Next week (21-July-2008) I am presenting an overview of the DNN Repository module to the St. Louis DotNetNuke Users' Group. In anticipation of that I wanted to make my PowerPoint slide stack available.
I have been using the Repository module for some time to provide users with downloadable files (which is only one of the module's uses). The real advantage of this approach is the "Dashboard" which allows users to quickly select a subset of documents based on user assignable, and hierarchical, categories and attributes. From a user's perspective this was a big step up from DNN's default Documents module. When I used that users could sort by the various categories but there will still so many items that they found it difficult and confusing.
After preparing for my presentation I have learned quite a few things about the module. First, it's utility is good for things like directories and even blog posts - that is things that do not have attachments. The module's templates (both packaged and user create) provide a very nice and powerful way to customize the layout of the items in the module. The next version promises to make the creation and management of these even easier and more powerful.
However, for my purposes, providing downloadable files, there are some significant weaknesses which will send me looking for other modules. These are:
- A GUID is added to the name of each file uploaded. This GUID is changes when ever the file is updated. This permits multiple files to have the same name. In the file versioning promised future version this will also come in handy. However, it seems search engine unfriendly.
- The module does not support DNN secure directory format. Thus files are accessible (if you know the GUID enhanced file name) from the Internet regardless of the DNN security settings.
- Links to the files can be embedded into other DNN pages. However, if the file is updated (thus changing its GUID) the link will break.
So while the module has the really great ability to filter documents, its other difficulties will make me search for a better way to provide search engine friendly, securable files* to my users.
* NOTE: I do realize that security and search engine friendly are incompatible goals. In my sites sometimes I want one and sometimes the other. However, this module provides neither.