Nothing like a substantial upgrade of your website to lift your spirits. This afternoon I put an upgraded version of DBVT.COM online that is now running BlogEngine.NET 1.5 and Gallery Server Pro 2.2.3402. I also wrapped the site in the latest Sueetie framework bits for better integration and a few new features.
First to BlogEngine.NET 1.5. It’s such a pleasure upgrading BlogEngine.NET, knowing that with each release you’ll enjoy even better performance than the last. And BlogEngine.NET was always fast. Version 1.5 is no exception. Other major improvements in 1.5 are better Live Writer integration (including tags), clean JQuery support, nested comments, and an upgraded TinyMCE editor. Other than theming, the only customization I did with DBVT.COM was the usual expansion of Stylin category posts and the addition of a twitter stream icon, something I wanted to do for a while now.
I was a couple of versions behind on Gallery Server Pro, so I needed to get up to speed. Many nice touches in the latest version with better performance, but the main reason I needed to upgrade GSP was because Roger is working on version 2.3 and it’s going to be great. I wanted to be ready to upgrade as soon as it became available.
As for wrapping DBVT.COM in the latest Sueetie framework bits, the current DBVT.COM pre-dated the initial release of Sueetie. The site supported ASPNET Membership for single sign-in, but I was using the BlogEngine.NET login page and while everything worked there wasn’t much there.
With today’s upgrade I have the Sueetie standalone login page with full site membership and user profiling support, administration, Sueetie User and Application object access across the site, and whatever framework pieces I want to add going forward. Below is the new Sueetie DBVT.COM administration piece, for instance.
Yessir, call my spirits lifted!