Frankenstyle
'Frankenstyle' refers to the naming convention that is used to uniquely identify a Moodle plugin based on the type of plugin and its name. They are used throughout the Moodle code (with a notable exception being the css class names in the themes).
Martin Dougiamas invented the word 'frankenstyle' to describe this naming system which was invented by Petr Skoda.
Format
Frankenstyle names have a prefix and then a name, separated by an underscore.
- The prefix is determined by the type of plugin. For example, the prefix for an activity module is mod.
- The name is the name of the plugin. (Plugin names are always made of lower-case letters.)
So the frankenstyle name for the quiz module is mod_quiz.
Plugin types
- Activity modules: [mod] => /mod
- Admin reports: [report] => /admin/report
- Assignments: [assignment] => /mod/assignment/type
- Authentication plugins: [auth] => /auth
- Blocks: [block] => /blocks
- Course formats: [format] => /course/format
- Course reports: [coursereport] => /course/report
- Database field types: [datafield] => /mod/data/field
- Database presets: [datapreset] => /mod/data/preset
- Editors: [editor] => /lib/editor
- Enrolment plugins: [enrol] => /enrol
- Filters: [filter] => /filter
- Grade export plugins: [gradeexport] => /grade/export
- Grade import plugins: [gradeimport] => /grade/import
- Grade reports: [gradereport] => /grade/report
- Local plugins: [local] => /local
- Messaging consumers: [message] => /message/output
- Mnet services: [mnetservice] => /mnet/service
- Plagiarism plugins: [plagiarism] => /plagiarism
- Portfolio plugins: [portfolio] => /portfolio
- Question behaviours: [qbehaviour] => /question/behaviour
- Question formats: [qformat] => /question/format
- Question types: [qtype] => /question/type
- Quiz reports: [quiz] => /mod/quiz/report
- Repository plugins: [repository] => /repository
- SCORM reports: [scormreport] => /mod/scorm/report
- Themes: [theme] => /theme
- User profile fields: [profilefield] => /user/profile/field
- Webservice protocols: [webservice] => /webservice
- Workshop allocation strategies: [workshopallocation] => /mod/workshop/allocation
- Workshop evaluation plugins: [workshopeval] => /mod/workshop/eval
- Workshop grading forms: [workshopform] => /mod/workshop/form
To get a definitive list, do print_object(get_plugin_types()); in a Moodle 2.x install.
Usages
Frankenstyle is used in:
Table names
All table names for a plugin must begin with its frankenstyle name (after the standard Moodle table prefix).
Examples: mdl_mod_quiz, mdl_mod_quiz_attempts
Capabilities
All capabilities for a plugin use the frankenstyle name, except with a / instead of a _.
Example: mod/quiz:viewattempt
Other places (TODO)
Please add more as they come up.