Add a New Blog to Multi-Blog

There was a script created for SqlBlogProvider that emulates that portion of the SQL Setup script for “standard” BlogEngine.NET.  I actually modified it several times and realized that I don’t like that approach as much as anyone, but had to take time to build a UI.  Almost as hard as it is to select a name for a new project in Visual Studio, I had to think about how I wanted to access this maintenance utility.  The first approach, basically where I am now, was to whip up a prototype in a Windows form, using a separate class (library) for the functionality, accessing the database via the same Linq2SQL provider.  It worked, of course, but it’s not a perfect solution by any stretch.

Can anyone identify the correct answer or perfect solution?

Maybe not, but for “our” purposes it means the one that helps everyone or “most” everyone who will use this approach. 

So who is “Everyone?”

We are the people who want to use BlogEngine.NET for its ease of use, intuitive and extendible architecture, and add on the multi-blogging capability.  We are NOT a group of perfectionists, or corporations with bottomless pockets, nor are we people who are happy to blog all day, everyday on a single blog.  We are also those who may want to rip any solution apart and improve it for our own needs…again, basically where I am today.

How to add a new blog, manually:

First you need to execute a script or add rows to several tables by hand.  “BlogEngine Multi-Blog Dog Food” contains the SQL script “AddNewBlogHost.sql” which can make it easier to add a new Blog and Host to your multi-blog environment .  Again, this is not the ideal solution, but the winform code has yet to be tested thoroughly.  I’ll post it next chance I get anyway.

What else you need to know: More...

Current Multi-blog enabling LINQ to SQL BlogEngine.NET Provider. (Updated 3/12/10)

I have been asked for this code so that we can share the multi-blog solution that has been working for me for almost a year now.  This is the time to check it out and help make it work for yourself and others.  I’m going to continue to “dog food” this here.  Current version of BlogEngine.NET supported by this provider, as of this post, is 1.6.0.3.  Although I need to update my own site(s) from 1.6.0.1.

How will I update?

Mine is easy.  Drop in the new DLLs.

If I do a code “diff” and find the Web code to have changed recently (which I’m sure it did) I will copy those specific files to the Web folder.

How do you update from a clean BlogEngine.NET 1.6.0.3 code base?

1. You should download the latest BE.NET code from codeplex and create a folder for the solution. 
2. Extract the code from the zip into your solution folder. (…and follow the directions for setting up a stand-alone SQL Server Blog)
3. Copy and unzip the
   BlogEngine.Linq2SQL.3-12-10.zip
      folder into the solution folder with the Core and Web projects.
4. Add an existing Project to the solution, select the BlogEngine.Linq2Sql project.
5. Verify the References (to project “BlogEngine.Core”)
6. Add a reference to “BlogEngine.Linq2SQL” from the “BlogEngine.NET” Web site.
7. Change Target Framework on BlogEngine.NET Web site to “.NET Framework 3.5”
8. Execute the SQL build script “Linq2SqlUpdate.sql” to add schema to support Multi-Blogs.
   • Make sure to run against the Database you created in Step 2.
9. Assuming you are using the correct connection string, modify the Web.Config
   • blogProvider, membership, roleManager
   • See: Web.Config.xml

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