Overview

The DNN Module Creator enables developers to quickly build modules without a full-blown IDE, like Visual Studio. It automates many of the initial module creation tasks so that module developers can focus on writing code. In addition, the Module Creator can be extended with custom templates to further streamline development.

The DNN Module Creator is generally recommended only for simple modules. For more complex modules, you can create a Web Forms module using templates.

This article provides instructions on how to use the Module Creator.

Environment

• DNN Platform
• Evoq Content
• Evoq Engage

Prerequisites

You need a local DNN installation with host permissions to perform the steps outlined in this article.

Process

1. Create, copy, or edit a page.

2. Within a pane, click on the Module (box) icon.
   
   

3. Search for the Module Creator among the installed modules.
   
   

4. Drag the Module Creator module to any pane on the webpage.
   
   

5. Fill in the Module Creation form.
   
   
   
   

   Field	Description
   Owner Name	Name of your organization Must contain only alphanumeric characters Used to create a folder to distinguish your modules from those created by other module creators                  Also used as the namespace for your code
   Module Name	Must contain only alphanumeric characters Used to create the module's friendly name and full name The full name is [OwnerName].[ModuleName] with space characters removed.
   Language	The selected language (C#, VB, or Web) determines which templates become available.
   Template	For C# and VB, choose among: Inline Script: The code is embedded. It also uses user controls. Razor: Uses Razor scripts to render views. User Control: The code is stored in separate files. Most commonly used. For Web, the HTML template allows you to use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
   Control Name	Name of the primary module control that is registered with DNN

   
   

   The new module replaces the Module Creator form in the pane.

   
   

6. Customize the module.

   1. Click the gear icon and choose Develop.
      
      

   2. In the View.ascx file, delete all the lines of code, except the first one.
      
      

   3. Add markup to customize the module, then click Update to save your changes.
      
      
      Example:

      <h1>Hello, <%: UserInfo.DisplayName %></h1>
      
      

   4. From the Select File dropdown, choose the View.ascx.cs file.
      
      

   5. Remove all the code in the Event Handlers region and click Update to save your changes.
      
      

Parent Topic

• Creating a Module

Related References

• Module: Module Creator
• Creating a Module Using Templates

Related Information

• Web Forms Module Development
• SPA Module Development
• MVC Module Development

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