I’m in the position of having to either recommend an existing or develop a custom news and forum module for a DotNetNuke installation. Both modules need to have the features you’d expect from such a module. Quite an open set of requirement, but that’s all I have so far.
I’ve been brought in to rescue an Intranet redevelopment project which already uses DNN, so that’s non-negotiable.
I’ve never developed for DNN before, so I don’t know how easy module development is.
Those with experience in the area, please can you tell me:
- The best news and forum modules you know of
- How easy custom module development is
- Would you recommend custom module development, or to use existing products.
Version 3 of DNN is currently in use, but a newer version can be installed if required.
“News module” is pretty open, but the best simple news module is probably Ventrian’s News Articles module. My company, Engage Software, makes another article management system, Engage: Publish, that is more full featured in some areas.
Active Forums is generally considered the cream of the crop for DNN forums.
DNN module development takes a little getting used to, so that you’re familiar with your options and what DNN offers, but it’s fairly simple once you know what you’re doing. Engage offers a number of training options if you end up deciding to go that route.
I think your best bet is to evaluate the existing modules, take them for a spin, and see if you can get them to meet your needs before you go creating something on your own. All of the modules I’ve mentioned will be able to support you if you run into any issues or need any help figuring out if they have a way to meet your needs.