Standards

How to Style Moodle Standard Page Elements and and Page Parts

Similar functions or similar content should look and feel the same on all Moodle pages. The more consequent these principles are implemented the easer and less hindering the VLE will interfere the working/learning process. The Vision is that Moodle pages build on the same function patterns (PHP and JavaScript) and design patterns (XHTML and CSS).

Lists

Lists are widely used all over Moodle. They appear in the sideblocks, they are used on the course pages. Many Moodle developers currently use the up-to-date combination of XHTML lists and CSS styling for navigation as in the SCORM or the CMS module. I regularly use them for navigation lists in HTML blocks. When all lists use the same XHTML and CSS it is easy to design different Moodle themes consistent and with few changes. Actually all lists are different. The consequences are that the special CSS for every list type lets the Moodle CSS files grow and that theme design gets more difficult and tedious.

I took the following example from the List-o-Matic Website [1] for easy reproduction. You find detailed descriptions about XHTML/CSS lists in the Listutorial [2].

Resources about Lists on the Web

[1] List-o-Matic

[2] Listutorial