The latest release of DNN Blog, 03.05.00 includes MetaWebLog API support. This means that you can use any MetaWebLog capable client to post your entries directly to your blog without even going to the site itself. The most common clients that support MetaWebLog are MS Word, Windows Live Writer (WLW), MS OneNote and others. In this blog post I'll take you through the steps you need to take to setup Windows Live Writer.
If you do not have Windows Live Writer, no worries, it's free and available for download here. Once you installed Windows Live Writer fire it up and follow the steps outlined below:
Step 1: Add weblog account; Configure Writer
When you open up Windows Live Writer for the very first time you will be prompted to setup your blog account. In the first screen you are prompted with 3 options, select "Another weblog service" and click next to continue, as shown below.
(Tip: If you own multiple blogs, WLW allows you to setup multiple blog accounts. When you are finished with this wizard, select Weblog > Add Weblog Account ... from the menu to re-initiate the wizard and add another.)
Step 2: Enter the home page of the site and your authentication details
Now we need to tell Windows Live Writer the location of your blog, as well as tell him what account to use to authenticate. This is the same account username and password that you use to login to your DotNetNuke site.
(Tip: The Weblog Homepage URL in this step is not used by Windows Live Writer to post to your blog, so you do not have to place the posting URL here, your homepage should do just fine.)
Step 3: Select the provider type and specify the end-point
Now here comes the fun part, and the pieces that really makes it all happen: the posting URL.
First and foremost, we need to retrieve the posting URL for your blog. To retrieve the accurate location, go to your "Blog Settings" page. You will notice a new section in 03.05.00: MetaWeblog Options. In this section we've constructed and displayed the posting URL that you need to use to continue your setup. Copy in your clipboard, and switch back to the Windows Live Writer wizard.
Now that you have your posting URL in your clipboard paste it in the "Remote posting URL for your weblog" option right after selecting the "Metaweblog API" option from the "Type of weblog that our are using" selection list.
Step 4: Detect Settings
Windows Live Writer will now connect to your DotNetNuke web site and retrieve your blogs. If you own multiple blogs (i.e. child blogs), you will be prompted with a list to choose from. Select the one you wish to associate this account with.
(Tip: You will need to setup a Windows Live Writer weblog account for each child blog you wish to post to. Refer to the Tip on step 1 to setup additional WLW blogs.)
Once you've selected your account you will be prompted by Windows Live Writer requesting your permission to detect your Blog's theme.
This is a pretty neat feature. If you allow it to, it will grab all the necessary CSS styles, images, and associated HTML of your skin and apply it to your local blog post even before it is published. Definitely YES on this one!
If you selected yes, Windows Live Writer grabs the design assets needed, otherwise skips to step 5 below.
Step 5: Confirm your setup and click Finish!
That's it, your done! If you need to, modify the weblog name with the name you wish to associate this account to and click Finish.
(Tip: You can follow almost the same setup to configure Microsoft Word as the blogging tool instead of Windows Live Writer. If you use OneNote, you can blog right from your notes - which is way cool!)
Yes, this blog entry was posted via Windows Live Writer, and it rocks!
Well, what are you still doing here? Come on, go grab DNN Blog 03.05.00 and start blogging!