Download user guide for this module in PDF format
Using Blog Machine is easy and fun. In this tutorial I will highlight all major aspects of its work including installation process.
Module Requirements:
- .net 2.0 or newer versions (3.0, 3.5, etc.)
- DotNetNuke 5.0 or newer versions
- SQL 2005 or newer versions (2008, etc.)
- AJAX
Installing Blog Machine
- Install Blog Machine containers pack. You can download it by the following link. If you don't install containers pack first, installation process and blog by itself are just going to look ugly. And that is not what we want to happen. Container pack is going to have a name similar to Coding Staff_CS.Blog_01.01.04_Install.zip
- If you want to have comments feature in your blog, please install Coding Staff DNN Comments module. Add this module to the page and license it (you can use trial) before proceeding to the next step.
- Install Blog Machine module pack via Host->Module Definitions. You don't have to purchase the module in order to install it an try. Please use its trial, which you can upgrade to licensed version once you purchase a license for the module. No worries about warning message saying "The package contains files with invalid File Extensions (asmx)" , just check 'ignore file restrictions'.
- Make sure there is no errors during installation. If there are any, please contact our support department.
- Add module to any page. You will see licensing system message. Start a trial or activate your purchase following by "License Information" link. For more information on how to license your module, please visit this page.
- Once the trial is started or module is licensed, you will see set up wizard. Please read set up information and choose between Single and Multi blog options. Next wizard step will be related to choosing external modules to use inside of the blog.
Template manager
Look and feel of the blog is easily customizeable via standard DotNetNuke skins and containers; however, therei is an advanced tool to automate this process. Using template manager you can define locations and order of blog submodules. While blog supports all major browsers, we recommend using Firefox or Safari in template manager for better performance and user experience.
Template manager uses your skin layout as the basis for the blog template. It inherits all skin panes and styles.
To move submodule from one pane to another, hover its gray title area, then drag it where you want it to be. You can add additional submodules from available set listed in scrolling 'template manager' bar.
External modules
Blog machine allows embedding third party modules. Here are examples of what you can have using third party modules: twitter timeline using Twitter module on your blog root, video player or pictures gallery in your blog post, etc. In order to embed other modules in Blog Machine you need to user 'external modules' control (follow the link on sliding control panel). You can embed pretty much any module available in your DNN control panel dropdown.
Don't embed modules that could compromise your portal security.
Single blog
You can set up blog machine to work as a regular blog for single user. Selecting 'Single Blog' option will allow you to have one blog per module instance. This option fit scenario when you need to set up a simple blog for yourself or your company. DotNetNuke portal administrator will have an ability to manage blog posts by default (you can assign different role later on).
Multi Blog
Choosing 'Multi Blog' option during Blog Machine set up will allow you to create bloggin environment similar to DotNetNuke Blogs with multiple blogs managed by multiple users.