Development:Blocks - Revision history

Chuang: minor typo correction

2011-02-24T17:44:24Z

minor typo correction

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:44, 24 February 2011
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	If you are using Moodle 2.0 and starting to develop your own block. You have to put the version information of the block in a separate file named version.php in ''/blocks/simplehtml/'''''version.php'''. This file has no reference in its name or content to the block's name (simplehtml).		If you are using Moodle 2.0 and starting to develop your own block. You have to put the version information of the block in a separate file named version.php in ''/blocks/simplehtml/'''''version.php'''. This file has no reference in its name or content to the block's name (simplehtml).

	Moodle 2.0 will also require a name for your plugin to show in the upgrading page. You set this value un a language package (the same file where you put your string for the plugin title). Create the file ''/blocks/simplehtml/lang/en/'''''block_simplehtml.php''' and paste the following code:		Moodle 2.0 will also require a name for your plugin to show in the upgrading page. You set this value in a language package (the same file where you put your string for the plugin title). Create the file ''/blocks/simplehtml/lang/en/'''''block_simplehtml.php''' and paste the following code:

	<code php>		<code php>

Villano: Added Moodle 2.0 version for second part

2011-02-08T14:00:51Z

Added Moodle 2.0 version for second part

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:00, 8 February 2011
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	After this discussion, our block is ready for prime time! Indeed, if you now visit any course with a SimpleHTML block, you will see that modifying its contents is now a snap.		After this discussion, our block is ready for prime time! Indeed, if you now visit any course with a SimpleHTML block, you will see that modifying its contents is now a snap.

			{{Moodle 2.0}}

			In Moodle 2.0 there is a simpler way to create the interface to configure your block. Instead of creating the <span class="filename">/blocks/simplehtml/'''config_instance.html'''</span> file, you have to create a <span class="filename">/blocks/simplehtml/'''edit_form.php'''</span> file which contains only php code and no HTML. Moodle will process this file and add its elements to the configuration page for your block.

			Create the edit_form.php file and paste the following code:
			<code php>
			<?php

			class block_simplehtml_edit_form extends block_edit_form {

			protected function specific_definition($mform) {

			// Section header title according to language file.
			$mform->addElement('header', 'configheader', get_string('blocksettings', 'block'));

			// A sample string variable with a default value.
			$mform->addElement('text', 'config_text', get_string('blockstring', 'block_simplehtml'));
			$mform->setDefault('config_text', 'default value');
			$mform->setType('config_text', PARAM_MULTILANG);
			}
			}
			</code>
			The first line declares a class that inherits from block_edit_form, this allows Moodle to identify the code to execute in the configuration page. The specific_definition function does two things: It indicates the header for the configuration section, which in this case we took from the 'blocksettings' string for blocks. The second part is where you define the variables that will be defined in the config part of your block. Three lines define this: The first one adds an element, each element is a variable within config, that is of text type, and is described by the blockstring string in the language file for the simplehtml block. The second line indicates a default value (in case it is not yet defined). The third line sets a type for our variable, in this case PARAM_MULTILANG.
	{{Top}}		{{Top}}

Villano: Added Moodle 2.0 version of first part

2011-02-07T12:49:33Z

Added Moodle 2.0 version of first part

@@ Line 46: / Line 46: @@
 '''UPDATING:'''<br />
 Prior to version 1.5, the basic structure of each block class was slightly different. Refer to [[Development:Blocks/Appendix_B| Appendix B]] for more information on the changes that old blocks have to make to conform to the new standard.
 == I Just Hear Static ==

Nakohdo: /* See also */

2010-11-18T10:16:59Z

Nakohdo: Moodle 1.9 and 2.0 templates added for clarity

2010-11-18T10:16:09Z

Moodle 1.9 and 2.0 templates added for clarity

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:16, 18 November 2010
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	Original Author: Jon Papaioannou ([mailto:pj@moodle.org pj@moodle.org])		Original Author: Jon Papaioannou ([mailto:pj@moodle.org pj@moodle.org])

			{{Moodle 1.9}}

	The present document serves as a guide to developers who want to create their own blocks for use in Moodle. It applies to the 1.5 development version of Moodle (and any newer) '''only''', as the blocks subsystem was rewritten and expanded for the 1.5 release. However, you can also find it useful if you want to modify blocks written for Moodle 1.3 and 1.4 to work with the latest versions (look at [[Development:Blocks/Appendix_B\| Appendix B]]).		The present document serves as a guide to developers who want to create their own blocks for use in Moodle. It applies to the 1.5 development version of Moodle (and any newer) '''only''', as the blocks subsystem was rewritten and expanded for the 1.5 release. However, you can also find it useful if you want to modify blocks written for Moodle 1.3 and 1.4 to work with the latest versions (look at [[Development:Blocks/Appendix_B\| Appendix B]]).

Nakohdo: /* See also */

2010-11-18T10:12:19Z

Agwells: Undo revision 76072 by Agwells (Talk)

2010-09-22T23:56:10Z

Undo revision 76072 by Agwells (talk)

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:56, 22 September 2010
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	<code php>		<code php>
	function get_content() {		function get_content() {
	if (~~isset($this->content) &&~~ $this->content !== NULL) {		if ($this->content !== NULL) {
	return $this->content;		return $this->content;
	}		}

Agwells: Should use isset() before checking for a variable that may not be defined, in order to avoid a PHP warning

2010-09-22T23:54:38Z

Should use isset() before checking for a variable that may not be defined, in order to avoid a PHP warning

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:54, 22 September 2010
Line 50:		Line 50:
	<code php>		<code php>
	function get_content() {		function get_content() {
	if ($this->content !== NULL) {		if (isset($this->content) && $this->content !== NULL) {
	return $this->content;		return $this->content;
	}		}

Howardsmiller: /* Responding to Cron */

2010-07-07T10:10:01Z

Responding to Cron

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:10, 7 July 2010
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	'my_block_name' will coincide with the name of the directory the block is stored in.		'my_block_name' will coincide with the name of the directory the block is stored in.

			TIP: This also means that creating a block is a possible way to create code that can respond to cron with a reasonably low overhead. No actual instances of the block are required.

	== Lists and Icons ==		== Lists and Icons ==

Chandramohan: Put a space before and after the control statement in brackets

2010-06-05T10:33:15Z

Put a space before and after the control statement in brackets

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:33, 5 June 2010
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	You also might be surprised by the presence of a submit button and the absence of any <form> element at the same time. But the truth is, we don't need to worry about that at all; Moodle goes a really long way to make things easier for developers! We just print the configuration options we want, in any format we want; include a submit button, and Moodle will handle all the rest itself. The instance configuration variables are automatically at our disposal to access from any of the class methods ''except'' [[Development:Blocks/Appendix_A#init.28.29\| init()]].		You also might be surprised by the presence of a submit button and the absence of any <form> element at the same time. But the truth is, we don't need to worry about that at all; Moodle goes a really long way to make things easier for developers! We just print the configuration options we want, in any format we want; include a submit button, and Moodle will handle all the rest itself. The instance configuration variables are automatically at our disposal to access from any of the class methods ''except'' [[Development:Blocks/Appendix_A#init.28.29\| init()]].

	In the event where the default ~~behavior~~ is not satisfactory, we can still override it. However, this requires advanced modifications to our block class and will not be covered here; refer to [[Development:Blocks/Appendix_A\| Appendix A]] for more details.		In the event where the default behaviour is not satisfactory, we can still override it. However, this requires advanced modifications to our block class and will not be covered here; refer to [[Development:Blocks/Appendix_A\| Appendix A]] for more details.
	Having now the ability to refer to this instance configuration data through [[Development:Blocks/Appendix_A#.24this-.3Econfig\| $this->config]], the final twist is to tell our block to actually ''display'' what is saved in its configuration data. To do that, find this snippet in ''/blocks/simplehtml/block_simplehtml.php'':		Having now the ability to refer to this instance configuration data through [[Development:Blocks/Appendix_A#.24this-.3Econfig\| $this->config]], the final twist is to tell our block to actually ''display'' what is saved in its configuration data. To do that, find this snippet in ''/blocks/simplehtml/block_simplehtml.php'':

Line 166:		Line 166:
	<code php>		<code php>
	function specialization() {		function specialization() {
	if(!empty($this->config->title)){		if (!empty($this->config->title)) {
	$this->title = $this->config->title;		$this->title = $this->config->title;
	}else{		} else {
	$this->config->title = 'Some title ...';		$this->config->title = 'Some title ...';
	}		}
	if(empty($this->config->text)){		if (empty($this->config->text)) {
	$this->config->text = 'Some text ...';		$this->config->text = 'Some text ...';
	}		}

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:16, 18 November 2010
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	{{Moodle 2.0}}		{{Moodle 2.0}}

			; Moodle 2.0
	* See [[Development:Migrating contrib code to 2.0]] and [[User:Frank Ralf/Experience of converting a module to Moodle 2]] for information on relevant changes for Moodle 2.0.		* See [[Development:Migrating contrib code to 2.0]] and [[User:Frank Ralf/Experience of converting a module to Moodle 2]] for information on relevant changes for Moodle 2.0.

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:12, 18 November 2010
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	* A [http://cvs.moodle.org/contrib/plugins/blocks/NEWBLOCK/ NEWBLOCK template] you can all use to start you own block.		* A [http://cvs.moodle.org/contrib/plugins/blocks/NEWBLOCK/ NEWBLOCK template] you can all use to start you own block.

			{{Moodle 2.0}}
			* See [[Development:Migrating contrib code to 2.0]] and [[User:Frank Ralf/Experience of converting a module to Moodle 2]] for information on relevant changes for Moodle 2.0.

	== Appendices ==		== Appendices ==