Developer Tool Chest

Many of you have asked how to create a linked category dashboard directory for the Business Directory XMod application. Here is how you do it.

1. Create a HTML category list of your categories previously created in the Business Directory form. In this example, we have created this category list on a separate page form the main Business Directory page.

The above link is created by adding the TabID of the page where your Business Directory application is located. In this case the TabId is 117.

The xmmid is the number XMod has assigned to the instance of the XMod module you are using for Business Directory. You can locate this value by viewing the source of the page and look for a similar line of code like 'div id="dnn_ctr494_XModDisplay_pnlListView'.

The ctr number will be the one you will use in the link code above.

The next value is 'cat'. This is the querystring parameter we wiill pass to XMod. In this case, we want to return results for the category Videographers. Our link code is '/cat/Videographers'

The final portion of the link code is determining which view we want XMod to return. View 1 is is a XMod list view and View 2 is a XMod detail view. In the example above, we want to return a list view of all listings for videographers. The link code is 'xmview/1'

Continue to build these links for each category by simply replacing the category value in each link. (Example: cat/Bridalware - Tuxedos or cat/Rings - Jewelry) Pay careful attention to capitalization and enter these values exactly as you have them on your Business Directory form.

2. Next you will need to configure XMod to accept the parameters of the links that you have created. You will do this by going to your Business Directory instance >> Configure XMod Module >> Data Settings >> DNN Filter Options >> Filter Using URL Parameter.

Check the box titled Filter Using URL Parameter. Select the form control cboCategory and check the three boxes to the left and then enter the word 'cat' in the textbox to the right. Save changes.

Note: If you are also using sub-categories, you would also select the URL filter, SavedSubCategory and give it a name of sCat. As an example, if your category name was Boats and your sub-category under Boats was fishing, then your link would be /tabid/117/xmmid/494/cat/Boats/sCat/fishing/xmview/1/Default.aspx.

And that is how simple it is to create a category dashboard for the Business Directory.