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The Basics - Modules

Modules are the packages that add functionality to your site. It is PostNuke’s modular structure that is its strength. The PostNuke distribution comes with a number of ‘core’ modules; these are developed by the PostNuke development team and provide the ‘core’ functionality of a PostNuke site.

The opening screen of a newly installed PostNuke site shows the News module. In the Main Menu on the left, you can see the other modules available – these include weblinks, downloads and a number of others.
The functionality of a PostNuke site can be easily extended using third party modules. These can be anything from picture galleries to forums. The PostNuke core functionality is designed to be as light as possible, to make it easy for each individual Webmaster to install only the functionality he/she requires. There are third party modules for almost everything, and it is not hard to find what you require. A good place to start is at http://noc.postnuke.com∞ where many modules have it own space, and the Modules database∞ where many third party module developers post announcements on new module developments.

For PostNuke 0.8 the core modules are kept in the system folder and the third party in the modules one.
In 0.7x all modules are kept in the modules folder.

For a description and instructions on using each of the core and third party modules, see the Modules documentation, at the final of the User Documentation.

Different Types of Modules

There are three different types of modules; these are System, Users, Security. Layout, Hooked, Content and 3rd-Party modules. Each has a different purpose, and examples of all can be found in a core PostNuke distribution.

The 0.8 core include the following modules:
System: Settings, Modules, Mailer, Admin.
Users: Groups, Permissions, Profile, Users.
Security: SecurityCenter?, SysInfo?.
Layout: Theme, pnRender, Blocks.
Hooked: No hook modules by default.
Content: Admin_Messages, Blank, Categories, Legal, Search.
3rd-Party: No third party modules by default.

Content Modules

The majority of modules are content modules. These modules involve the addition of content to your site in some way. Examples of content modules are the News module, the Downloads module and the WebLinks? module.

Hook Modules

Hook modules perform an action on your site, or add functionality. The comments module is a utility module, as it attaches onto other modules to provide comments functionality. On its own, the comments module does nothing, therefore you cannot link to it from the main menu. Other examples of hook modules are the bb_code module, and the autolinks module.

This allows modules to interface with one another and co-operate to produce output. The News module, for example, co-operates with the Comments module by providing the ability for it to hook into the News display, providing its Comment functionality.

System Modules

A system module provides extended functionality to a site, but not content.

Security Modules

An example of a security module is the SecurityCenter?. It prevent all kinds of attacks to your site and save a report.

Layout Modules

Xanthia? and pnRender are both layout modules, and in this case provide resources for developers, as well as more advanced configurations for webmasters. Xanthia? is needed for Xanthia? based themes, and pnRender for templated modules.

Users Modules

These modules involve the management of the users of your PostNuke site, like the Groups Management, the User's dynamic data, the Group's permissions and the Profile information.


Next chapter:
Move on to The Basics - Themes


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