RocketContent Module

Overview

RocketContent is a powerful and highly flexible general-purpose content management module. It is designed to handle any type of structured content that doesn't fit into more specialized modules like RocketBlog or RocketEvents.

Think of it as a custom content type builder. It is the ideal tool for managing single-section content or lists of items such as:

• Testimonials
• Team Members
• Portfolio Items
• FAQ Sections
• Client Logos
• Product Features

The module allows you to define a data structure via an AppTheme and then render that data in any way you can imagine on the front-end.

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Architecture

Like all Rocket Modules, RocketContent is split into two distinct projects to maintain a clean separation of concerns.

1. RocketContentAPI (.NET Standard):

   • This is the "brain" of the module. It contains all the core business logic, services, and data models for creating, retrieving, and versioning content.
   • Because it's a .NET Standard library, it has no knowledge of DNN and communicates exclusively with the DNNrocketAPI bridge.

2. RocketContentMod (.NET Framework):

   • This is the lightweight "control" component that lives inside DNN. It contains several specialized .ascx user controls that provide the administrative interface for the module.
   • These controls act as entry points for different administrative functions, with the actual UI being rendered by dedicated AppThemes.

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Administrative Interface

The administrative functions of RocketContent are handled by a set of distinct .ascx controls, each with a specific purpose.

View - The Public View

• Purpose: This is the default control that renders the public-facing output of the module.
• Function: Its only job is to load the currently selected AppTheme and render its View.cshtml template, passing in the content data.

Edit - Data Entry & Content Management

• Purpose: This is the primary interface for content editors to add, edit, and manage the module's data.
• Function: It renders the AppTheme's Edit.cshtml template. This template contains the form fields (textboxes, image uploaders, etc.) that define the data structure for the content. All data creation and modification happens here.

Settings - Module Configuration

• Purpose: This control manages the configuration settings for a specific module instance, which are separate from the content itself.
• Function: It renders the AppTheme's Settings.cshtml template. The settings defined here are options that can be used to alter the behavior or display of the View.cshtml template.
• Example: A setting might be "Number of Items to Display" or "Sort Order". The View.cshtml can then read this setting (@Model.GetSetting("itemcount")) and adjust its output accordingly.

AppTheme - In-line Template Editing

• Purpose: Provides a powerful, in-line code editor for developers and administrators to modify the AppTheme files directly from the browser.
• Function: This control allows for direct editing of the AppTheme's .cshtml, .css, .js, and .dep files. When a file is edited, it is saved at the appropriate override level (Portal or Module), leaving the base System theme untouched. This is the primary tool for bespoke customizations.

RecycleBin - Data Versioning and Restore

• Purpose: Provides a safety net by giving access to the historical versions of the module's data.
• Function: Every time content is saved via the Edit.ascx interface, the previous version is stored. The RecycleBin.ascx control displays a list of these past versions. An administrator can view the old data and choose to restore any previous version, overwriting the current data if a mistake was made.