How this Book is Organized

This book is divided into four main sections. The first part is basically an introduction to PostNuke with general installation and setup information. The other three sections offer progressively more advanced discussion of additional features and options.

• Part I, "Exploring PostNuke," takes you from server setup to the full install. There is a general overview of PostNuke terminology and all of the core modules and blocks.

• Part II, "Basic PostNuke," covers commonly used core and third-party modules and how to set up basic permissions and application of a site theme. This section's Case Study documents an Online Club, a very popular application of the PostNuke program.

• Part III, "Custom PostNuke," expands the module selection to include other useful components, such as commercial tools. Advanced theme design is covered and the sometimes complex permission system is explained. An Information Resource Site is the topic of this section's Case Study.

• Part IV, "Advanced PostNuke," provides general instructions for fitting PostNuke into any site model. Selective application of PostNuke components is discussed, and walkthroughs of a variety of changes and hacks of the code are covered. A customized Business Intranet is the subject of this section's Case Study.

You'll also find extensive reference information in the concluding appendixes. Appendix A, "Speed Up PostNuke," covers methods and tools you can use to optimize your site's performance. Appendix B, "PostNuke Modules List," provides an extensive list of PostNuke modules arranged both alphabetically and in functional category groups. The glossary and links in Appendixes C and D, "Glossary of Terms" and "Web Resources," respectively, can help you get up to speed with any technologies with which you're not familiar. And Appendix E lists the functions of the PostNuke Application Programming Interface (API) for those wanting to dig deeper into the PostNuke system. A collection of downloads for this book is available online at www.samspublishing.com/title/0672326868. There, you'll find source code, image samples, and downloads of the various modules discussed in this book.