Database Driven Pages

[JJ]

[I'm fairly new to asp.net]
I want to create a web site with the page content being driven by my sql
database. This would form the basis of a simple content management system.

i.e. a particular page may be accessed by the url
www.xyz.com/default.aspx?pageid=34

I can achieve this when each page is identical - e.g. contains my custom
text/html control.

The bit I am having problems with is:
How do I deal with adding my other custom controls to one page and not
another.

The one way I could come up with (which doesn't seem very efficient) is to
have some sort of logic built into the default page for each and every
control I write:

i.e. If (database says this page contains xyz control)
Then
(programmatically add control to page in location specifiied, in this order)

- there must be a more logical and efficient way than this. And I'm not
entirely sure how I'd deal with the physical location of the control on the
page.

[I did think about going down the web parts route, (my personalization
provider does take into account the querystring and treats it as a seperate
page) but:
a) I don't really want a user to customise the pages individually.
b) I also though one approach was to use a custom text/html editor in the
web part (when in edit mode) to allow the user 'personalization' of the
text, but I want to keep the page content data in my own tables in the
database and not in the webparts/personalization tables.

If I could get the web part to store the text peronalization information in
my tables, then I guess I could stop a standard user being able to
personalize the site....?]


I'd really appreciate any comments/help anyone can give,

JJ

 

[Guest]

[I'm fairly new to asp.net]
I want to create a web site with the page content being driven by my sql
database. This would form the basis of a simple content management system.

i.e. a particular page may be accessed by the urlwww.xyz.com/default.aspx?pageid=34

I can achieve this when each page is identical - e.g. contains my custom
text/html control.

The bit I am having problems with is:
How do I deal with adding my other custom controls to one page and not
another.

The one way I could come up with (which doesn't seem very efficient) is to
have some sort of logic built into the default page for each and every
control I write:

i.e. If (database says this page contains xyz control)
Then
(programmatically add control to page in location specifiied, in this order)

- there must be a more logical and efficient way than this. And I'm not
entirely sure how I'd deal with the physical location of the control on the
page.

[I did think about going down the web parts route, (my personalization
provider does take into account the querystring and treats it as a seperate
page) but:
a) I don't really want a user to customise the pages individually.
b) I also though one approach was to use a custom text/html editor in the
web part (when in edit mode) to allow the user 'personalization' of the
text, but I want to keep the page content data in my own tables in the
database and not in the webparts/personalization tables.

If I could get the web part to store the text peronalization information in
my tables, then I guess I could stop a standard user being able to
personalize the site....?]

I'd really appreciate any comments/help anyone can give,

JJ

Probably you can look at IBuySpy project from Microsoft (or DNN -
DotNetNuke) where user controls are used to create a dynamic page
content

 

[JJ]

Hi Alexey.

I looked at DNN to start with - but I found that its much more than I want
to do. I don't want editors to have that much control over the site!
I also want more flexibility over things like menu/navigation design.

Also I have been looking for IBuySpy on the net, but all the links seem to
redirect to DNN web site....?

JJ

 

[Mark Rae]

I also want more flexibility over things like menu/navigation design.

In which case, you'd be well advised to stay well away from DotNetNuke...

 

[JJ]

That's what I'd thought in my brief look at it. I think I can recognise a
dotnetnuke site just by its navigation - something I don't want viewers of
my sites to notice.

If only I can work out how have the database table specifiy which controls
are on a page and where they are placed, I'd be happy with my own minimal
CMS.

I'd like to have some of the nice features of DNN - like being able to add
'modules' (in my case my custom controls) to a page via my CMS web
interface. But I want to be able to be more creative on the design for the
rest of the site than many of these large cms's allow.

It seems I am asking the impossible (at least for my level of knowledge).

How do you more experienced developers do this? Do you use an out of the box
CMS or just tie the site down and not allow the editor to add controls (i.e
just have a standard 'edit' page for each page layout type on the site).

I can't find any books on the subject (bar the basic introduction to CMS's
for asp), so clearly I've either discovered a huge gap in the market,or I'm
on the completely wrong track to solving my problem (the latter being more
likely).

JJ

 

[Mark Rae]

That's what I'd thought in my brief look at it. I think I can recognise a
dotnetnuke site just by its navigation - something I don't want viewers of
my sites to notice.

Oh yes indeed - you can spot a DNN site from miles away... Like you can with
FrontPage...

But I want to be able to be more creative on the design for the rest of
the site than many of these large cms's allow.

That's the problem with software like DNN - fine if you're an end-user who
just wants to knock up a quick CMS and doesn't (want to) know what's
happening behind the scenes, but no use at all for developers who know how
to do things themselves...

How do you more experienced developers do this? Do you use an out of the
box CMS or just tie the site down and not allow the editor to add controls
(i.e just have a standard 'edit' page for each page layout type on the
site).

I use SharePoint...

 

[JJ]

That's the problem with software like DNN - fine if you're an end-user who
just wants to knock up a quick CMS and doesn't (want to) know what's
happening behind the scenes, but no use at all for developers who know how
to do things themselves...

Exactly my point.

I use SharePoint...

I'll take a look. Thanks (again).

JJ

 

[Guest]

Hi Alexey.

I looked at DNN to start with - but I found that its much more than I want
to do. I don't want editors to have that much control over the site!
I also want more flexibility over things like menu/navigation design.

Also I have been looking for IBuySpy on the net, but all the links seem to
redirect to DNN web site....?

JJ

IBuySpy you can find at http://www.asp.net/downloads/default11.aspx?tabid=62
(the last "Portal Starter Kit")

It's up to you what you will do with it. You can develop your own CMS
based on ideas of IBuySpy (for example, DNN is a community driven
extension of the IBuySpy), or you can adapt it to your needs.

Also, look at this free ASP.net based CMS
http://en.axcms.net

Maybe, you'll find it better than IBuySpy

 

[JJ]

Thanks - will take a look at the portal kit to see how its engineered.
Is axcms the system where your tied into using their servers to store the
cms data - I seem to remember something like that?

JJ

 

[Guest]

Thanks - will take a look at the portal kit to see how its engineered.
Is axcms the system where your tied into using their servers to store the
cms data - I seem to remember something like that?

JJ









- Show quoted text -

You can install it on your/shared server. I've tested it a little bit
some time ago, but I found it not very intuitive and a bit complex. As
I remember, it handles custom page layout based on controls...

 

[Guest]

You can install it on your/shared server.

Okay, their website says you can download v6 and earlier. The new
version is not available for download (it means I tested v6)

 

[JJ]

Thanks Alexey. I'll try the portal starter kit and see if that gets me
started.