Blog

Jan 17, 2023

.NET 6 Boilerplate Template with User Login and Account Management Features

Written by Zack Schwartz
If you are building a .NET 6+ application in 2023, chances are you need the following features:Both user login and administrator portal.Forgot password and password reset functionality.Support for SAML based and JWT based single sign on.Admin account management with role based... read the full blog post
Apr 22, 2023

AKS lost ingress connection after cluster upgrade

Written by Zack Schwartz
Are you considering upgrading your Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) cluster from a version prior to 1.24.3? You might want to read about my recent experience before you do. What was meant to be a routine upgrade turned into a frustrating two-hour debugging session. Although all ... read the full blog post
Jan 22, 2023

Alternative to Orchard Core for .NET CMS

Written by Zack Schwartz
Orchard Core is an open source, modular, and multi-tenant application framework built for .NET. It is a powerful CMS that comes packed with a lot of features, making it the perfect choice for those who need a full-fledged CMS.However, Orchard Core does come with its own set of... read the full blog post
Feb 23, 2023

Best Open Source .NET CMS alternative to Sitefinity for Nonprofit Associations

Written by Zack Schwartz
In 2011, I joined a web design company called NonprofitCMS. Our primary focus was creating websites for non-profit organizations and membership associations using platforms such as Wordpress, Drupal, and Sitefinity. Over time, we honed our skills in building large-scale websit... read the full blog post
Apr 16, 2023

Build a Job Board Platform with HTML Only

Written by Zack Schwartz
Job board websites are popular for associations who want to let their membership know what jobs are available within the industry. It is also a source of revenue for those that charge for job postings.We created the job board below using the Raytha CMS platform using nothing b... read the full blog post
Apr 09, 2023

Build a Linktree Style Page with HTML and CSS

Written by Zack Schwartz
Upon seeing Raytha's numerous social media pages, we initially thought of setting up an account on Linktree. This clever platform provides users with a landing page containing links to all of their social media profiles.However, we soon realized that as a CMS, we could easily ... read the full blog post
Jan 16, 2023

Build a video gallery website into a CMS

Written by Zack Schwartz
Raytha is a powerful content management system that empowers you to easily create and customize websites. With just a bit of configuration and some HTML and CSS knowledge, you can take full advantage of the system's capabilities and push it beyond its default limits. Today we ... read the full blog post
Apr 09, 2023

Build Your Own Knowledge Base Website

Written by Zack Schwartz
IntroMany businesses and organizations underestimate the value of a dedicated knowledge base website. Utilizing a generic Wordpress template or wiki may seem like a quick fix, but it often results in a lackluster learning or onboarding experience. These templates are not typic... read the full blog post
Jun 18, 2023

Building native background tasks in .NET

Written by Zack Schwartz
IntroIn this blog post, we will delve into the comprehensive process of constructing a "Fire and Forget" style background task in .NET web applications. The term "Fire and Forget" refers to an action initiated by a user, such as executing a report, that may consume several min... read the full blog post
Mar 05, 2023

Create a members only website with a CMS with low-code

Written by Zack Schwartz
IntroOne of the outstanding capabilities of the Raytha content management is the ability to effortlessly set up a website that includes user and account management. With Raytha, users can create their own accounts, or administrators can create accounts on their behalf, making ... read the full blog post
Apr 21, 2024

Create a website with multiple concurrent live streams

Written by Zack Schwartz
Using a combination of Raytha, Mux.com, and OBS or Zoom, you can create a website that has multiple and concurrent live streams going on simultaneously. Imagine you are running a live virtual event such as an annual conference, gaming event, or music festival, visitors to your... read the full blog post
Jan 25, 2023

Debugging http vs https issues on your .NET app deployed on AKS

Written by Zack Schwartz
IntroductionWe recently encountered an issue that proved to be quite challenging to debug. Our team runs a standard .NET 6 application within a Kubernetes cluster that is behind a Cloudflare reverse proxy. Cloudflare provides us with the necessary SSL and HTTPS protocols to en... read the full blog post
Jan 25, 2023

Embed mailchimp newsletter signup in your blog

Written by Zack Schwartz
If you are using the Raytha platform, embedding a MailChimp signup form is exceptionally easy. Take a look at the bottom of the blog post you are reading now and you will see exactly what we mean. **Hint hint...subscribe while you're down there.**Anyway, in MailChimp, you will... read the full blog post
Apr 14, 2024

Embeddable functions with ClearScript in .NET CMS

Written by Zack Schwartz
With our new release of v1.2.0, Raytha introduces Embeddable Functions.Raytha Functions are a way to write custom code in the administrator portal of Raytha to add functionality to your application. Use cases for this include but are not limited to:Create your own custom api e... read the full blog post
Feb 07, 2023

Ensure users remain logged in on Azure Kubernetes Service with AddDataProtection()

Written by Zack Schwartz
Logged in sessions are lostHave you ever deployed a .NET application that allows users to log in, only to run into issues when scaling it out? It can be frustrating when everything seems to be working fine, but then users randomly get logged out or have inconsistent login stat... read the full blog post
Jul 26, 2023

ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS with Azure App Services and Cloudflare

Written by Zack Schwartz
IntroductionIn some of our hosting R&D, we put up an instance of the Raytha platform on Azure Web App for Containers, which is a product of Azure App Service. However, we like to handle all of the SSL and https with Cloudflare, which serves as a reverse proxy. Now the webs... read the full blog post
Mar 13, 2023

Everything .NET Devs Need to Know About Authenticating With SAML2

Written by Zack Schwartz
IntroIn this post, we will dive into the world of SAML2. With over 12 years of experience building SSOs of various types, I have gained a wealth of knowledge on the subject. From popular standards like OAuth, JWT, and SAML to custom-built and sometimes quirky SSOs, I have like... read the full blog post
Mar 19, 2023

How to Create a Successful Conference Website for Your Association

Written by Zack Schwartz
IntroAssociations play a critical role in organizing conferences, which often serve as a platform for continuing education credits or presenting papers and research. However, managing conferences can be a chaotic affair, particularly when there are multiple sessions, speakers,... read the full blog post
Mar 25, 2023

Implementing `groupby` custom liquid filter for .NET Fluid

Written by Zack Schwartz
IntroLiquid is a popular template engine used in web development. Fluid, an implementation of Liquid in .NET, is used in Raytha, our open-source .NET CMS platform. However, there is no implementation of the groupby operation in the Liquid templating language. This blog post de... read the full blog post
Jan 24, 2023

Integrate streaming video into your .NET application

Written by Zack Schwartz
IntroductionCreating a comprehensive streaming video website requires a thorough understanding of the various components that make up the user experience. From the list view displaying thumbnails, titles, and creator information, to the detailed view featuring the video itself... read the full blog post
Apr 09, 2023

Integrate Stripe Hosted Checkout Into .NET Web Application

Written by Zack Schwartz
IntroAs of the writing of this blog post, Stripe is the best payment provider in the world when it comes to providing a Developer Experience. It is often cited as the gold standard of API and documentation. Having said that, integrating payments into your .NET application is s... read the full blog post
Mar 12, 2023

Integrating Maps into Your Directory Website

Written by Zack Schwartz
IntroIn this post we are going to explore creating a restaurant directory website that includes the locations of restaurants on a map via latitude and longitude coordinates. Restaurants are just an excuse to create the website, but the techniques learned in this tutorial will ... read the full blog post
Feb 19, 2023

Lightweight alternative to aspnetboilerplate

Written by Zack Schwartz
What is aspnetboilerplate?ASP.NET Boilerplate (aspnetboilerplate.com) is a web application framework that is built on top of the popular ASP.NET Core framework. It provides a set of pre-built tools and components to help developers quickly build scalable and maintainable appli... read the full blog post
Feb 25, 2023

Migrate a static HTML site to a CMS

Written by Zack Schwartz
IntroIf you're a web developer who has built a static HTML website, you've probably experienced the scenario where your client wants to make updates to their site but you don't have an easy way to facilitate that. You could have them email you the changes or give them access t... read the full blog post
Mar 27, 2023

Modern open source .NET alternative to Umbraco CMS

Written by Zack Schwartz
Umbraco CMS is a flexible open-source content management system built on the latest .NET (ASP.NET Core) technology. It offers a user-friendly editing experience, freedom for developers, and seamless integrations with other tools. Umbraco CMS can also handle multilingual and mu... read the full blog post