Livening up your BlogEngine.NET Blog Entries with Windows Live Writer 2011

5. April 2011
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Problem: I wanted a way to liven up my blog entries on BlogEngine.NET. My blogs were all plain looking and boring. The Tiny MCE Editor that comes with the BlogEngine 1.6 install is pretty basic.

Solution: I did some little looking around on the internet and ended up finding:

Windows Live Writer 2011

I highly recommend this tool!

Note: This is another Microsoft product which I was unaware of and then it turns out the program was already installed on my Windows 7 machine...

 

Window Live Writer Capabilities

  • The program automatically connects with your blog when you start it up and allows you to add new entries (posts, pages) or modify existing ones.
  • It uses the themes you have setup on your blog.
  • Once you add a new entry or change an existing one, you can automatically publish it to your blog by simply pressing the Publish button!
  • Works with more than BlogEngine.NET also (Wordpress, etc.) - although I haven’t tried any others out.
  • Simple to use.
  • Allows Window Live Writer Plugs-ins – these are excellent and deserve additional discussion.

 

Window Live Writer Plug-Ins

Plug-ins for Window Live Writer are an excellent feature.   The official Microsoft site for  Windows Live Writer Plug-ins Page is here.  I tried a couple from the official page as listed below.  Some of these are excellent for pasting in code examples, etc.

Unfortunately, the official plug-in page is not being updated.  Not sure whether Microsoft is not supporting it well or developers are not submitting plug-ins.  Anyway there are plug-ins available directly from developers for FREE on the internet.

 

As an example here is the Polaroid Picture Plug-in…

 

Plugins I have loaded into Windows Live Writer from the official Microsoft site

Plugin Status
Polaroid Picture Plug-In Works, but don’t use too frequently
Insert Code Works, don’t use often
Paste As Visual Studio Code Excellent for inserting code scripts, doesn’t allow changes after you paste.
EzMceWriter For Live Writer Doesn’t work – crashes.  Appears to work for only for older LW.
Table Plugin Ok, pretty basic…

 

Definitely try it out!



 

 

  By John Dorsey  IT Brigade Inc.           

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