GIFT format

GIFT format allows someone to use a text editor to write multiple-choice, true-false, short answer, matching missing word and numerical questions in a simple format than cam be imported. The GIFT format is also an export file format available in Question bank.

• When creating a large numbers of questions, GIFT is can provide a quick way of bulk loading questions either into a question category, or into a Lesson.
• Sometimes it is easier proofing questions in a question category by viewing them in a GIFT file.

General instructions

At least one blank line must be left between each question.

In the simple form, the question comes first, then the answers are set in between brackets, with an equal sign indicating the correct answer(s) and tilde the wrong answers. A Number sign will insert a response. Questions can be weighted by placing percentage signs around the weight. Comments are preceded by double slashes and are not imported.

Here are some useful GIFT examples than can be imported or used as rough template. Many of the examples below used the questions in the file as a starting point.

TIP: Any GIFT file must be correctly encoded in UTF8. Beware of some of Microsoft's "fake" Unicode implementation which is not compatible and may result in strange characters appearing in your quizzes. When in doubt, save as a simple MS-DOS text file.

Question format examples

There are several ways to use a text editor to write a GIFT format. We will try to show the simple version for example and in some formats we will introduce some more complex features that can be imported into many Moodle Question formats.

Multiple choice

Here is a simple acceptable GIFT multiple choice format:

Who's buried in Grant's tomb?{=Grant ~no one ~Napoleon ~Churchill ~Mother Teresa }

The format below as a comment line //for the question, when Moodle exports it the question unique id number will appear here. The first set of  :: precedes the question title. The second :: precedes the actual question. The first ( indicates the start of the answers. The correct answer is preceded by an = sign and wrong answers by a ~. Teacher responses have a # in front of them. The question ends with a ) and then a blank line.

 // question: 1 name: Grants tomb
::Grants tomb::Who is buried in Grant's tomb in New York City? {
=Grant
~No one
#Was true for 12 years, but Grant's remains were buried in the tomb in 1897
~Napoleon
#He was buried in France
~Churchill
#He was buried in England
~Mother Teresa
#She was buried in India
}

True-false

// question: 0 name: TrueStatement
::TrueStatement about Grant::Grant was buried in a tomb in New York City.{T}

Short answer

Here are two examples using the simple method showing possible right answers for credit.

Who's buried in Grant's tomb?{=Grant =Ulysses S. Grant =Ulysses Grant}

Two plus two equals {=four =4}.

Matching

Match the following countries with their corresponding capitals. {
   =Canada -> Ottawa
   =Italy  -> Rome
   =Japan  -> Tokyo
   =India  -> New Delhi
   }

Missing word

This is a simple missing word format

Grant {~is not buried =is buried ~might be buried} in Grant's tomb.

Numerical questions

Here is a simple numerical format question. It will accept a range of 5 years.

When was Ulysses S. Grant born?{#1822:5}

Here is a more complex numberical format with a ranged and answers given weights.

//this comment will be ignored in the import process 
::Numerical example::
When was Ulysses S. Grant born? {#
    =1822:0      #Correct! 100% credit
    =%50%1822:2  #He was born in 1822.
                 You get 50% credit for being close.
}

Hints and Tips

• Use the ::title:: at the beginning of every question to organize this for you (01 - testquestion), otherwise it would be difficult to find the right question for changes, moodle will take the beginning of every question as internal title.
• In the Lesson module, in a question page, correct answers jump by default to Next page and incorrect answers jump to This page (i.e. student has to "try again"). When importing from a GIFT format file, this is exactly the mechanism which is used.
• If you want a student to be taken directly from one question to the next irrespective of their answer being correct or incorrect: in the Lesson Settings, set Maximum number of attempts: to 1. Please note, however, that a message "correct / incorrect" will still be displayed to the student upon answering each question. If you do not want this (default) feedback message to be displayed then enter your own feedback message (i.e. "continue", "---", etc.) In case you want no visible message displayed then enter a non-breaking space as feedback, so you'll have to put a # after the answer which may be ~3 and write & n b s p ; after that.(without spaces between these characters)
• If you want to use curly braces, { or }, or equal sign, =, or # or ~ in a GIFT file (for example in a math question including TeX expressions) you must "escape" them by preceding them with a \ directly in front of each { or } or =. It is possible to use a replace program/macro/editor filter to do this conversion before importing to Moodle.
• Want to change T/F type questions to multiple choice? Consider exporting the T/F questions as a GIFT file, then using a text editor to replace the (T) with (=True ~False). Perhaps change the title slightly so you will recognize the new questions.

Word processors and Spreadsheets tools that create GIFTs

Several contributors have used macros to generate GIFT files from a more familiar popular programs.

• There are Word macros available for easily creating GIFT files. See this non-Moodle site for downloads and instructions for use.
• There are several Excel spreadsheets for generating GIFT files. Several people have built upon other contributors work.
  • The latest version was posted on 10 April 2007 and can be found in this thread with this file name: Excel2GIFTv1.1.zip by Timothy Takemoto. There is also a set of instructions Excel2GIFTv1.1_Instructions.rtf by Jeff Shek on the same day in that thread.
  • An earlier version of this Excel spreadsheet for generating multiple choice GIFT files initially created by Olga Forlani and improved by A. T. Wyatt.
• There are Open Office templates for generating GIFT files in Writer. These are located in the Quiz forum in theOOo template to write exams and convert to GIFT format thread.
  • The most recent for OO 2.x is "OOo2GIFT_Template_05.zip" postes 17 December 2005 by Enrique Castro.
  • An earlier version is "GIFT_template_OOo.zip" posted 22 March 2005 by Enrique Castro.

See also

Here is a 2-column GIFT format reference sheet:

• GIFT Reference Sheet
• Export questions
• Import questions
• Aiken Format
• Moodle XML format