I love the Sitefinity "Site Map". I love how it makes the organization of my web site self-evident. It is for this reason I wasn't terribly enthused with the "Images & Documents" module that was included with Sitefinity 3.2. This module took resources out of the "Site Map" to be managed and organized elsewhere. I also found it impossible to include a single link/reference to a file I was managing via the "Images & Documents" module. Instead my options seemed to only be "Gallery" or "Download List".
My desire to manage files within the Sitefinity "Site Map" originally led to the creation of the Sitefinity Documents Control. This control can be placed onto a Sitefinity page and allows you to upload and manage the file associated with it. When a user visits the page they will be redirected to the uploaded file. This was an okay solution. However, I hated the browser redirect that was required to accomplish this. I also hated that the user was given no warning about what was coming.
Easily Manage Download-able Files in Sitefinity
To address this I created a new "File" Sitefinity Control. The concept is similar to the "Documents Control". However, instead of a redirect I'm now displaying file information and a download button:
This is just an example image, click here to see this in action on a real page:
All of this is manageable via a user-friendly Control Designer:
Advantages / Features
- Files can be uploaded via a web browser.
- Files can be organized within the Sitefinity "Site Map".
- Files inherit the permissions of the underlying Sitefinity page.
- Automatically handles saving the file to the server.
- Allows "roll-backs" to previous versions of the file.
- Alerts the user to the type of file that will be downloaded.
- Alerts the user about the size of the file that will be downloaded.
How To Download
This control and its source-code is included in the GoonDocks Sitefinity Controls.