The document provides a guide for creating custom URL providers as extensions in DNN 7.1. It includes prerequisites, installation steps, and implementation details such as manifest configuration, utilities for URL management, and debugging tips. The content emphasizes functionality like rearranging URL parameters, implementing redirects, and generating user-friendly URLs.

1. Creating URL Providers for Your
Custom Extensions
Brian Dukes, Engage
@BrianDukes
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2. What It Is
• Extension URL Provider
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3. How it works – Prerequisites
• DNN 7.1
• Advanced URL Provider
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4. How it works – Install & Manage
• Just a component in a package
• Optionally tied to a desktop module
• Managed through Site Settings
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5. Write Your Own – Plan
•
•
•
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Rearrange parameters?
Remove page names?
Implement redirects?
Store derived URL path components?
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6. Write Your Own – Manifest
<component type="UrlProvider">
<urlProvider>
<name>My URL Extension Provider</name>
<type>My.Module.Url.UrlProvider</type>
<settingsControlSrc>…</settingsControlSrc>
<redirectAllUrls>true</redirectAllUrls>
<replaceAllUrls>true</replaceAllUrls>
<rewriteAllUrls>true</rewriteAllUrls>
<desktopModule>My Module</desktopModule>
</urlProvider>
</component>
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7. Write Your Own – Settings
• IExtensionUrlProviderSettingsControl
•
•
•
Provider
void LoadSettings()
Dictionary<string, string> SaveSettings()
• Validation bug
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8. Write Your Own – Implement
• Override ExtensionUrlProvider (in
DotNetNuke.Entities.Urls)
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•
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•
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CheckForRedirect
ChangeFriendlyUrl
TransformFriendlyUrlToQueryString
GetProviderPortalSettings
AlwaysUseDnnPagePath
AlwaysCallForRewrite *
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9. Write Your Own – Utilities
• ProviderConfig
• CleanNameForUrl(
string, FriendlyUrlOptions)
• EnsureLeadingChar(string, string)
• EnsureNotLeadingChar(
string, string)
• CreateQueryStringFromParameters(
string[], int)
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10. Write Your Own – Replace
• ChangeFriendlyUrl
• Make generated URLs friendlier
• Called from NavigateURL, EditUrl, etc.
• Look for URL parameters, convert them to
new path
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11. Write Your Own – Rewrite
• TransformFriendlyUrlToQueryString
• Convert incoming URL to standard query
string format
• May need to find matching DNN page
• Match the root, turn the rest into regular
query string
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12. Write Your Own – Redirect
• CheckForRedirect
• Determine if incoming URL is in an old
format
• Set new location
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13. Tip – Debugging
• Turn on debug mode
• AUM_AllowDebugCode
• Request with HTTP__FUGDEBUG
• View messages in Fiddler
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14. THANKS TO ALL OF OUR GENEROUS
SPONSORS!
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