The ability to skin DotNetNuke was introduced in version 2 of the application and was a muchanticipated addition. The term skinning refers to an application's ability to change the look of the design by a setting in the application. This allows for the separation of the application logic from the user interface or object abstraction.

  As you learned in previous chapters, DotNetNuke utilizes a three-tier object-oriented design approach, with the user interface segmented as its own tier. This is what allows skinning to work and the application to be able to present a unique feel depending on the parameters passed to the page. This chapter looks at the finer points of skinning and provides you with the tools to start building your own skins for DotNetNuke.
  DotNetNuke utilizes templates to accomplish this because they allow for the separation of the presentation and layout attributes from the application logic required to display content to the user. We studied various approaches to allow this functionality and have created a solution that will allow both developers and designers independence when implementing DotNetNuke sites. This allows for faster deployment times and, more importantly, reduced expense with getting your portal functional and performing its intended purpose.