Before you start with your site it is good to know how it is working.
First get introduced by reading the essentials here.
Skins & Content
A DotNetNuke website completely separates the graphics (skin) of the website to the actual content (the text). This means that you can change the graphics of the website without affecting the text. As an analogy, think of the content as a naked person and the graphics (skin) as the different clothes a person can wear. A person can wear very different clothes to completely change their appearance, but the actual content of the clothes (the person wearing the clothes) remains the same!
Database Driven Content and Pages
DotNetNuke uses a database to store its content. The database supplies the content to the skin of the website.
Each page on your website is given an ID number (a Tab ID) – this number is automatically created by your DotNetNuke website and stored in the database. This means that when you click on for example the Forum Page in the menu on your website (Tab ID = 7 in the example diagram below), the website requests from the database the content details for Tab ID = 7, which it then displays in the skin.
This allows you to create an unlimited number of pages. Pages do not have to be created in a certain order as they do in a book, but can be created in any order. The page names that are displayed in the menu system can be re-ordered and re-named at any time.
Because DotNetNuke uses a Database to store its content, you can update your website easily by simply logging into your website online, adding the new content, clicking update and logging out. In a matter of minutes you have updated your website!
Because DotNetNuke uses a Database to store its content, you can update your website easily... ...In a matter of minutes you have updated your website!
Modules & Content
To add any content to your website, DotNetNuke uses Modules. There are several modules to choose from which come free with DotNetNuke, for instance a Text / HTML module to add Text content to your page, or a Links Module to add Links to a page.
There are currently in the region of 100 modules available for free and to purchase across the internet, which provide a variety of functions ranging from Articles modules to Shop Store modules.
Containers (Module graphics)
Just like skins, when you insert a module into your page, you can select which graphics should be displayed around the module, these graphics are called containers. When you download / purchase a skin, it usually comes with a selection of containers which suit the design of the skin. This gives you an incredibly flexible system, allowing you to choose how your content should look.
You can find also a couple of videos explaining how it works!
Video 1
- How to secure your DotNetNuke portal
- Changing the passwords of the admin and host accounts
- Explanation of the admin edit area, content panes and modules
- Deleting modules from the Home Page
- Inserting two Text / HTML modules to the page
Time Length: 15min 2secs
Video 2
- Using the Text/HTML module to add text and images
- Using the links module, adding links to the page
- How to preview the DotNetNuke website
- Using the image module
- Changing the look of a DotNetNuke portal
- Using Containers: Removing containers
- How to change a container
Time Length: 13min 17secs
Video 3
- How to change the skins for a DotNetNuke portal
- How to change and upload a new logo
- How to add pages
- How to add sub menu and sub sub menu items
- How to move modules around the page
Time Length: 11min 58secs