Since the skin contest launched, there are so many different navigations skin designers implemented for their submissions rather than the core controls. I’ve seen conversations going on around the community that core DotNetNuke navigations are bit outdated and clumsy.
If you talk to any DotNetNuke expert out there, majority of them would recommend the most widely known and trusted (it seems) Telerik navigation web controls. However, you would have to pay for a $999.00 license fee to be able to access and use it.
Well, things have changed since DotNetNuke announced their partnership with Telerik. Many of you might not know since the inclusion of Telerik in DNN 5.2, there are navigation skin objects that are available to use for free and they all pretty powerful in providing various functionalities.
So I’ve decided to compile and quick list of a few available navigation controls (not all of them) that you can start using and see the differences. Each of them has their own unique features and ability to deliver different navigation scenarios. My advice is you need evaluate your requirements carefully and decide which one is best for the projects. If these don’t work, feel free to let me know and I’ll dig into more options for you. Enjoy!
- DNNRadMenu
Although telerik is bundled in DNN since version 5.2, DNNRadMenu control isn’t in the core package. You have to download the skin object and install it separately. You can use this control for horizontal navigation for your projects.
View Demo | Download DNNRadMenu Skin Object
- DNNRadPanelBar
Similar to DNNRadMenu, DNNRadPanelBar isn’t packaged and delivered with the core framework either. But you can still find the skin object on codeplex. DNNRadPanelBar is often used for vertical navigations.
View Demo | Download DNNRadPanelBar Skin Object
- JDMenu
Created and freely distributed by Johnathan Sharp of Outwest Media, the control takes advantage of jQuery framework and allows flexible design options.
View Demo | Download JDMenu Skin Object
- DDRMenu
An awesome product of Mark Allan who currently lives in Northen Ireland. He wrote this menu and published it freely for everyone to use and quite honestly, this control is one of the best navigations out there that I would recommend to use. The menu control also supports localization.
View Demo | Download DDRMenu Skin Object
The following navigation controls are not new but worth mentioning since I like to provide a full picture of what’s available out there.
- DNNMenu
This is a core navigation control created by Jon Henning and is a pretty good option for relying on the core features without introducing third party component. This control generates list item markup.
View Demo | Download? It’s already in the core!
- HouseMenu
I’ve been a long time fan of this real simple navigation. Although it has some minor bugs that need to be addressed, I still think the control is a great option for some small projects that doesn’t require complex features. It is very simple to implement.
Download HouseMenu Skin Object