Stoyan Stratev's blog

RadRotator for ASP.NET AJAX: Using dynamic templates

Stoyan Stratev — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 02:43:52 GMT

My colleague Todd Anglin has already written a post about how to create a rotator control dynamically - you can read it here - How to Create RadRotator Programmatically. Unfortunately, this code in that post is for the old RadRotator control and if you try to use it in the new ASP.NET AJAX version, you will notice that it will not compile. Fortunately, you can quickly fix that. Here is what you need to change:

FrameTemplate - this property has been replaced with ItemTemplate

RadRotatorFrame - this object has been replaced with RadRotatorItem

After you update the above names, you should be able to compile and run Todd's code.

Creating a RadRotator control from code is handy in many cases - for example if you are developing a web part or some other server control you wish to easily reuse in your application.

You can can get the updated demo code (C# and VB.NET versions) here:
DynamicRotator

RadRotator binding to XML data

Stoyan Stratev — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 06:06:40 GMT

As you already know, the upcoming RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX Q2 2008 release will add a new control to the suite - the RadRotator. If you are familiar with the RadRotator control from the classic ASP.NET controls suite, you will be glad to know that it is now included in the new Ajax suite as well.

One important change I would like to talk about is how the new rotator works with XML data. The classic rotator control had a property called ContentFile, which allowed the developer to specify a XML file to use as a datasource for the rotator frames. For example:

    
            <rad:RadRotator id="RadRotator1" runat="server"  
        
            ContentFile="news.xml" height="100px" width="300px"> 
        
              <FrameTemplate> 
        
                <div> 
        
                  <%# DataBinder.Eval(Container.DataItem, "Title") %> 
        
                </div> 
        
              </FrameTemplate> 
        
            </rad:RadRotator>

The new RadRotator will not have a ContentFile property. Instead, the rotator should be bound to a XmlDataSource control, which in turn will load the XML file. Note that the XmlDataSource control can work with live XML streams (RSS) as well. Here is an example of how the new rotator will work with XML:

    
            <telerik:RadRotator ID="RadRotator1" ScrollDirection="Up" ScrollDuration="2000" 
        
            runat="server" DataSourceID="xmlDataSource1" Width="500" Height="200"> 
        
                <ItemTemplate> 
        
                    <div class="module" style="width:500px"> 
        
                        <strong><a href='<%# XPath("link") %>' target="_blank"> 
        
                            <%# XPath("title") %> 
        
                        </a></strong> 
        
                        <br /> 
        
                        <%# XPath("pubDate") %> 
        
                    </div> 
        
                </ItemTemplate> 
        
            </telerik:RadRotator> 
        
            <asp:XmlDataSource ID="xmlDataSource1" XPath="rss/channel/item" runat="server" 
        
             DataFile="http://rss.cnn.com/rss/cnn_topstories.rss" />

The above example will bind the rotator to CNN's Top Stories RSS feed. Note that instead of DataBinder.Eval(), the XmlDataSource uses XPath() to get specific items from the data container. This means that if you are upgrading from the classic RadRotator with XML content file, you will need to update your template as well.

RadEditor for ASP.NET AJAX in Community Server

Stoyan Stratev — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:59:50 GMT

We have updated the Telerik editor provider for Community Server to use the new RadEditor from the ASP.NET AJAX suite. The new provider is available for download from the following URL - http://blogs.telerik.com/Libraries/Stoyan%20Stratev/RadEditorWrapper20080623.sflb?download=true (deployment instructions are included in the archive).

There are some major changes in the new provider. I will list them here:

1. ScriptManager - since the new editor is built on top of the Microsoft ASP.NET AJAX Extensions, it requires that the System.Web.Extensions.dll assembly is either in the bin folder of the CommunityServer web site or in the machine's GAC. You do not need to add a ScriptManager control on the pages you plan to use the editor. It will be added automatically (if needed).

2. Resouces folder - the new editor stores most of its resources (dialogs, skins) in the Telerik.Web.UI.dll assembly. However, we still need a RadControls folder in the Community Server provider for several reasons - to store the RadSpell dictionaries, configuration files, etc.

3. Localization - if you want to change the editor language, you need to extract the localization files (.resx) in the App_GlobalResources folder in your CS website.

As always, we would appreciate your feedback/suggestions for improving the provider.

Full-featured RadEditor for MOSS 5.0

Stoyan Stratev — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 07:35:39 GMT

Our RadEditor for MOSS product has reached version 5.0. There are some major changes that you should know before you upgrade from version 4.x. First and most important is that the 5.0 version uses RadEditor for ASP.NET AJAX. The new editor offers many improvements over the previous RadEditor for ASP.NET, too many to list here. Check the product page for more details. This is a major upgrade and it means that you will need to have the�WSS�v3/MOSS 2007 Service�Pack 1 and�ASP.NET AJAX installed in your web farm.

The second important change is in the RadEditor features. There are still two features in the "Site Features" page, but their meaning is different.�The first feature will activate the editor in all lists in the current site.�In�the new version this feature activates the editor for all browsers, while in 4.x we had a separate�feature for Internet Explorer. The other feature will activate the editor for all publishing HTML fields on the site (WCM scenario). This is the same as using SharePoint designer to replace all editors in your publishing layouts, but it does not actually change the pages (i.e. the pages will still contain the original editor declaration -�<PublishingWebControls:RichHtmlField... />). It is up to the SharePoint developer to decide whether to replace the original editor with SharePoint designer, or using our feature.

Upgrading from version 4.x is a simple process. We have outlined the steps in the online documentation -�http://www.telerik.com/help/aspnet-ajax/upgrade-instructions-from-v4-to-v5.html. Speaking of which, the documentation for the new editor has been moved in the main RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX help, so you can access it online from�http://www.telerik.com/help/aspnet-ajax/moss-introduction.html.

�

The new RadEditor for MOSS 5.0 is available from the RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX downloads page. Note that the LITE version of the editor has not been updated to 5.0. It will remain in the 4.x branch and will be updated only with bugfixes - no new features will be added to version 4.x.

Finally, you can see a simple page with the MOSS content editor web part on our SharePoint demo site -�http://sharepoint.telerik.com/Products/RadControlsAjax/Pages/RadEditorfor.aspx

The New RadControls Installer

Stoyan Stratev — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:26:13 GMT

We have been using the same old installer for a very long time. The reason for that is very simple - because it worked. However, with the release of the new RadControls for ASP.NET Ajax suite we felt that it is time for a change.�The people who tried our new futures build for Q1 2008 already know what I am talking about - the�Prometheus controls come with a totally redesigned installation experience.

There were two main issues we wanted to address - install/uninstall speed and the look & feel of the installation wizard. I am happy to say that we achieved success on both accounts. The installer went from this (click to open in a new window):
�

to this (click to open in a new window):
�

The new installation wizard gives you even more options when you want to do a custom install - you can choose whether or not to install the examples, Visual Studio integration, or the documentation. A lot has been changed under the hood as well - the install/uninstall process now takes only a couple of minutes (several times faster than the old installer).

Try the new RadControls for ASP.NET Ajax build tell us what you think. There are still a few weeks left until the official release and your feedback will be appreciated.

More information about the futures build as well as download instructions are available in our fourms -�http://www.telerik.com/community/forums/thread/b311D-bcmkaa.aspx

RadEditor for MOSS updated to v4.51

Stoyan Stratev — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 02:04:42 GMT

Last week we updated the MOSS�build of RadEditor to version 4.51. You can get the updates for the lite and full versions from the product page: http://www.telerik.com/products/sharepoint/radeditor.aspx.

The most important fix in this release is a server-side exception, which sometimes occurred when opening the built-in Image Manager dialog.

A Preview of the RadEditor Prometheus provider for DotNetNuke

Stoyan Stratev — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:26:17 GMT

Today we have released a preview of the new RadEditor Prometheus provider for DotNetNuke 4. The provider configuration remains basically the same, so people should have no problem enabling and configuring the new editor in DNN.

The installation for the new provider is greatly simplified. We tried to eliminate most of the manual steps, which were required with the original RadEditor HTML editor provider. Basically, the provider now comes packaged as a module PA, so you can install and enable it directly from the web site. Detailed installation instructions (both for the automatic and manual installation) are available in the distribution archive.

The first thing that you will notice is that the new editor does not have a RadControls folder. All the important files are stored in the ~/DesktopModules/TelerikWebUI/ folder. Since DotNetNuke defines CSS for some global HTML elements (such as anchors, list items, etc.), we have included an extra CSS file, which will fix the editor skin to look OK in DNN.

Finally, here is the link for the new editor provider:
RadEditorPrometheus_DNN_Preview_Trial.zip

The download contains the provider, a text file with installation instructions, and screen shots of the installation procedure.

The provider will be officially released when we finish with the rest of the Prometheus controls integration in DotNetNuke - navigation skinobjects, upload module, calendar skinobject and module.

RadEditor for MOSS updated

Stoyan Stratev — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 21:05:00 GMT

We have just updated our RadEditor for MOSS with a new build. You can get it from the usual place. Visit http://www.telerik.com/products/sharepoint/radeditor.aspx for more information.

The new version (4.31) has a bunch of enhancements and bugfixes. The most important new feature in my opinion is the addition of a base editor class, which you can use in your own custom MOSS solutions. The new class (MOSSRadEditor) is available only in the full-featured version of the RadEditor for MOSS. It allows you to easily add an instance of RadEditor, which will have the MOSS specific features like the ability to use MOSS asset pickers, browse the MOSS libraries for documents, flash, etc.

Here is an example:

using Telerik.SharePoint;

...

    public class EditorTest : System.Web.UI.WebControls.WebParts.WebPart
    {
        private MOSSRadEditor myEditor;
        protected override void CreateChildControls()
        {
            base.CreateChildControls();
            myEditor = new MOSSRadEditor();
            myEditor.ID = "myEditor1";
            this.Controls.Add(myEditor);
        }
        protected override void Render(HtmlTextWriter writer)
        {
            EnsureChildControls();
            // TODO: add custom rendering code here.
        }
    }

New Resources for MOSS 2007 available!

Stoyan Stratev — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 16:00:00 GMT

We have extended our SharePoint 2007 offering by adding an Integration Guide, which shows how to integrate the RadControls for ASP.NET into a MOSS 2007 site. Point your browsers to the following address for the details http://www.telerik.com/products/sharepoint/integration-guide.aspx.

The new resources include a Whitepaper, a Screencast, and a new section in our forums, which is dedicated to using RadControls in MOSS 2007. The Whitepaper shows two possible ways to add one of our controls (RadMenu in this case) in a MOSS 2007 publishing site. The first (and recommended) approach is to create a WSS solution package and deploy it. The second approach describes how to integrate a control manually. The result is the same in both cases, so it is up to the developer to choose their preference. The Screencast shows the integration process step by step so it is a great resource for people.

Using RadEditor as a Wiki Editor in MOSS

Stoyan Stratev — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 20:52:00 GMT

There have been a number of questions, regarding the RadEditor for MOSS and whether it is possible to use it in the SharePoint 2007 Wiki libraries and sites. The short answer to this question is - yes it's possible. Here is the long version: Wiki pages in MOSS 2007 are stored as normal document libraries. This means that when you edit a Wiki page, you are actually editing a list item. RadEditor for MOSS supports this scenario and you can use it to replace the default editor in all major browsers - Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, etc.

Here is how to activate the RadEditor for MOSS list items (the same guide is available in the RadEditor for MOSS documentation topic Using RadEditor in List Items):

1. You need to get the latest build of our editor. Go to this page for more info and download details - http://www.telerik.com/products/sharepoint/overview.aspx

2. Install the RadEditor for MOSS in your web farm. Installation instructions are available in the documentation, which comes with the download.

3. Browse to the SharePoint site which, where you want to use the RadEditor in list items and open the Site Settings page. From the Site Settings, navigate to Site Features.

4. Activate the RadEditor features. You can use the editor in all browsers, or you can leave the default rich text editor in Internet Explorer and use ours everywhere else. Here is a screenshot with the RadEditor features:

5. You might need to restart IIS to recycle the SharePoint web application. This step is required since MOSS will cache the default editor the first time it is used.

6. That's it. You can now use RadEditor for MOSS to edit Wiki pages in your site. Remember that the RadEditor features are local to the site, so if you want to edit list items in a different site, you need to redo steps 3 and 4 for it.

After you have our editor up and running, you might want to customize its appearance/options. You can do that with the editor's tools and configuration files. By default, they are located at \Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\wpresources\RadEditorSharePoint\4.1.0.0__1f131a624888eeed\RadControls\Editor\ (where 4.1.0 represents the installed editor build). The files you need to modify are called ListToolsFile.xml and ListConfigFile.xml.

RadEditor and Community Server 2007 integration

Stoyan Stratev — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 21:14:00 GMT

It's been a while since I had to work with Telligent's Community Server software. Our last attempt to use RadEditor as the default editor was back in CS version 2.0. The latest version (2007) features a new and easier way to add new editors for the blogs/forums/etc. parts of Community Server. I decided to update our code and write a new wrapper for RadEditor 7.

The new code is cleaner, since it directly inherits from the RadEditor class instead of adding the editor as a child control:

public class RadEditorWrapper: RadEditor, ITextEditor, ITextControl
{...

The new wrapper is available for download here. Inside the archive you will find the Telerik.CommunityServer.RadEditorWrapper.dll assembly as well as the source code for the wrapper.

Here is what you need to do in order to install the new wrapper in a Community Server 2007 site:

1. You need a license for the ASP.NET RadEditor control.

2. Copy the Telerik.CommunityServer.RadEditorWrapper.dll from the wrapper archive and the RadEditor.Net2.dll and RadSpell.Net2.dll files from the editor installation to the Bin folder of your Community Server web site.

3. Copy the RadControls folder from your editor installation to the root of the Community Server web site.

4. Open the communityserver.config file from the root web site folder and add the following line in the <editors> section:

<editor name="RadEditor" type="Telerik.CommunityServer.RadEditorWrapper, Telerik.CommunityServer.RadEditorWrapper" />

That's it!

Next time you are logged into your Community Server, go to your profile (click the Edit Profile link). Then click the Site Options tab and select RadEditor from the Content Editors list.

If you want to make RadEditor the default content editor for everybody, simply add the default="true" attribute to the editor entry in step 4. Make sure that you have only one default editor though (usually the Standard editor is set as default).

You can configure the editor from the usual places - RadControls/Editor/ToolsFile.xml controls the editor toolbar, while RadControls/Editor/ConfigFile.xml controls the other editor settings like image paths, etc.

If you have any suggestions/comments for the wrapper - feel free to share them!

r.a.d.controls and support for DotNetNuke

Stoyan Stratev — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 17:01:00 GMT

DotNetNuke 4.0 was officially released about a month ago, giving a major revamp to the project, now specifically designed for .NET 2.0 and offering Visual Studio 2005 support. Although there were some inevitable glitches, in my opinion DNN 4.0 is a solid release.

Porting the existing r.a.d.controls for DNN to 4.0 proved to be a straightforward task. Almost all our DNN controls compiled right away after simply replacing the old .NET 1.1 assemblies with the 2.0 ones (e.g. RadEditor.dll -> RadEditor.NET2.dll). The main task was to simplify the new distributions by taking advantage of the new functionality offered by .NET 2.0. All skinobjects and modules are now part of the DotNetNuke website project and do not need projects of their own. There is no more need to recompile anything when either the DNN module or our control is updated. All errors related to old/missing references should be gone too. Development is also simplified since the size of the DotNetNuke solution does not grow when adding new modules. Seeing that Visual Studio.NET 2005 has some speed issues with the DNN solution (even on my development machine with 1GB RAM and a fast CPU), it is important to keep it as simple as possible.

The only DNN project that remained virtually the same in DNN 3.2 and 4.0 is our r.a.d.editor HtmlEditor provider. Like all other controls it is converted to use the new .NET 2.0 version of r.a.d.editor, but it is still a separate project in the solution.

telerik will keep supporting both the 3.x and 4.x branches of DotNetNuke as long as there are new releases. Every DNN archive you download will include two folders - Net1 for DNN 3.x and Net2 for DNN 4.x.

Replacing the default Community Server blog editor

Stoyan Stratev — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 20:48:00 GMT

I was asked to investigate the possibility of replacing the default FreeTextBox editor on our Community Server with a more sophisticated and easy-to-use editor. I took the challenge and it turned to be an easy one. The whole process took me about an hour - half for reading through the documentation and half for writing the code itself.
Lucky for me Community Server uses a provider model, similar to the one in DotNetNuke, that makes it easy for users to change the text editor they wish to use. The only requirement is that the new editor has an appropriate wrapper written for it.

Armed with the DNN experience and what I just read in the CS documentation about the ITextEditor interface, I set out to write an editor provider for r.a.d.editor. There were only a few requirements that I had to follow - the wrapper class was supposed to inherit the default ASP.NET WebControl and implement the Community Server ITextEditor interface. This interface has some abstract properties that must also be used in the wrapper. Some of them - Width, Height, and most notably the ITextEditor.Text property, were tied to r.a.d.editor's own width, height and Html content. I decided to create a new editor instance and add it to the WebControl's control collection. Since I did not know how to pass configuration settings to r.a.d.editor from the Community Server itself, I decided to declare specific Tools and Configuration files (namely ToolsFileCS.xml and ConfigFileCS.xml) that would be used to configure the editor. Naturally if those files are not present the default editor configuration is used.

Once I had the compiled class library, containing the r.a.d.editor Wrapper, I was ready to test it in a real CS environment. I modified the communityserver.config file, located in the root folder of the Community Server installation and set r.a.d.editor as the default text editor. Similar to DotNetNuke, this is accomplished by simply changing the textEditorType property of the Core object. I copied all files required by r.a.d.editor to work on the Community Server web site - the RadEditor.dll and RadSpell.dll files, the RadControls folder, and the r.a.d.editor wrapper.

Finally I restarted the Community Server, which is simply done by saving the Web.config file. To my delight, the new text editor popped up instead of FreeTextBox.

Overall, replacing the editor was easily done. The unpleasant part is that with each new update of Community Server or r.a.d.editor, the wrapper needs to be recompiled since it references both the CS and Telerik's assemblies.

The code for the r.a.d.editor wrapper is available on the Telerik forums.