role Provider implementation that allows you to manage user permission (roles) using groups in Active Directory. It is appropriately named Active Directory Role Provider For BlogEngine.Net, and can be found in all its glory on CodePlex.

This role provider makes an excellent addition to the BlogEngine.Net project because it allows businesses that run AD to even further integrate the blog platform in with their systems. I hope that many of you find this useful. Good luck using it, and let me know if you have any questions, or find any bugs!

Click here to visit the BlogEngineADRP project site.