The Manifest file in DNN provides the framework with the information necessary to install and register a module. Here's a sample Manifest file for the dnnSimpleArticle module.

<dotnetnuke type="Package" version="5.0">
  <packages>
    <package name="dnnsimplearticle" type="Module" version="00.02.03">
      <friendlyName>dnnsimplearticle</friendlyName>
      <description>An open source articles module for DotNetNuke, from Christoc.com</description>
      <iconFile>desktopmodules/dnnsimplearticle/i/SimpleArticleLogo.jpg</iconFile>
      <owner>
        <name>Chris Hammond</name>
        <organization>Christoc.com Software Solutions</organization>
        <url>http://www.christoc.com</url>
        <email>[email protected]</email>
      </owner>
      <license src="License.txt"/>
      <releaseNotes src="ReleaseNotes.txt" />

      <dependencies>
        <dependency type="CoreVersion">08.00.00</dependency>
        <!-- .NET 4.5 -->
        <dependency type="type">System.Reflection.ReflectionContext</dependency>
      </dependencies>

      <components>
        <component type="Script">
          <scripts>
            <basePath>DesktopModules\dnnsimplearticle</basePath>
            <script type="Install">
              <path>Providers\DataProviders\SqlDataProvider</path>
              <name>00.00.01.SqlDataProvider</name>
              <version>00.00.01</version>
            </script>
            <script type="UnInstall">
              <path>Providers\DataProviders\SqlDataProvider</path>
              <name>Uninstall.SqlDataProvider</name>
              <version>00.00.01</version>
            </script>
            <script type="Install">
              <path>Providers\DataProviders\SqlDataProvider</path>
              <name>00.00.03.SqlDataProvider</name>
              <version>00.00.03</version>
            </script>
            <script type="Install">
              <path>Providers\DataProviders\SqlDataProvider</path>
              <name>00.00.07.SqlDataProvider</name>
              <version>00.00.07</version>
            </script>
            <script type="Install">
              <path>Providers\DataProviders\SqlDataProvider</path>
              <name>00.01.00.SqlDataProvider</name>
              <version>00.01.00</version>
            </script>
          </scripts>
        </component>

        <component type="ResourceFile">
          <resourceFiles>
            <basePath>DesktopModules/dnnsimplearticle</basePath>
            <resourceFile>
              <name>Resources.zip</name>
            </resourceFile>
          </resourceFiles>
        </component>

        <component type="Module">
          <desktopModule>
            <moduleName>dnnsimplearticle</moduleName>
            <foldername>dnnsimplearticle</foldername>
            <businessControllerClass>Christoc.Modules.dnnsimplearticle.Components.FeatureController</businessControllerClass>
            <supportedFeatures />
            <moduleDefinitions>
              <moduleDefinition>
                <friendlyName>dnnsimplearticle</friendlyName>
                <defaultCacheTime>0</defaultCacheTime>
                <moduleControls>
                  <moduleControl>
                    <controlKey />
                    <controlSrc>DesktopModules/dnnsimplearticle/View.ascx</controlSrc>
                    <supportsPartialRendering>False</supportsPartialRendering>
                    <controlTitle />
                    <controlType>View</controlType>
                    <iconFile />
                    <helpUrl />
                    <viewOrder>0</viewOrder>
                  </moduleControl>
                  <moduleControl>
                    <controlKey>Edit</controlKey>
                    <controlSrc>DesktopModules/dnnsimplearticle/Edit.ascx</controlSrc>
                    <supportsPartialRendering>False</supportsPartialRendering>
                    <controlTitle>Edit Content</controlTitle>
                    <controlType>Edit</controlType>
                    <iconFile />
                    <helpUrl />
                    <viewOrder>0</viewOrder>
                  </moduleControl>
                  <moduleControl>
                    <controlKey>Settings</controlKey>
                    <controlSrc>DesktopModules/dnnsimplearticle/Settings.ascx</controlSrc>
                    <supportsPartialRendering>False</supportsPartialRendering>
                    <controlTitle>dnnsimplearticle Settings</controlTitle>
                    <controlType>Edit</controlType>
                    <iconFile />
                    <helpUrl />
                    <viewOrder>0</viewOrder>
                  </moduleControl>
                </moduleControls>
              </moduleDefinition>
            </moduleDefinitions>
          </desktopModule>
        </component>
        <component type="Assembly">
          <assemblies>
            <basePath>bin</basePath>
            <assembly>
              <name>dnnsimplearticle.dll</name>
            </assembly>
          </assemblies>
        </component>

        <component type="Config">
          <config>
            <configFile>web.config</configFile>
            <install>
              <configuration>
                <nodes>
                  <node path="/configuration/dotnetnuke/sitemap/providers" action="update" key="name" collision="overwrite">
                    <add name="DNNSimpleArticleSiteMapProvider" type="Christoc.Modules.dnnsimplearticle.Providers.Sitemap.Sitemap, DNNSimpleArticle" providerPath="~\DesktopModules\dnnsimplearticle\Providers\Sitemap\" />
                  </node>
                </nodes>
              </configuration>
            </install>
            <uninstall>
              <configuration>
                <nodes />
              </configuration>
            </uninstall>
          </config>
        </component>
        
      </components>
    </package>
  </packages>
</dotnetnuke>