Export dialog is malformed and unusable on DNN 10.3.2

[Forro-54]

Export dialog is malformed and unusable on DNN 10.3.2

Summary

The Blog Export feature in DNN.Blog 6.7.1 does not display correctly on DNN Platform 10.3.2.

When Export is selected, the dialog content is created, but the popup frame and layout are not applied correctly. The title, explanatory text, download link, and action buttons appear scattered across or underneath the Blog management page rather than inside a contained popup window.

The Export control is therefore difficult or impossible to use.

Environment

• DNN Platform 10.3.2
• DNN.Blog 6.7.1
• Clean DNN installation
• Fresh installation of the unmodified official Blog 6.7.1 package
• Default DNN skin
• Newly created Blog
• Windows/IIS hosting environment

The same behaviour has also been observed on several other DNN 10 or later websites, including a production site using a custom skin.

Steps to reproduce

1. Install a clean copy of DNN Platform 10.3.2.
2. Install the unmodified DNN.Blog 6.7.1 package.
3. Create a page and add the Blog module.
4. Create a Blog.
5. Open the Blog management screen.
6. Select the Blog.
7. Click Export.

Expected behaviour

A properly styled popup dialog should open above the management page.

The dialog should contain:

• the Export title;
• explanatory text;
• the BlogML download link;
• a Cancel button;
• an Export button;
• a visible popup background, border, and title bar.

The dialog should remain above the Blog management controls and be fully usable.

Actual behaviour

The Export dialog is created, but its elements are not contained within a properly styled popup.

Observed behaviour includes:

• the Export title appearing separately over the page;
• explanatory text overlapping the management heading or grid;
• the download link appearing in the normal page layout;
• Cancel and Export buttons appearing beneath or outside the expected popup area;
• no proper popup background, border, or contained button pane;
• parts of the control being hidden beneath navigation or management elements;
• the Export feature becoming unusable.

On some skins, the malformed dialog is further obscured by the site header or navigation. However, the same underlying defect occurs with the default DNN skin.

Comparison with DNN 9.13

The same Blog Export feature works correctly on DNN Platform 9.13.

On DNN 9.13, Export opens as a complete popup dialog containing the expected controls.

This suggests a compatibility regression between the legacy Blog Export dialog and DNN 10.

Import behaviour

Import follows a separate DNN edit-control path and displays its form correctly on the clean DNN 10.3.2 test site.

The reproducible defect described here concerns the custom Export dialog created by Manage.ascx.

Technical observation

Blog 6.7.1 creates the Export interface as a jQuery UI dialog in Manage.ascx, using:

dialogClass: 'dnnFormPopup dnnClear'

The JavaScript executes far enough to create the title, content, link, and buttons. However, the expected popup presentation is not applied correctly under DNN 10.3.2.

This appears to involve legacy .dnnFormPopup or jQuery UI dialog styling and positioning.

The defect appears to be more than a simple z-index problem because the dialog elements are visible but are laid out as ordinary page content rather than as a contained popup.

Areas worth investigating include:

• .ui-dialog.dnnFormPopup;
• .ui-dialog-titlebar;
• .ui-dialog-content;
• .ui-dialog-buttonpane;
• dialog positioning;
• stacking contexts;
• whether the dialog should be appended to body;
• legacy popup CSS no longer supplied or applied by DNN 10.

Scope verification

The problem has been reproduced using:

• an untouched Blog 6.7.1 package;
• a clean DNN 10.3.2 installation;
• the default DNN skin;
• no custom Blog templates;
• no mobile-formatting changes;
• no permissions-grid correction;
• no replacement Blog DLLs.

This confirms that the defect was not introduced by site-specific customisation.

Impact

The Blog Export feature is effectively unusable on affected DNN 10 installations.

This prevents administrators from reliably exporting Blog content in BlogML format for backup, migration, or transfer.

Suggested acceptance criteria

The issue may be considered resolved when:

1. Export opens in a complete popup dialog on DNN 10.3.2.
2. The title, message, download link, and action buttons remain inside the dialog.
3. The popup displays above the Blog management interface.
4. The Export and Cancel buttons work.
5. The generated BlogML file can be downloaded.
6. The repair works with the default DNN skin.
7. The repair does not alter other DNN dialogs or modules.
8. Existing behaviour on DNN 9.13 remains functional.

Supporting evidence

Screen recordings are available showing:

• correct Export popup behaviour on DNN 9.13;
• malformed Export behaviour on a clean DNN 10.3.2 site using the default skin;
• the same defect on a production DNN 10.3.2 site using a custom skin.