Working with files: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 06:19, 24 April 2014

Moodle provides an easy way for a teacher to present materials to their students. These materials may take the form of files such as word-processed documents or slideshow presentations. The materials can be displayed on the page either as individual items or bundled together inside folders. One teacher might for instance wish to share a single research document in pdf format; another might have a folder of sample past examination papers for students to download.
Most types of files can be uploaded and accessed through Moodle but the student needs to have the correct software to be able to open them.

Adding files

To add files or folders, a teacher needs to have the editing turned on in their course and then select either File or Folder from the activity chooser (or "Add a resource" drop down menu).

Selecting a file or folder in the activity chooser

The "Add a resource" drop down menu

The screen for uploading and displaying a file (or folder of files) includes an "add" button. Clicking on this button takes you to the File picker which is the name given to the file storage and access area within Moodle. Find out more about the places you can upload or add files from in the File picker page.
There is also a block (with an arrow) into which you can drag and drop a file straight from your desktop into Moodle.(Note that this currently doesn't work with Internet Explorer.)

Area for dragging and dropping files into

Viewing uploaded files

Once uploaded, files appear as thumbnails in the file manager for easy recognition.
Files view can be easily toggled between icons view or a table view with sizes and dates, or a hierarchical list view.

File picker icon view

File picker table view

File picker hierarchical list view

Editing or updating uploaded files

Clicking on the name of an uploaded file opens up a pop up dialogue box which allows file details quickly to be altered.

File info popup dialogue

Creating an alias/shortcut

When an uploaded file (or a file from the file system or EQUELLA repositories) is re-used elsewhere on Moodle, the teacher has the option to make a copy (a new, unconnected version) or to create a shortcut or alias. (Note: Previously an alias could be made to a file stored in Box.net, however with Box.net API v2 this is no longer possible.)
If an alias is created, then when the original file is updated, it will change in all instances of the alias. So a teacher might add course notes to their private files for example, and then add them into a number of courses. When the teacher makes an alteration in the file in their private files, this alteration will be reflected in all instances of the course notes.
An alias can be recognised by its thumbnail. See the difference in the screenshot below between the original file (left) and the alias (right):

Creating an alias

Areas in which aliases cannot be made

An alias cannot be made in the following areas of Moodle:

an assignment submission
a forum post attachment
a workshop submission
a quiz essay
a database activity file field

This is to prevent cases such as a student uploading an item for assessment and then subsequently changing the original in their private files. When a student uses a file from their private files in one of these instances, they do not see the options to "copy" or "create an alias". Below is an example of a file added to an assignment:

Assignment submission with no option to create an alias

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Working with files and folders}}
+{{Managing content}}
-<p class="note">'''Please refer to [[Talk:Working_with_files_and_folders|page comments]] before editing this page.'''</p>
+*Moodle provides an easy way for a teacher to present materials to their students. These materials may take the form of files such as word-processed documents or slideshow presentations. The materials can be displayed on the page either as individual items or bundled together inside folders. One teacher might for instance wish to share a single research document in pdf format; another might have a folder of sample past examination papers for students to download.
+*Most types of files can be uploaded and accessed through Moodle but the student needs to have the correct software to be able to open them.
-For the user who wants to add or find files, the file picker will be the tool they will use.  The file picker comes up within a context (any time you want to work with any kind of file).
+==Adding files==
+*To add files or folders, a teacher needs to have the editing turned on in their course and then select either [[File]] or [[Folder]] from the activity chooser (or "Add a resource" drop down menu).
-==Accessing the File Picker==
+{|
-From Moodle 2.0 onwards, access to the File Picker can be found in many places.  For example in the the Add A Resource menu most options will use it, the [[HTML editor]](add a picture or a link), or by updating any existing file.
+| [[File:filefolder23.png|thumb|Selecting a file or folder in the activity chooser]]
+| [[File:Workingwithfiles.png|thumb|The "Add a resource" drop down menu]]
+|}
-==Orientation within the File Picker==
+*The screen for uploading and displaying a file (or folder of files) includes an "add" button. Clicking on this button takes you to the [[File picker]] which is the name given to the file storage and access area within Moodle. Find out more about the places you can upload or add files from in the [[File picker]] page.
-In the image below, we have selected the Server Files repository at demo.moodle.org and the English Moodle Features Demo course. Because we have logged in as the teacher, this displays the file structure for the context of the course.
+*There is also a block (with an arrow) into which you can drag and drop a file straight from your desktop into Moodle.(Note that this  currently doesn't work with Internet Explorer.)
-[[File:File picker demo moodle server files.png|thumb|center|300px|Moodle Feature Demo's Server files]]
+{|
-The major parts shown are:
+| [[File:newdraganddrop.png|thumb|Area for dragging and dropping files into]]
-# The repository side
+|}
-# The file picker side
-# Upload a file repository link - for this [[Context]]
-# [[Server files]] - those files you have permission to access
-# Folders in System/English/Moodle Features Demo - these contain files
-# [[External repositories]] - for example, Dropbox, Google, Flickr, Wikimedia
-==Uploading files==
+==Viewing uploaded files==
-#Pick your context
-#Upload a file, or a zip file containing files and folders
-#Unpack the file if necessary
-: ''Tip:'' First it is useful to determine the context for uploading files. For example, in the file picker window above, we can see that this course has a folder resource called "A directory (folder)".  If you look in the Resource section of Moodle Features Demo, you will see a link called "A directory".  There are also folders with "(file)" in their names and you can find those links in the course as well.  Each course context will create a folder subfolders within the server file structure.
+* Once uploaded, files appear as thumbnails in the file manager for easy recognition.
+* Files view can be easily toggled between icons view or a table view with sizes and dates, or a hierarchical list view.
-==Folder structure and paths==
+{|
-Once a repository has been selected with a click, File picker will show a breadcrumb path with links at the top and any folders or files under it.
+| [[File:truthumbnailsiconsview.png|thumb|File picker icon view]]
+| [[File:tableview.png|thumb|File picker table view]]
+| [[File:hierarchicallistview.png|thumb|File picker hierarchical list view]]
+|}
-In the example below, we were in Moodle Features Demo and as a teacher said we wanted to add a file resource.  We started in the [[Context]] of the course.  We then drilled down by clicking on the folders until we got to the folder that contained images we used in a [[Lesson]] context.
+==Editing or updating uploaded files==
-[[File:File Picker demo moodle legacy files.png|thumb|400px|center|Using the Server files repository, we drilled down]]
+*Clicking on the  name of an uploaded file opens up a pop up dialogue box which allows file details quickly to be altered.
-If we click on the "English" link in the breadcrumb path, we will see the folders for each course(context) in the English category (context) of courses (this is the first screenshot on this page).
+{|
+| [[File:popupdialogue.png|thumb|File info popup dialogue]]
+|}
+==Creating an alias/shortcut==
+*When an uploaded file (or a file from the file system or EQUELLA repositories) is re-used elsewhere on Moodle, the teacher has the option to make a copy (a new, unconnected version) or to create a shortcut or ''alias''. (Note: Previously an alias could be made to a file stored in Box.net, however with [[Box.net APIv1 migration |Box.net API v2]]  this is no longer possible.)
+*If an alias is created, then when the original file is updated, it will change in all instances of the alias. So a teacher might add course notes to their private files for example, and then add them into a number of courses. When the teacher makes an alteration in the file in their private files, this alteration will be reflected in all instances of the course notes.
+*An alias can be recognised by its thumbnail. See the difference in the screenshot below between the original file (left) and the alias (right):
+{|
+| [[File:alias.png|thumb|Creating an alias]]
+| [[File:shortcut1.png|frame]]
+|}
+===Areas in which aliases cannot be made===
+An alias cannot be made in the following areas of Moodle:
+* an assignment submission
+* a forum post attachment
+* a workshop submission
+* a quiz essay
+* a database activity file field
+This is to prevent cases such as a student uploading an item for assessment and then subsequently changing the original in their private files. When a student uses a file from their private files in one of these instances, they do not see the options to "copy" or "create an alias". Below is an example of a file added to an assignment:
+{|
+| [[File:aliasassignment.png|thumb|Assignment submission with no option to create an alias]]
+|}
+==See also==
+*How to share a single file with students: [[File]]
+*How to share a folder of files with students: [[Folder]]
+*Questions about the file picker: [[File picker FAQ]]
+* [[Restoring file aliases]]
+*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrOKxYRJvGU How teachers upload files in Moodle 2 video]
+[[de:Arbeiten mit Dateien und Verzeichnissen]]
+[[es:Trabajando con archivos]]
+[[fr:Utilisation de fichiers]]

Documentation