Dnn.platform: Add Site Template Support

[bdukes]

Description of problem

When the functionality for Site Import/Export (which users a SQL Lite database) was introduced, it replaced the old Site Template functionality (which uses an XML file). However, when creating a new site, the new site is populated using the old XML template. This leaves site admins unable to create templates to use when creating new sites.

Description of solution

I propose that SQL Lite templates be used when creating new sites, rather than XML templates.

Description of alternatives considered

We could also consider re-introducing the ability to create XML site templates.

Affected version

• [x] 9.2.2
• [x] 9.2.1
• [x] 9.2
• [x] 9.1.1
• [x] 9.1
• [ ] 9.0

[sleupold]

most likely, the old export format has not been removed. However, if we re-add the UI for it, we will need to maintain both formats. This would be easy, if just the storage interfaces were different, however it looks to me that the whole process has been implemented again (in the context of the module) and we would need to maintain two independent export engines, which doesn't make sense.
IMO we should review both export formats and engines and try to elaborate the best of both. This should be implemented as DNN API in the core and the PB module providing a User Interface for it.

[schotman]

@bdukes talks about an sqlite db, which is incorrect, it is a litedb documentdb

My usecase is building a web application with a lot of configured modules.
I am using a portal template to generate portals, sometimes I need to change the template to solve a bug, with the xml tempate this is very easy, you simply replace the xml of module with a new version in the portal template and you are done.
In dnn922 this is no longer possible, the portal template is a litedb json formatted template, while the module export is still xml based. Page export is no longer avalaible (we only have copy page).

The flexibility we had, is replaced with more a complete export functionality. The current solution is incomplete because it lacks page export option.

IMO we should move to a situation in which we have a json structure for both module and page export, that is identical/compatible with the json structure in the litedb. In this way it is again possible modify/enhance the litedb content with new page/module exports.
Moving to a json based module/page export should not be to hard as the export code is already written. What we need is an extra export page button and replace the module export/import with the json version.

[mitchelsellers]

@bdukes Do you have any idea of the time involved for this?

[bdukes]

No, I haven't looked into those APIs. I would imagine it might take a couple of full days to re-use the site import for a new site.

[tmaler]

Ouch this is still not fixed. Its been almost a year and i desperately need it this feature.

[tmaler]

Does anyone know of a 3rd party import / export modules?

[tmaler]

Hi @schotman, i cannot get the site template to export in DNN 9.1.1+. I go to the Import / Export screen, select my portal from the dropdown, click export, select which pages i want to export, and click Begin Export. It creates the task but thats about it. I also go into schedule task under "Site Import/Export" and click Run Now. Nothing happens.

[tmaler]

i just figured out the issue. For whatever reason server name had "COMPUTERNAME" as a value. I removed it and it started to work. I apologize for posting my comments.

[schotman]

@tmaler please delete them (and upgrade to the latest version ;) )

[donker]

I have done more research on this. The _Template_ generation code is still there but no longer called from the front end. It would probably not require a lot of work to reimplement site template generation. I'm thinking less than a day.

As to the Import/Export format: the logic is

1. more robust (it is done through a scheduled task to avoid nasty timeout for larger tasks and it is even designed to survive scheduler timeouts)
2. supports/designed for upgrades/migration tasks
3. your module's code depends less on the quirky Microsoft XML patterns (used in IPortable) and can probably be more terse

So the latter looks like a more future-bound approach. But @schotman is right in that it is not human editable and this was a real strength of the old templates.

For now I think these systems will live side-by-side as ripping out templates would have a huge repercussion and the import/export stuff is just an add-on to DNN. We should make sure we can export templates again. I'm going to take a stab at this.

[valadas]

Cool, I think that Import/Export and creating a template could live side by side for some time. I hate that there is a lot of duplication in the two solutions but I prefer that than breaking IPortable :)

[schotman]

@donker if you need a tester, happy to help out

[jgong2014]

Any updates?

[stale[bot]]

We have detected this issue has not had any activity during the last 90 days. That could mean this issue is no longer relevant and/or nobody has found the necessary time to address the issue. We are trying to keep the list of open issues limited to those issues that are relevant to the majority and to close the ones that have become 'stale' (inactive). If no further activity is detected within the next 14 days, the issue will be closed automatically.
If new comments are are posted and/or a solution (pull request) is submitted for review that references this issue, the issue will not be closed. Closed issues can be reopened at any time in the future. Please remember those participating in this open source project are volunteers trying to help others and creating a better DNN Platform for all. Thank you for your continued involvement and contributions!

[sleupold]

still a valid issue

[stale[bot]]

We have detected this issue has not had any activity during the last 90 days. That could mean this issue is no longer relevant and/or nobody has found the necessary time to address the issue. We are trying to keep the list of open issues limited to those issues that are relevant to the majority and to close the ones that have become 'stale' (inactive). If no further activity is detected within the next 14 days, the issue will be closed automatically.
If new comments are are posted and/or a solution (pull request) is submitted for review that references this issue, the issue will not be closed. Closed issues can be reopened at any time in the future. Please remember those participating in this open source project are volunteers trying to help others and creating a better DNN Platform for all. Thank you for your continued involvement and contributions!

[schotman]

still valid...

[valadas]

Is anyone planning on implementing this?

[thabaum]

I just successfully imported/exported a site in 9.6. Everything worked successfully would this be ok to close then?

Is there a way to create page templates or only "Site" templates and select the pages you want to put in the template?

Seems like all but 2 vocabularies 5/7 exported as the only thing that did not export 100%.

[valadas]

Yeah, I would say overall this is brought back now. By original design the site templates customizations would have to be in the actual export manually. I gonna go ahead and mark this done, if other people want to add some sort of UI to customize the export, please do open a new issue. As for the vocabularies I think this might be worth a new issue if you have some steps to reproduce that kinda explain what worked and what did'nt