I finished the work on pure CSS DNN site solution.
Because it uses no Javascript it works with browser
security settings on high too. Javascript based menus
like Solpart does not work on browser security settings
set on High level.

You can view a site made using only CSS stylesheets at
http://www.expediteship.com/

All the horizonthal and vertical tabs and the layout are made using a custom
skin object - XmlSmithCSSTAB, and CSS stylessheets.

The 1st and 2nd horizonthal tabs are defined that way:
<div id="HTabBox01">
<div id="HTab01">
<ul>[CSSTAB:1]</ul>
</div>
<div id="HTab02">
<ul>[CSSTAB:2]</ul>
</div>
</div>


The vertical tab is defined that way:
<div id="VTabBox02">
<div id="VTab02">
<ul>[CSSTAB:3]</ul>
</div>
</div>


The main reason to use a tabs is that you can see which tabs are pressed
without roll over with the mouse.

You place them in the appropriate places in the skin and you have the
layout and the tabs needed for pure CSS DNN site.

I'll release the skin object and sample CSS layouts and tabs commercialy
very soon.

Nice Site.

How do you handle the solpart features used in Admin interface? (Pencil edit etc.) or does Your skin without JS have Security implications that effect only visitors/registered users (no edit rights).

Seems your method solves certain browser compaitability issues regarding the menu system.

While checking out your site I noticed you use Speerio Site Map. Doesn't this module use JS?

Overall I Like it!

Hi

Nice, I am about to release a css tabs solution soon too. This one will be for free. various versions various levels ( even an nlevel one that kinda mimics solpart with only 12 lines of javascript.

See mine in use here

2 instances both with completely different css ( based on the very popular listomatic samples ) - one horizontal one vertical

all freely available in like a week or so

The site looks excellent in IE and in Opera.. But it looks real crappy in Firefox.

Hope you can somehow detect and make a fix for firefox.

Michael

Thanks. The security issues has been the main
driving force behind this project. Also now the tabs
are made very easy if you know how to make CSS styles.
The menu system now is made from simple lists.

Still creating CSS styles is not easy and I have CSS styles
examples with my commercial module.

I have made a pure CSS style based containers too.
You define them that way:

<DIV class=boxSimple00>
<DIV class=boxSimple00head>
[ACTIONS]
[VISIBILITY][ICON][TITLE]
</DIV>
<DIV class=boxSimple00body id="ContentPane" runat="server">
</DIV>
</DIV>

It's all CSS styles. I eleminated the tables completely in the containers
too.

Speerio site map does uses .js and I've to live with that fact. Very
soon I'll release pure CSS functionality for trees too.

Hi Armand,

I visited your site - it's a good site. It has a different
approach though.

It's good that the code I published a month ago
about pure CSS solution raised a lot of interest
and discussions in this forum.

I decided to release my solution as a commercial
solution because I do believe that that way I can
support this product better. I myself use several free
modules of course but the problem I face is that
I cannot get support for them. Even if I have
the source code - I do not have the time to delve
deeper in the code and to fix problems, etc. And
when a new version arrives it obliterates all my additions
to the code. In other words you cannot maintain
an open source solution - you are at the mercy of
the author - if he has the time to fix the problem
or to add features.

DNN it's a grand project made from committed professionals.
Modules for DNN is a different matter - for the free ones
you cannot get professional and fast support. I personally own several
commercial modules from Snowcovered. I do receive very good support
from the authors - usually after hour or two. I have paid for
the source code for peace in mind if for some reason I don't
receive a support. But for me is much easier to pay $60 bucks
and to receive professional support than to spend 1 day to solve
some problem with the module. Making a portal is not the main
task if you have a software to sell. The software itself is much
more complicated.

These are the realities if you try to run a business and your time is
precious - you buy ready made solutions with professional support
and go further to make things not already made.

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the note. I do know about this
incopatibility. IE has been my priority.
The problem is in CSS stylesheets. Different
browsers handle CSS a little different. I'll
find a time to change the CSS sheets but
it's not my first priority for now. From my
browser statistics I can see that 95 % of
my visitors use IE.

Fo some great css styles for menus and tabs check here, I have used these various times and its what my skinobjects are based on. The base html code is a simple ordened list and you can use all the css styles on that site.

If you want more info regarding css tabs just google for 'css tabs' and you will find lots more that you can use.

These are good examples and there a lot of sites.
The Eric Mayers' books are very valuable. Still
making CSS stylesheets for DNN is very far from
easy. Why?

Because you have many stylesheets in one time:
portal CSS, skin CSS, containers CSS, etc.
Sometimes they are conflicting, you have to choose
a godd naming convention, etc. You cannot simply
goto some site and get the CSS style from it and
use it in DNN.

Again - this is the reason I'll publish XmlSmith CSSTAB
and CSSNAV as a commercial modules - it needs support
and many DNN specific examples in order a pure CSS
soltion to be used easily with DNN.

Hi

Well my site is far from ready right now im using it to test the css tabs. I am workign on various addons. I have made nice money with dnn custom solutions for big time porjects and companies and the skinobjects will come with its own example site and ill try to support them best as possible.

Got so much from dnn that ist time to pay back, I have a normal job and I freelance with dnn which right ow I see as funa nd with all the awesoem free and suppported modules out htere its time to follow in some of the footsteps from people like donker (mht module), smcullen ( lots more ) bo nrogaard ( multi content ) and a lot more.

I like graphic overkill sites but also pure css. Asfor how its now the menu is becoming way too slow. Most people hardly ever use all the new features of solpart menu so its mosly overkill. We have been redoing dnn to pure css based solution from version one and up but nw with version 2 you can do it without tempering on the core toomuch, only for a real solution it could use soem rewrites, but most can be done

I just found a full css based solution for the standard rounded corners dnn container get it here

[...]Got so much from dnn that ist time to pay back[...]

Armand this is all about business matters. Having a real
company behind a product with professional support can
be considered payng back DNN community too. When
you make consulting projects you support your clients
because they paid to you and you have the obligation
to support them. This is not about the source code -
it is all about real people standing behind a product -
in your case - a consulting project.

After several months DNN will evolve very fast and will
get much more complicated and with much more features.
To support and maintain modules for it will need more time
and expertize. One example what can happen is DNN 2.1.1.
You have to install, test it in a sandbox environment
with all modules you have in the real site. Then to make a
backup of the site, upload the new code, update, test again.
This is very time consuming if you have a module to support.
You have to test it very well and release it in timely manner.

In order a established business owner to rely on software
solution he has to be sure that behind a product stands a real
company committed to support it products. This is a simple
reality. See what happens with Linux - it goes mainstream now
because IBM, Novell, etc. stand behind this free open source
product and support it. Support is everithing in the business.
Sun plans to release Solaris as an open source soon too.
This means that the source code is not so important now.
You get a millions of lines free source code - so what do you
do with it - read it? No - you go to Sun to get support package
because they are real company with people standing behind the
product.

With source code in hand you have to commit a lot of time to study
it, test it it and then if you have the time and commitment to expand
it if you are allowed to do that from the author.

ABout free modules - if the module is more complicated you get to
the point you cannot support it anymore if it's free. You get inevitably
to this point. So now a business gets this free module and after 1 year
the author chooses different venue - simply stops to supoort it -
everithing can happen. Now the business has already a solution based
on free module, whants to expand it, etc. He have to do it itself - this
is not always possible.

This is whay I rely on DNN as a free solution, but buy modules in order
top be sure everithing runs smoothly.

Now you can get it from:

http://www.snowcovered.com/snowcovered2/Default.aspx?tabid=60&ctl=CatalogItemDetails&mid=813&CatalogItemID=735

hey

good you have it out there, im too busy with cleints stuff but my version is alsmost ready.

maybe an idea to post some screenshots or samples pf wat we can expect?

Yes, it's a lot of work and debugging of
the skinobjects and CSS. I have very good
examples there how ot make pure CSS Skins
with 3 layouts - 1 column, 2 columns, 3 columns.
You can have pure CSS header and footer too -
usually not possible with CSS but I found a
solution. Also pure CSS containers examples
are available when you purchase
XmlSmith CSSTAB & CSSNAV 1.0.

Will release very soon a lot more CSS layouts,
CSS Tabs, CSS Menus and CSS Containers
working with this solution.

Better look a t a live site than on screenshots.
Please, go to http://www.ExpediteShip.com
and you can see what can be made with
XmlSmith CSSTAB & CSSNAV 1.0

>Schade Deutschland alles ist furbei :)

What do you mean by this? ;)