Apr
4
Posted by:
Joe Brinkman
4/4/2011 7:57 AM
It has been a scant two and a half weeks since we released the first Community Technology Preview for DotNetNuke 6.0 and we are now ready to follow that up with another CTP release. In this release we have a number of new features which are approaching completion and where we would like some feedback. While many of these features are fully functional, we are still working on cleaning up the user interface to provide a unified look across the core platform. Please take a few minutes to install the latest CTP and let us know what you think.
There are a lot of changes coming in DotNetNuke 6.0 and it is important that we get your feedback as early as possible in the release cycle. Your comments about the feature set, quality and stability of the release are important and can make the difference between 6.0 being just a good release, or DotNetNuke 6.0 being one of our greatest releases ever. I know the entire DotNetNuke team including all of the DotNetNuke Corp employees as well as the dozens of Core Team members and Project leads are working very hard to make this release a huge success and all of them value your feedback. So take a few minute and try out CTP 2 (Build 444).
Popup Windows
One of the features which we have seen in more and more modules over the last couple of years has been the increasing usage of Popup Windows and AJAX postbacks. The use of popups minimizes some of the perceived delay associated with postbacks and can result in an improved user experience. The use of popups also improves the context based editing that has always been a hallmark of DotNetNuke.
In DotNetNuke 6.0 all edit screens will automatically be displayed in a popup. This behavior can be turned off from the Admin>Site Settings page. This can also be controlled at the module level by editing the module definition and turning off the popup setting on specific module controls.
Like many features in this CTP, we are still working on cleaning up the user interface to remove the “windows” look of the modal popup and provide a look that is more tailored to the web. We are also working on tweaking scenarios which will automatically trigger the popup behavior and realize that this initial release may be a little more “aggressive” in the use of popups than what we anticipate will be in the final release. You feedback will help to find the right balance between delivering a great new streamlined experience and not altering the existing behavior too much.
Page Admin
DotNetNuke 6.0 will see a number of significant enhancements that were contributed by community members. In most cases, these contributions had already been recognized by many community members as great solutions to an existing problem. The Page Admin module originally created by Philipp Becker really takes page management in DotNetNuke to a whole new level.
Drag-n-drop page reordering, easy access to page settings, in-line editing of page names, status icons and context menus are just a few of the great features offered by the new page manager. This is an incredible feature that will greatly simplify page management in DotNetNuke.
Form Patterns
DotNetNuke 6.0 will be introducing a whole new set of UI design patterns that have been tailored specifically for DotNetNuke. These patterns will be employed throughout the DotNetNuke administrative screens and are intended to be a set of patterns that all module developers could use to provide a consistent look for end users. Much like the UI Guide and Design Templates for Windows Phone 7, or the iOS Human Interface Guidelines, the DotNetNuke Form Patterns are intended to provide guidance to developers but are in no way intended to limit developers who may have special UI needs which are not covered by the Form Patterns.
In order to simplify conformance to the Form Patterns, we are including a set of core controls which codify the patterns and make if much easier for developers to create UI’s which are consistent with the rest of the core. As minor stylistic changes are incorporated into the Form Patterns, 3rd party modules which used the core controls would automatically adapt to the new changes. You can see an example of the Form Patterns and the form pattern controls in use on the Host Settings screen. The concrete implementation of the form patterns and the the form pattern controls are still undergoing some stylistic changes so expect to see additional updates in upcoming beta releases.
Module Branding
One feature that has been requested by many commercial module developers is the ability to include some custom branding to differentiate their extensions from other products which may have a similar name. DotNetNuke includes the ability for extension developers to include an icon that is displayed on the Extensions page and which is scaled down for display in the module drop down list in the control panel.
Telerik
In 2009, DotNetNuke forged a relationship with Telerik that allows DotNetNuke to redistribute the ASP.Net AJAX controls as part of the DotNetNuke distribution. This release of DotNetNuke will include the Q1 2011 release of Telerik ASP.Net AJAX which resolves many of the issues with Internet Explorer 9. In addition, the DotNetNuke core framework will include a more complete list of wrappers that are available for DotNetNuke module developers to use with their own modules. Wrappers for the new controls contained in the Q1 release will be included in later beta releases of DotNetNuke 6.0.
Incorporate community feedback
One important goal for the DotNetNuke team during this pre-release period for DotNetNuke 6.0 is to make sure we are incorporating community feedback into each new build. Our maintenance team has been focused during this release cycle on identifying specific issues identified in the previous CTP and making sure that they were resolved. If you posted a comment in the Open Core Testing forums, we tried to make sure it was addressed in this release. We will continue asking for you feedback in this CTP as well and working hard to make sure we act on that feedback in a timely manner. Your testing and feedback does matter and will help ensure that DotNetNuke 6.0 is a very stable and reliable release.
DotNetNuke Professional
We are working hard to incorporate key bug fixes in the DotNetNuke Professional packages. If you are a professional customer, you can download the professional packages from the DotNetNuke Support Network. If you have critical issues that you really want to see addressed in 6.0, now is the time to let us know so we can get them properly prioritized for the 6.0 release. Later CTPs and Betas will include new Professional and Enterprise features that we are currently finishing up as well as additional bug fixes and minor enhancements.
Known Issues
With each release we will try to highlight some of the key issues which are outstanding and which we fully expect to have resolved by the next release. The issues listed below are the primary issues which were highlighted by our QA team:
- DNN-15110 Editing User Profile causes duplication of menu items
- DNN-15167 File Upload Errors
- DNN-15236 Attempt to add Profile Photo causes Page Load Exception
You can download the latest release from the Beta Download Page.
9 comment(s) so far...
Re: DotNetNuke 6.0 CTP 2
Very nice. Are you using radWindow for the Popup, if not what technology?
Thanks.
By brian on
4/4/2011 11:37 AM
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Re: DotNetNuke 6.0 CTP 2
@brian - We are using RadWindow.
By Joe Brinkman on
4/4/2011 12:11 PM
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Re: DotNetNuke 6.0 CTP 2
Good to see that it seems to have become easier to get contributions into the Core. This is a huge motivation really to stay involved... :-)
By Philipp Becker on
4/4/2011 12:37 PM
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Re: DotNetNuke 6.0 CTP 2
Thanks, Philipp! We're working hard to make this process easier, more clear and more available. Thank you for your participation and contribution!
By Scott Willhite on
4/4/2011 5:32 PM
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Re: DotNetNuke 6.0 CTP 2
I hope DNN keeps in mind the open standards of CSS based fluid UI that helps site accessibility should apply equally to the backend of DNN. I had my first update via a XOOM tablet last week with the new Firefox 4 mobile browser. DNN's use is global and widespread, mobile functionality may not be realistic in all aspects of DNN design, but personally speaking.....working via DNN on my tablet should be as effortless as from my desktop with a mouse and keyboard. Just something to keep in mind.
By Fort Myers on
4/5/2011 9:13 AM
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Re: DotNetNuke 6.0 CTP 2
@Fort Myers - We agree that we have to work well in a wide variety of environments like 10-Foot UIs and mobile devices. There is a lot of work happening in this area throughout the community and you can expect to see more alternate device support in the core in the not too distant future. Unfortunately, given everything we are already working on for 6.0, that will not be in this upcoming release.
By Joe Brinkman on
4/5/2011 9:16 AM
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Re: DotNetNuke 6.0 CTP 2
Very excited to hear about the UI overhaul and the form prattern standard. It is always a sore spot trying to explain to clients why each piece of their solution looks so different. Hopefully, module developers will jump on this bandwagon so the end product we put in front of the user has a cohesive look and feel.
By Jay Mathis on
4/5/2011 2:57 PM
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Re: DotNetNuke 6.0 CTP 2
Thank you for the 6.0 news. My goal is to stay as close to the core product releases as possible to make upgrades smooth. So I have some very elementary questions about the modules/products that will be in 6.0 - I hope you can help me out.
1. Editor - Will the Telerik editor still be the editor in 6.0 or are you moving to the dnnWrek editor? Sebastian Leupold has been recommending to download and use the dnnWrek editor to address some reported problems. BTW - Will Strohl's Blog had another approachhttp://www.dotnetnuke.com/Resources/Blogs/tabid/825/EntryId/3021/No-Folders-in-DotNetNuke-RadEditor-Image-Manager.aspx
2. Forum - dnn has Acquired active forums. If I wanted to begin using a forum on dnn 5.6.1 should I use the dnn core forum or the free active forum? I want the solution that will be the best (easiest) upgrade path in the future.
3. I am very excited about dnn 6.x. Is reading the Blog post the best way for me to keep abreast of what is coming in 6.x? I have looked around the dnn website and have not found a dnn 6.0 "dashboard" where all of the information is consolidated.
Keep up the good work and keep the information coming!
Judy
By Judy Vedder on
4/6/2011 8:32 AM
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Re: DotNetNuke 6.0 CTP 2
@Judy - I'll be glad to offer whatever help I can.1. We are moving to the DNN Werk editor and expect that to be the editor for 6.0.2. Because the Core Forums and Active Forums have not merged yet it is hard to predict the "best/easiest" upgrade path. I do know that Will Morgenweck is committed to ensuring a smooth upgrade for both sets of users. Which ever path you take, Will and Chris will be working to make sure you have a good upgrade experience.3. The Blog is definitely the best place for DotNetNuke 6.0 information. It is the one place where we are providing in-depth information about what is coming in 6.0. We should have some videos and more in-depth technical blogs available in the near future as we move from feature development into the code stabilization phase.
By Joe Brinkman on
4/6/2011 11:12 AM
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