MoodleDocs - Contribucions de l'usuari [ca]

Multimedia plugins filter

2013-06-06T16:51:51Z

Rwthornton: /* See also */

{{Filters}}
The Multimedia plugins filter finds a link in text that points to a multimedia resource and replaces the link with an appropriate multimedia player code which can play the resource. The actual player resides on each users' computer.

For example, a teacher may put a MP3 audio file as a resource in their course, or have a URL link to an external MP3 file. When the MP3 audio plugin has been turned on, the student will be able to play them in Moodle using a Flash media player on their computer. See also [[Media embedding]].

== Site administration settings ==

A site administrator can enable the multimedia plugins filter in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Filters'' and can enable selected media players in ''Settings > Site administration > Appearance > Media embedding''.

Note: Prior to Moodle 2.3, settings for enabling selected media players could be found as multimedia plugins filter settings.

== Required software on user's computer ==

Although Moodle prepares the media files to be played in the browser, the actual playback is handled by various types of browser plug-in software, primarily Adobe Flash, Quicktime, Windows Media Player and Real Player. If users do not have these installed they may be prompted to go and install them by their browser. These pieces of software are generally free, easily installed and widely used so this will only be an issue for small numbers of users.

== See also ==

* [[Multimedia plugins FAQ]]
* [[Video| Video]]
* [[Audio| Audio]]

Using Moodle forum discussions:
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=98698 swf filter security] (very out of date)
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=125619 How to upload a screen capture video to the Moodle?]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143478 Best video format]

[[Category:Site administration]]
[[Category:Multimedia]]

[[de:Multimedia-Plugins]]
[[fr:Extensions multimédia]]
[[es:Filtro_de_plugins_multimedia]]
[[ja:マルチメディアプラグイン]]

Certificate customizing

2013-05-30T21:19:21Z

Rwthornton: /* Adding images */

{{Certificate}}
[[Certificate module|Certificate]] is a contributed module and it can be customized.

Often customization can be accomplished by adding images to one of the /mod/certificate/pix folders, so they will appear as an option in the certificate settings page. Additionally, you can change the language strings located in /mod/certificate/lang.

:''In November 2011 the Certificate "Type" php code has been modified for Moodle 2.x. These code changes will impact string and image positions in the generated pdf document. Please see the "[[#Nov 2011 changes]]" section below.''

==Certificate examples==
<gallery caption="Certificate examples - click on any to enlarge" widths="200px" heights="100px" perrow="6">
Image:Certificate 1.gif|Fancy border, signature line, seal, code
Image:Certificate199 example lines.png|Lines, signature, seal, watermark, code, grade, outcomes, custom text
Image:Certificate199 example creative.png|New border, new signature, new seal, new watermark, code, outcome
</gallery>

==Customizing==
The certificate code is located in the /mod/certificate folder. There are sub-folders for backup, db, lang (holds language sub-folders), pix (holds sub-folders for borders, seals, signatures and watermarks) and type (holds standard certificate types, each in their own sub-folder).

===Adding images===
[[Image:Certificate199 example creative.png|thumb|Creative customized example]] The easiest way to customize your certificate is to add your own JPG or PNG images. Place these in the appropriate mod/certificate/pix folder on your site. The added JPG or PNG image will appear in the dropdown list by its file name.

Make sure your new files are the same size as the standard images. For example, the standard signature file is 150x31 pixels. If the signature file is a different size, you may need to modify the code line. The same will be true for seals, borders and watermarks. The sample seals are 80x80 pixels in size.

In the creative example, a custom border, watermark, signature and seal were added to the right folders. All were sized and in the same file format as the one supplied with the initial certificate install.

===Customize format===
It is a good idea to create your own custom certificate type, that will appear on a list along with the standard certificates types. You will know which is your custom certificate type and it will survive when you upgrade. Here is how:

1. Choose the certificate/type folder with the size/orientation you desire, copy and paste it in the certificate/type folder and give the copied folder a new name. For example copy the /type/letter_non_embedded folder and rename it 'mycertificate'.

2. Open the certificate/lang/en/certificate.php file and add the name of your new folder type. Following the above example, you would add:

:$string['typemycertificate'] = 'My New Certificate';

Now, when you add a certificate to a course, your new type will appear on the drop down list as "My New Certificate".

:''Tip:'' You should add the proper string as shown in step 2 above or you may receive an error message and it will appear as if the code is broken. And remember if you update your certificate module that this file maybe erased with a new version.

====Modifying image position code example====
We will change the signature position that is found in the type/letter_non_embedded/certificate.php file when we generate a pdf in landscape mode. There are at least 2 ways to change the code. Say we want to move it to the left at 100 and up to 435 line.
*Around line 100 you should notice there are a set of variables for "Landscape" which are followed by another set for "Portrait". We can overrule some of the landscape and portrait codes the $sigx and $sigy position variables, so they read $sigx = 100 and $sigy = 435 .
*Alternatively, we can overrule some of the landscape and portrait codes, in this case the signature block. Around line 145 we see the code that actually prints in the correct position:
:print_signature($pdf, $certificate, $sigx, $sigy, '', '');
By changing the variables to fix numbers it will not matter if the teacher selects landscape or portrait. For example:
:print_signature($pdf, $certificate, 100, 435, '', '');

If others have not added a standard signature line, you might want to fix it to a certain size. For example, you want the image to print 150px by 75px.

:print_signature($pdf, $certificate, $sigx, $sigy, '150', '75');

This should give you a good idea about how to change the position of other images.
:''Tip:'' Call your custom folder "a_landscape_special". Now you can use the second method and nobody should be surprised if they can read and been trained properly.

====Adjusting transparency of an image====
It is possible to put in a strong image as a watermark and adjust the transparency setting when the PDF is created. Look for the SetAlpha code in front of a print element. For example infront of the "print_watermark.." line, you will see $pdf_SetAlpha(0.1); It is currently set to .1, a .5 would be less transparent.

:''Tip:'' In older version of certificate, the watermark image itself was dimmed before it was placed in the folder. If you had a custom watermark, this is the way it was done. You can change the SetAlpha in the code to 1 and it should appear as it did in previous version of certificate.

===Changing printed text===
There are two ways to change the language strings. A best practice is to customize your language pack via site administration. You will find the certificate.php in the mod group. If you use the method below, when you update all your certificate files, then your changes will not be saved.

You can edit the language file found in the certificate folder, such as certificate/lang/en/certificate.php if you are not worried about losing you changes. Lets say you want to change the words at the top of all certificates on your site.

Find the default strings:
:$string['title'] = 'CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT';
:$string['intro'] = 'This is to certify that';
:$string['statement'] = 'has completed the course';

Change them to read (for example):
:$string['title'] = 'DIP0LOMA';
:$string['intro'] = 'I am proud to state that';
:$string['statement'] = 'has successfully passed the final exam';

===Adding a New Line of Text===
You have created a couple of custom certificate types. In these certificates you want some new words to appear. There are basically 2 choices, you can have it look up a new string, or hard code the words in the certificate type instead of looking for a string.

*Add new string method.
**Open the certificate/lang/en/certificate.php file and add your new string giving it a unique name.
:$string['mynewtext'] = 'This is what I want to print on the certificate';

**Open the file for your certificate type and change the string reference. For example, go to certificate/type/mycertificate/certificate.php. Near the end of the file find "// Add Text". This is the area that prints--you guessed it--text on the certificate. Find the current line below which you would like your new text to be printed. For example, if you want your text to print below the course name, find the line:

:cert_printtext($pdf, $x, $y, 'C', 'Helvetica', '', 30, get_string('title', 'certificate'));

3. Add a new line below that to print your new text using the name you gave your new lang string like this:
:cert_printtext($pdf, $x, $y+25, 'C', 'Helvetica', 'B', 10, $mynewtext);

Quick review. We want the string mynewtext to start on the $x position from the left, on the $y+25 line, and the line should be center aligned (C, L, R or ' '), in Helvetica type, in bold, with a font size of 10.

5. You can add a hard coded line of text. For example, add signature title block line under the signature image:
:cert_printtext($pdf, $sigx, $sigy+30,'', 'Helvetica', 'B', 10, 'Martin Dougiamas, Lead Developer');

===Adding a second page===
After you have created your first page (or copied an existing page), add this bit of code:

$pdf->AddPage();

Then you in the code for the second page. You can create a certificate with as many pages as you want.

==Nov 2011 changes==
[https://github.com/PukunuiAustralia/moodle-mod_certificate PukunuiAustralia / moodle-mod_certificate] version 2011110107 is the basis for these comments. There maybe earlier versions which are different.
*Standard types of certificates. There are 4 standard certificate types based upon paper size and if the fonts are embedded or non-embedded in the pdf documents. The orientation of landscape or portrait is located within each of these types. This is different from the 1.9.x versions.
*The code for printing strings has changed. While similar to the pre 2.0, be careful.

==Tips & Tricks==
*Start with one of the existing certificate types, copy it and modify it.
*Try your customized code on a non production site, such as a local host.
*In Administration>>Server set debugging to maximum (to show any coding error messages).
*While you can leave a php file open in edit mode, you must save the file before your changes become active.
*Make code changes one at a time, test and then backup after each successful change. For example,after adding a new string to the certificate lang file), go to your course page and click on a certificate to see if it appears on the list.
*If you broke the code you may get a blank screen for a certificate.
**So it might be a good idea to make a backup of each successful change before starting the next change. For example, after the 3rd code change, save certificate.php as certificate3.txt.
*Certificate icon location-If you are using your own theme you have to put the icon.gif inside a folder called certificate and put in your mod folder image. For example, if your theme uses custom icons, you must put a certificate folder with the certificate icon.gif in it under your theme/pix/mod folder.
*Consider editing you language pack rather than the /certificate/lang/en/certificate.php file. You can do this through the Settings > Site administration >Language > Language customization menu. Look for mod/certificate.php. Then when you update your certificate and it's language,it will keep your changes for the standard strings.
*Use a topic section heading as the certificate title. See [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=193170#p842551 in the certificate forum] for a code tweak.

==See also==
* [[mod/certificate/mod|Add/Edit Certificate]]
* [[mod/certificate/view|Viewing a Certificate]]
* Moodle 2.x and later versions of certificate can be found at [https://github.com/PukunuiAustralia/moodle-mod_certificate PukunuiAustralia / moodle-mod_certificate].

External database enrolment

2013-05-21T17:49:42Z

Rwthornton: /* See also */

{{Enrolment}}
Location: External database edit settings link in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Enrolments > Manage enrol plugins''

You may use a external database (of nearly any kind) to control your enrolments. It is assumed your external database contains a field containing a course ID, a field containing a user ID, and optionally a field containing a role. These are compared against fields that you choose in the local course, user tables, and role tables.

The following are the supported data sources, but note that you will need to have to compiled PHP with the appropriate options or through [[ODBC]].

*access
*ado
*mssql
*borland_ibase
*csv
*db2
*fbsql
*firebird
*ibase
*informix72
*informix
*mysql
*mysqlt
*oci805
*oci8
*oci8po
*odbc
*odbc_mssql
*odbc_oracle
*oracle
*postgres64
*postgres7
*postgres
*proxy
*sqlanywhere
*sybase
*vfp

== Enrolment & Unenrolment ==

External database enrolment happens at the moment when a user logs into Moodle. The plugin will attempt to automatically enrol the student in all their courses according to the data in the external database and, optionally, create empty courses where they do not already exist. To check if it is working, you can log in as a student and then check that their list of courses is as you would expect.

The process also unenrols users from courses if they are no longer in the database. User records are marked according to their original enrolment method. Therefore the external database plugin can only unenrol users who were enroled by the plugin in the first place.

== Hidden Courses ==

Courses that are set to "Course is not available to students" can be ignored for enrolment purposes by setting the "enrol_db_ignorehiddencourse" to '''yes'''.

== Enrolment & Roles ==

The "enrol_db_defaultcourseroleid" setting in the plugin settings page specifies the role that the user will take when they are added to the course. The default setting will set them to the course default setting (initially "student"). However, you can specify a field in the external table (specified in the "enrol_db_remoterolefield" setting) that contains the short name for the user's role. This could, for example, be used to enrol both students and teachers into courses using a suitably configured database.

== Creating Courses ==

Optionally courses that do not exist in the Moodle site can be created. Switch the "enrol_db_autocreate" option to "yes" in the plugin settings.

You can additionally specify the Category into which the new course will be placed, in the '''New course category id field'''. The data in this field must be the id of a currently existing category; it will not create a new category. The id number is number assigned by Moodle in the database when the category is created (e.g. mdl_course_categories.id).

* Do not confuse this ''category id'' with the new custom ''category id number'' field that you can manually assign to a category. (See Trackers http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-28518 and http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-31845).
* Leaving the category id data empty means that a course will be assigned to the default category.
* If you assign data to categories that do not exist already in Moodle, the courses will not be created.

'''Default new course category''' is the category to which courses will be assigned and created in, unless you set up and so indicate in the data field of the "New course category id field."

You may also specify a '''New course template''': a "template" course from which the new course will be copied. The data for this field should be the ''shortname'' of the template course.

== Synchronization Script ==

A script is provided that can synchronize all your user enrollments at once - both adding and removing user enrolments (and creating courses if specified). The script is called enrol_database_sync.php and is found in the enrol/database folder.

This script is meant to be called from a system cronjob to sync moodle enrolments with enrolments in the external database. You need to make sure all the users present in the external enrolments are already created in moodle. If you are using external authentication plugins (db, ldap, etc.) you can use the scripts provided by those plugins to synchronize your users before running this script.

Example cron entry for Moodle 2.0
# 5 minutes past 4am
5 4 * * * /usr/bin/php -c /path/to/php.ini /path/to/moodle/enrol/database/cli/sync.php

Notes:
* If you have a large number of enrolments, you may want to raise the memory limits by passing -d memory_limit=256M
* For debugging & better logging, you are encouraged to use in the command line: -d log_errors=1 -d error_reporting=E_ALL -d display_errors=0 -d html_errors=0
* This only works for users that already exist in your Moodle site (see comment above)

== Setting up enrolment sync (How to) ==

You will need to perform (as a minimum) the following steps to enable external database enrolment - only a single table is required in the database which contains a record for every user/course combination. If the table is large it is a good idea to make sure appropriate indexes have been created:

* Use an existing database or create a new one. Use an existing table or create a new one with the following minimum fields.
*# A unique course identifier to match one of the following fields.
*#* the "idnumber" field in Moodle's course table (varchar 100), which is manually specified as the "Course ID number" when editing a course's settings
*#* the "shortname" field in Moodle's course table (varchar 255), which is manually specified as the "Course short name" when editing a course's settings
*#* the "id" field in Moodle's course table (int 10), which is based on course creation order
*# A unique user identifier to match one of the following fields.
*#* the "idnumber" field in Moodle's user table (varchar 255), which is manually specified as the "ID number" when editing a user's profile
*#* the "username" field in Moodle's user table (varchar 100), which is manually specified as the "Username" when editing a user's profile
*#* the "email" field in Moodle's user table (varchar 100), which is manually specified as the "Email address" when editing a user's profile
*#* the "id" field in Moodle's user table (int 10), which is based on user creation order
*# (optional) A unique role identifier to match one of the following fields.
*#* the "shortname" field in Moodle's role table (varchar 100), for example editingteacher, coursecreator, student, ...
*#* the "name" field in Moodle's role table (varchar 255), for example Teacher, Course creator, Student, ...
*#* the "id" field in Moodle's role table (int 10), which is based on initial installation and new role creation order
* Populate the database table. Each user/course combination to have a record in the table.
* In Moodle, go to Site administration => Plugins => Enrolments => Manage enrol plugins, find External Database in the list, enable it (click the closed-eye icon) and click Settings.
* In the top panel, select the database type (make sure you have the necessary configuration in PHP for that type) and then supply the information to connect to the database.
* The middle panel creates the mapping between Moodle and the external database. The first three settings are for the local (Moodle) field names and the last three for the remote (external database) settings. They are in the same order.
** enrol_localcoursefield / enrol_remotecoursefield - in Moodle the name of the field in the course settings the uniquely identifies the course (e.g., idnumber). In the external database the name of the matching field.
** enrol_localuserfield / enrol_remoteuserfield - in Moodle the name of the field in the user profile that uniquely identified the user (e.g., idnumber). In the external database the name of the matching field.
** enrol_db_localrolefield / enrol_db_remoterolefield - (optional) in Moodle the name of the field in the role edit page the uniquely identifies the role (e.g., shortname). In the external database the name of the matching field.
* The Roles panel specifies the role that the user will get in the course if their role is not specified in the external database.
* The final panel enables auto creation of courses.
* Save changes, and then tick the box to enable external database enrolment.

== Database enrolment does not appear in the course enrolment drop down menu. Why? ==

The course enrolment drop down menu only lists [[Enrolment_plugins#Interactive_enrolment|'''interactive''' enrolment plugins]]. External database enrolment is not such a plugin, so it doesn't appear in the list. Similarly, the "Course Enrollable" setting (in the Course Settings) page also only applies to interactive enrolment plugins and has no effect on external database enrollment.

As of this writing, the only interactive enrolment plugins are ''manual'' (also know as ''internal''), ''paypal'' and ''authorize.net''.

== Field Mapping Example: ==
Choose your fields from the Moodle database:

*enrol_localcoursefield: A course identifier from mdl_course, e.g. "idnumber"
*enrol_localuserfield: A user identifier from mdl_user, e.g. "idnumber"
*enrol_localrolefield: (optional) A role identifier from mdl_role, e.g. "shortname"

Create a view in your external database which matches the chosen field values from Moodle:

*enrol_remotecoursefield: A matching course identifier from your external database table, e.g. "course_number"
*enrol_remoteuserfield: A matching user identifier from your external database table, e.g. "userid"
*enrol_remoterolefield: (optional) A matching role identifier from your external database table, e.g. "role_name"

== Potential Gotchas ==

* It almost goes without saying that the integrity of the external database is important. If data is missing from the database then there is a potential for users being unenrolled from some or all of their courses. The unenrollment process will remove them from any group assignments and also poll each module type to give the module the option of removing that user's data if appropriate (for example, however, forum posts are never deleted). It is therefore prudent that you take the utmost care to ensure that the data in the external bass is correct at all times.
* '''Minor Security Issue''' Consider that if the ID field you use to identify your students is editable by the students (in their profile), then there is a potential for them changing this to the id of another valid student and gaining access to resources that they should not. However, they will still appear as themselves, they cannot impersonate the other user or otherwise gain access to their resources.

==Errors and Diagnostics==

The plugin produces a number of diagnostic messages and/or errors which are recorded to the PHP error log (as defined in the php.ini file). In addition messages about courses that are in the database for the user but that do not exist in the Moodle site will only be produced if debugging is set to ALL or DEVELOPER.

You can get detailed progress information by executing the sync script with -v parameter:

<code>
php /path/to/moodle/enrol/database/cli/sync.php -v
</code>

==See also==
*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=49475 MySQL enrolment plugin doesn't seem to work] forum discussion
*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=74133 Someone explain external database enrolment, please??] forum discussion
*Example Setup [https://docs.moodle.org/en/Talk:External_database_enrolment#Example_External_Enrollment] {link broken} Example Database Enrollment Setup

[[es:Matriculación Base de Datos Externa]]
[[fr:Base de données externe]]
[[de:Einschreibung über externe Datenbank]]
[[ja:外部データベース登録]]

Accounts FAQ

2013-05-21T00:15:07Z

Rwthornton: /* The search box for users if limited to 100 displayed users. Can I change this? */

{{Accounts}}

==How can I get my students to sign up to my Moodle site?==

Look at how to set up [[Email-based self-registration|email based self registration]].

==How can I suspend a user's account?==

Tick the 'Suspended account' checkbox on the edit profile page.

==Can Moodle send a notification e-mails automatically to a new user when an account is created for them?==

Not at the moment with core Moodle. See Tracker items MDL-19390.

There is a work around. If you create a CSV for your user, and OMIT the password field a cron job does get triggered and an e-mail is sent to the user. The text of the e-mail is customisable by an administrator in the admin settings. See: https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Upload_users#Fields_that_can_be_included

==How can I log in as another user?==
This is normally only allowed for administrators because of possible security issues. Click on the user's profile and then look in the Settings block on the side. Click the link there.

[[File:loginas.png]]

Note that when you have finished, you will be logged out and will have to log in again. This is deliberate, again for security reasons, but you will be returned to the page you just left.

==How can I prevent users from editing elements of their profile?==
You can lock user fields from ''Settings>Site Administration>Plugins>Authentication>Manual accounts''

==The search box for users is limited to 100 displayed users. Can I change this?==
For a discussion on changing the code, please see https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=186777
For the teacher request see https://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-36395

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Nutzerkonten FAQ]]

External database enrolment

2013-05-21T00:04:48Z

Rwthornton: /* Setting up enrolment sync (How to) */

{{Enrolment}}
Location: External database edit settings link in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Enrolments > Manage enrol plugins''

You may use a external database (of nearly any kind) to control your enrolments. It is assumed your external database contains a field containing a course ID, a field containing a user ID, and optionally a field containing a role. These are compared against fields that you choose in the local course, user tables, and role tables.

The following are the supported data sources, but note that you will need to have to compiled PHP with the appropriate options or through [[ODBC]].

*access
*ado
*mssql
*borland_ibase
*csv
*db2
*fbsql
*firebird
*ibase
*informix72
*informix
*mysql
*mysqlt
*oci805
*oci8
*oci8po
*odbc
*odbc_mssql
*odbc_oracle
*oracle
*postgres64
*postgres7
*postgres
*proxy
*sqlanywhere
*sybase
*vfp

== Enrolment & Unenrolment ==

External database enrolment happens at the moment when a user logs into Moodle. The plugin will attempt to automatically enrol the student in all their courses according to the data in the external database and, optionally, create empty courses where they do not already exist. To check if it is working, you can log in as a student and then check that their list of courses is as you would expect.

The process also unenrols users from courses if they are no longer in the database. User records are marked according to their original enrolment method. Therefore the external database plugin can only unenrol users who were enroled by the plugin in the first place.

== Hidden Courses ==

Courses that are set to "Course is not available to students" can be ignored for enrolment purposes by setting the "enrol_db_ignorehiddencourse" to '''yes'''.

== Enrolment & Roles ==

The "enrol_db_defaultcourseroleid" setting in the plugin settings page specifies the role that the user will take when they are added to the course. The default setting will set them to the course default setting (initially "student"). However, you can specify a field in the external table (specified in the "enrol_db_remoterolefield" setting) that contains the short name for the user's role. This could, for example, be used to enrol both students and teachers into courses using a suitably configured database.

== Creating Courses ==

Optionally courses that do not exist in the Moodle site can be created. Switch the "enrol_db_autocreate" option to "yes" in the plugin settings.

You can additionally specify the Category into which the new course will be placed, in the '''New course category id field'''. The data in this field must be the id of a currently existing category; it will not create a new category. The id number is number assigned by Moodle in the database when the category is created (e.g. mdl_course_categories.id).

* Do not confuse this ''category id'' with the new custom ''category id number'' field that you can manually assign to a category. (See Trackers http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-28518 and http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-31845).
* Leaving the category id data empty means that a course will be assigned to the default category.
* If you assign data to categories that do not exist already in Moodle, the courses will not be created.

'''Default new course category''' is the category to which courses will be assigned and created in, unless you set up and so indicate in the data field of the "New course category id field."

You may also specify a '''New course template''': a "template" course from which the new course will be copied. The data for this field should be the ''shortname'' of the template course.

== Synchronization Script ==

A script is provided that can synchronize all your user enrollments at once - both adding and removing user enrolments (and creating courses if specified). The script is called enrol_database_sync.php and is found in the enrol/database folder.

This script is meant to be called from a system cronjob to sync moodle enrolments with enrolments in the external database. You need to make sure all the users present in the external enrolments are already created in moodle. If you are using external authentication plugins (db, ldap, etc.) you can use the scripts provided by those plugins to synchronize your users before running this script.

Example cron entry for Moodle 2.0
# 5 minutes past 4am
5 4 * * * /usr/bin/php -c /path/to/php.ini /path/to/moodle/enrol/database/cli/sync.php

Notes:
* If you have a large number of enrolments, you may want to raise the memory limits by passing -d memory_limit=256M
* For debugging & better logging, you are encouraged to use in the command line: -d log_errors=1 -d error_reporting=E_ALL -d display_errors=0 -d html_errors=0
* This only works for users that already exist in your Moodle site (see comment above)

== Setting up enrolment sync (How to) ==

You will need to perform (as a minimum) the following steps to enable external database enrolment - only a single table is required in the database which contains a record for every user/course combination. If the table is large it is a good idea to make sure appropriate indexes have been created:

* Use an existing database or create a new one. Use an existing table or create a new one with the following minimum fields.
*# A unique course identifier to match one of the following fields.
*#* the "idnumber" field in Moodle's course table (varchar 100), which is manually specified as the "Course ID number" when editing a course's settings
*#* the "shortname" field in Moodle's course table (varchar 255), which is manually specified as the "Course short name" when editing a course's settings
*#* the "id" field in Moodle's course table (int 10), which is based on course creation order
*# A unique user identifier to match one of the following fields.
*#* the "idnumber" field in Moodle's user table (varchar 255), which is manually specified as the "ID number" when editing a user's profile
*#* the "username" field in Moodle's user table (varchar 100), which is manually specified as the "Username" when editing a user's profile
*#* the "email" field in Moodle's user table (varchar 100), which is manually specified as the "Email address" when editing a user's profile
*#* the "id" field in Moodle's user table (int 10), which is based on user creation order
*# (optional) A unique role identifier to match one of the following fields.
*#* the "shortname" field in Moodle's role table (varchar 100), for example editingteacher, coursecreator, student, ...
*#* the "name" field in Moodle's role table (varchar 255), for example Teacher, Course creator, Student, ...
*#* the "id" field in Moodle's role table (int 10), which is based on initial installation and new role creation order
* Populate the database table. Each user/course combination to have a record in the table.
* In Moodle, go to Site administration => Plugins => Enrolments => Manage enrol plugins, find External Database in the list, enable it (click the closed-eye icon) and click Settings.
* In the top panel, select the database type (make sure you have the necessary configuration in PHP for that type) and then supply the information to connect to the database.
* The middle panel creates the mapping between Moodle and the external database. The first three settings are for the local (Moodle) field names and the last three for the remote (external database) settings. They are in the same order.
** enrol_localcoursefield / enrol_remotecoursefield - in Moodle the name of the field in the course settings the uniquely identifies the course (e.g., idnumber). In the external database the name of the matching field.
** enrol_localuserfield / enrol_remoteuserfield - in Moodle the name of the field in the user profile that uniquely identified the user (e.g., idnumber). In the external database the name of the matching field.
** enrol_db_localrolefield / enrol_db_remoterolefield - (optional) in Moodle the name of the field in the role edit page the uniquely identifies the role (e.g., shortname). In the external database the name of the matching field.
* The Roles panel specifies the role that the user will get in the course if their role is not specified in the external database.
* The final panel enables auto creation of courses.
* Save changes, and then tick the box to enable external database enrolment.

== Database enrolment does not appear in the course enrolment drop down menu. Why? ==

The course enrolment drop down menu only lists [[Enrolment_plugins#Interactive_enrolment|'''interactive''' enrolment plugins]]. External database enrolment is not such a plugin, so it doesn't appear in the list. Similarly, the "Course Enrollable" setting (in the Course Settings) page also only applies to interactive enrolment plugins and has no effect on external database enrollment.

As of this writing, the only interactive enrolment plugins are ''manual'' (also know as ''internal''), ''paypal'' and ''authorize.net''.

== Field Mapping Example: ==
Choose your fields from the Moodle database:

*enrol_localcoursefield: A course identifier from mdl_course, e.g. "idnumber"
*enrol_localuserfield: A user identifier from mdl_user, e.g. "idnumber"
*enrol_localrolefield: (optional) A role identifier from mdl_role, e.g. "shortname"

Create a view in your external database which matches the chosen field values from Moodle:

*enrol_remotecoursefield: A matching course identifier from your external database table, e.g. "course_number"
*enrol_remoteuserfield: A matching user identifier from your external database table, e.g. "userid"
*enrol_remoterolefield: (optional) A matching role identifier from your external database table, e.g. "role_name"

== Potential Gotchas ==

* It almost goes without saying that the integrity of the external database is important. If data is missing from the database then there is a potential for users being unenrolled from some or all of their courses. The unenrollment process will remove them from any group assignments and also poll each module type to give the module the option of removing that user's data if appropriate (for example, however, forum posts are never deleted). It is therefore prudent that you take the utmost care to ensure that the data in the external bass is correct at all times.
* '''Minor Security Issue''' Consider that if the ID field you use to identify your students is editable by the students (in their profile), then there is a potential for them changing this to the id of another valid student and gaining access to resources that they should not. However, they will still appear as themselves, they cannot impersonate the other user or otherwise gain access to their resources.

==Errors and Diagnostics==

The plugin produces a number of diagnostic messages and/or errors which are recorded to the PHP error log (as defined in the php.ini file). In addition messages about courses that are in the database for the user but that do not exist in the Moodle site will only be produced if debugging is set to ALL or DEVELOPER.

You can get detailed progress information by executing the sync script with -v parameter:

<code>
php /path/to/moodle/enrol/database/cli/sync.php -v
</code>

==See also==
*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=49475 MySQL enrolment plugin doesn't seem to work] forum discussion
*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=74133 Someone explain external database enrolment, please??] forum discussion
*Example Setup [https://docs.moodle.org/en/Talk:External_database_enrolment#Example_External_Enrollment] Example Database Enrollment Setup

[[es:Matriculación Base de Datos Externa]]
[[fr:Base de données externe]]
[[de:Einschreibung über externe Datenbank]]
[[ja:外部データベース登録]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T23:08:06Z

Rwthornton: /* Note on Session Themes */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===

In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site (or Default, i.e. the site wide default theme). That is the level of priority of appearance they have as well.

* You enable/disable these in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings Theme settings.]
* It is possible to change this hierarchy in the config.php file - see [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings#Change_default_hierarchy change default hierarchy] for how.

====Hierarchy of themes====

* Course trumps Category (and below)
* Category trumps Session (and below)
* Session trumps User (and below)
* User trumps Default
* Default (site)

====Note on Session Themes====

* It is important to note that Session level themes (those set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name), override the Site level theme ONLY for the user's current logged in session. When the user logs out, they will then see the Default site theme, not the Session theme.
* You only have to set the theme once via the URL parameter and it will persist until the user logs out.

====Note on Guest Access====

Courses with Guest access turned on will show a course level theme or category theme as usual. There is no user level theme for Guest since it has no profile or account in the usual sense.

You can use a Session level theme for Guest which will persist not only during the "session" but between sessions, too, in the same browser (i.e. same cookie). This is different than the experience of Authenticated users, who get the default site on log out even if they had a session theme.

This will be an issue if your theme changes and a Guest returns from the same browser with the previous theme set. Since the restrictions in the 'theme list' do not apply to Session level URLs, Guest would get the old theme as long as it still exists on the site by that short name instead of the new site theme. (Tip: using a non-existent theme name in the URL will force the site default to appear, e.g. '?theme=.' will reset it since you can't name a theme '.')

====Note on Devices and Themes====

See the following issue discovered with device level themes http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-35148 overriding category and course level themes.

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T23:06:45Z

Rwthornton: /* What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other? */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===

In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site (or Default, i.e. the site wide default theme). That is the level of priority of appearance they have as well.

* You enable/disable these in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings Theme settings.]
* It is possible to change this hierarchy in the config.php file - see [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings#Change_default_hierarchy change default hierarchy] for how.

====Hierarchy of themes====

* Course trumps Category (and below)
* Category trumps Session (and below)
* Session trumps User (and below)
* User trumps Default
* Default (site)

====Note on Session Themes====

* It is important to note that Session level themes (those set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name), override the Site level theme ONLY for the user's current logged in session. When the user loga out, they will then see the Site Default theme, not the Session theme.
* You only have to set the theme once via the URL parameter and it will persist until the user logs out.

====Note on Guest Access====

Courses with Guest access turned on will show a course level theme or category theme as usual. There is no user level theme for Guest since it has no profile or account in the usual sense.

You can use a Session level theme for Guest which will persist not only during the "session" but between sessions, too, in the same browser (i.e. same cookie). This is different than the experience of Authenticated users, who get the default site on log out even if they had a session theme.

This will be an issue if your theme changes and a Guest returns from the same browser with the previous theme set. Since the restrictions in the 'theme list' do not apply to Session level URLs, Guest would get the old theme as long as it still exists on the site by that short name instead of the new site theme. (Tip: using a non-existent theme name in the URL will force the site default to appear, e.g. '?theme=.' will reset it since you can't name a theme '.')

====Note on Devices and Themes====

See the following issue discovered with device level themes http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-35148 overriding category and course level themes.

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T22:48:25Z

Rwthornton: /* Note on Guest Access */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===

In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site, and that is the level of priority of appearance they have as well. You enable/disable these in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings Theme settings.] (It is possible to change this hierarchy in the config.php file - see [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings#Change_default_hierarchy change default hierarchy] for how.)

* Course: themes set at the course level trump (override) all other theme settings
* Category: themes set at the category level trump all themes except course level themes
* Session: session level themes set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name are trumped by course and category but trump lower levels
* User: themes set at the user profile level are trumped by course, category and session, and only trump the site theme
* Site Default: is trumped by any of the above themes

====Note on Session Themes====

* It is important to note that Session level themes override the Site level theme ONLY for the user's current logged in session. When the user loga out, they will then see the Site Default theme, not the Session theme.
* You only have to set the theme once via the URL parameter and it will persist until the user logs out.

====Note on Guest Access====

Courses with Guest access turned on will show a course level theme or category theme as usual. There is no user level theme for Guest since it has no profile or account in the usual sense.

You can use a Session level theme for Guest which will persist not only during the "session" but between sessions, too, in the same browser (i.e. same cookie). This is different than the experience of Authenticated users, who get the default site on log out even if they had a session theme.

This will be an issue if your theme changes and a Guest returns from the same browser with the previous theme set. Since the restrictions in the 'theme list' do not apply to Session level URLs, Guest would get the old theme as long as it still exists on the site by that short name instead of the new site theme. (Tip: using a non-existent theme name in the URL will force the site default to appear, e.g. '?theme=.' will reset it since you can't name a theme '.')

====Note on Devices and Themes====

See the following issue discovered with device level themes http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-35148 overriding category and course level themes.

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T22:47:06Z

Rwthornton: /* Note on Session Themes */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===

In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site, and that is the level of priority of appearance they have as well. You enable/disable these in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings Theme settings.] (It is possible to change this hierarchy in the config.php file - see [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings#Change_default_hierarchy change default hierarchy] for how.)

* Course: themes set at the course level trump (override) all other theme settings
* Category: themes set at the category level trump all themes except course level themes
* Session: session level themes set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name are trumped by course and category but trump lower levels
* User: themes set at the user profile level are trumped by course, category and session, and only trump the site theme
* Site Default: is trumped by any of the above themes

====Note on Session Themes====

* It is important to note that Session level themes override the Site level theme ONLY for the user's current logged in session. When the user loga out, they will then see the Site Default theme, not the Session theme.
* You only have to set the theme once via the URL parameter and it will persist until the user logs out.

====Note on Guest Access====

Courses with Guest access turned on will show a course level theme or category theme as usual. There is no user level theme for Guest since it has no profile or account in the usual sense.

You can use a Session level theme for Guest which will persist not only during the "session" but between sessions, too, in the same browser (i.e. same cookie). This is different than the experience of Authenticated users, who get the default site them upon log out even if they had a session theme.

This will be an issue if your theme changes and a Guest returns from the same browser with the previous theme set. Since the restrictions in the 'theme list' do not apply to Session level URLs, Guest would get the old theme as long as it still exists on the site by that short name instead of the new site theme. (Tip: using a non-existent theme name in the URL will force the site default to appear, e.g. '?theme=.' will reset it since you can't name a theme '.')

====Note on Devices and Themes====

See the following issue discovered with device level themes http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-35148 overriding category and course level themes.

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T22:45:00Z

Rwthornton: /* Note on Guest Access */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===

In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site, and that is the level of priority of appearance they have as well. You enable/disable these in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings Theme settings.] (It is possible to change this hierarchy in the config.php file - see [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings#Change_default_hierarchy change default hierarchy] for how.)

* Course: themes set at the course level trump (override) all other theme settings
* Category: themes set at the category level trump all themes except course level themes
* Session: session level themes set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name are trumped by course and category but trump lower levels
* User: themes set at the user profile level are trumped by course, category and session, and only trump the site theme
* Site Default: is trumped by any of the above themes

====Note on Session Themes====

* It is important to note that Session level themes override the Site level theme ONLY for the user's current logged in session. When the user does log out however, they will then see the Site Default theme, not the Session theme.
* You only have to set the theme once via the URL parameter and it will persist until the user logs out.

====Note on Guest Access====

Courses with Guest access turned on will show a course level theme or category theme as usual. There is no user level theme for Guest since it has no profile or account in the usual sense.

You can use a Session level theme for Guest which will persist not only during the "session" but between sessions, too, in the same browser (i.e. same cookie). This is different than the experience of Authenticated users, who get the default site them upon log out even if they had a session theme.

This will be an issue if your theme changes and a Guest returns from the same browser with the previous theme set. Since the restrictions in the 'theme list' do not apply to Session level URLs, Guest would get the old theme as long as it still exists on the site by that short name instead of the new site theme. (Tip: using a non-existent theme name in the URL will force the site default to appear, e.g. '?theme=.' will reset it since you can't name a theme '.')

====Note on Devices and Themes====

See the following issue discovered with device level themes http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-35148 overriding category and course level themes.

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T22:43:58Z

Rwthornton: /* Note on Session Themes */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===

In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site, and that is the level of priority of appearance they have as well. You enable/disable these in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings Theme settings.] (It is possible to change this hierarchy in the config.php file - see [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings#Change_default_hierarchy change default hierarchy] for how.)

* Course: themes set at the course level trump (override) all other theme settings
* Category: themes set at the category level trump all themes except course level themes
* Session: session level themes set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name are trumped by course and category but trump lower levels
* User: themes set at the user profile level are trumped by course, category and session, and only trump the site theme
* Site Default: is trumped by any of the above themes

====Note on Session Themes====

* It is important to note that Session level themes override the Site level theme ONLY for the user's current logged in session. When the user does log out however, they will then see the Site Default theme, not the Session theme.
* You only have to set the theme once via the URL parameter and it will persist until the user logs out.

====Note on Guest Access====

Courses with Guest access turned on will show a course level theme or category theme as usual. There is no user level theme for Guest since it has no profile or account in the usual sense.

You can use a Session level theme for Guest which will persist not only during the "session" but between sessions, too, in the same browser (i.e. same cookie). This is different than the experience of Authenticated users, who get the default site them upon log out even if they had a session theme.

This will be an issue if your theme changes and a Guest returns from the same browser with the previous theme set. Since the restrictions in the 'theme list' do not apply to Session level URLs, they would get the old theme as long as it still exists on the site by that short name instead of the new site theme. (Tip: using a non-existent theme name in the URL will force the site default to appear, e.g. '?theme=.' will reset it since you can't name a theme '.')

====Note on Devices and Themes====

See the following issue discovered with device level themes http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-35148 overriding category and course level themes.

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T22:42:19Z

Rwthornton: /* What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other? */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===

In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site, and that is the level of priority of appearance they have as well. You enable/disable these in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings Theme settings.] (It is possible to change this hierarchy in the config.php file - see [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings#Change_default_hierarchy change default hierarchy] for how.)

* Course: themes set at the course level trump (override) all other theme settings
* Category: themes set at the category level trump all themes except course level themes
* Session: session level themes set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name are trumped by course and category but trump lower levels
* User: themes set at the user profile level are trumped by course, category and session, and only trump the site theme
* Site Default: is trumped by any of the above themes

====Note on Session Themes====

* It is important to note that Session level themes override the Site level theme ONLY for the user's current logged in session. When the user does log out however, they will then see the DEFAULT SITE theme, not the Session theme.
* You only have to set the theme once via the URL parameter and it will persist until the user logs out.

====Note on Guest Access====

Courses with Guest access turned on will show a course level theme or category theme as usual. There is no user level theme for Guest since it has no profile or account in the usual sense.

You can use a Session level theme for Guest which will persist not only during the "session" but between sessions, too, in the same browser (i.e. same cookie). This is different than the experience of Authenticated users, who get the default site them upon log out even if they had a session theme.

This will be an issue if your theme changes and a Guest returns from the same browser with the previous theme set. Since the restrictions in the 'theme list' do not apply to Session level URLs, they would get the old theme as long as it still exists on the site by that short name instead of the new site theme. (Tip: using a non-existent theme name in the URL will force the site default to appear, e.g. '?theme=.' will reset it since you can't name a theme '.')

====Note on Devices and Themes====

See the following issue discovered with device level themes http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-35148 overriding category and course level themes.

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T22:40:54Z

Rwthornton: /* What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other? */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===

In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site, and that is the level of priority of appearance they have as well. You enable/disable these in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings Theme settings.] (It is possible to change this hierarchy in the config.php file - see [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings#Change_default_hierarchy change default hierarchy] for how.)

* Course: themes set at the course level trump (override) all other theme settings
* Category: themes set at the category level trump all themes except course level themes
* Session: session level themes set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name are trumped by course and category but trump lower levels
* User: themes set at the user profile level are trumped by course, category and session, and only trump the site theme
* Site Default: is trumped by any of the above themes

Note on Session Themes:

* It is important to note that Session level themes override the Site level theme ONLY for the user's current logged in session. When the user does log out however, they will then see the DEFAULT SITE theme, not the Session theme.
* You only have to set the theme once via the URL parameter and it will persist until the user logs out.

Note on Guest Access:

Courses with Guest access turned on will show a course level theme or category theme as usual. There is no user level theme for Guest since it has no profile or account in the usual sense.

You can use a Session level theme for Guest which will persist not only during the "session" but between sessions, too, in the same browser (i.e. same cookie). This is different than the experience of Authenticated users, who get the default site them upon log out even if they had a session theme.

This will be an issue if your theme changes and a Guest returns from the same browser with the previous theme set. Since the restrictions in the 'theme list' do not apply to Session level URLs, they would get the old theme as long as it still exists on the site by that short name instead of the new site theme. (Tip: using a non-existent theme name in the URL will force the site default to appear, e.g. '?theme=.' will reset it since you can't name a theme '.')

Note on Devices and Themes:

See the following issue discovered with device level themes http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-35148 overriding category and course level themes.

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T22:30:14Z

Rwthornton: /* What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other? */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===

In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site, and that is the level of priority of appearance they have as well. You enable/disable these in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings Theme settings.] (It is possible to change this hierarchy in the config.php file - see [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings#Change_default_hierarchy change default hierarchy] for how.)

* Course: themes set at the course level trump (override) all other theme settings
* Category: themes set at the category level trump all themes except course level themes
* Session: session level themes set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name are trumped by course and category but trump lower levels
* User: themes set at the user profile level are trumped by course, category and session, and only trump the site theme
* Site Default: is trumped by any of the above themes

Note on Session Themes:

* It is important to note that Session level themes override the Site level theme ONLY for the user's current logged in session. When the user does log out however, they will then see the DEFAULT SITE theme, not the Session theme.
* You only have to set the theme once via the URL parameter and it will persist until the user logs out.

Note on Guest Access:

Courses with Guest access turned on will show a course level theme or category theme as usual. There is no user level theme for Guest since it has no profile or account in the usual sense.

You can use a Session level theme for Guest which will persist not only during the "session" but between sessions, too, in the same browser (i.e. same cookie). This is different than the experience of Authenticated users, who get the default site them upon log out even if they had a session theme. This will be an issue if your theme changes and a Guest returns from the same browser with the previous theme set: they will get the old theme not the new one.

Note on Devices and Themes:

See the following issue discovered with device level themes http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-35148 overriding category and course level themes.

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T22:28:04Z

Rwthornton: /* What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other? */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===

In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site, and that is the level of priority of appearance they have as well. You enable/disable these in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings Theme settings.] (It is possible to change this hierarchy in the config.php file - see [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings#Change_default_hierarchy change default hierarchy] for how.)

* Course: themes set at the course level trump (override) all other theme settings
* Category: themes set at the category level trump all themes except course level themes
* Session: session level themes set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name are trumped by course and category but trump lower levels
* User: themes set at the user profile level are trumped by course, category and session, and only trump the site theme
* Site Default: is trumped by any of the above themes

Note on Session Themes:

* It is important to note that Session level themes override the Site level theme ONLY for the user's current logged in session. When the user does log out however, they will then see the DEFAULT SITE theme, not the Session theme.
* You only have to set the theme once via the URL parameter and it will persist until the user logs out.

Note on Guest Access:

Courses with Guest access turned on will show a course level theme or category theme as usual. There is no user level theme for Guest since it has no profile or account in the usual sense.

You can use a Session level theme for Guest which will persist not only during the "session" but between sessions, too, in the same browser (i.e. same cookie). This is different than the experience of Authenticated users, who get the default site them upon log out even if they had a session theme. This will be an issue if your theme changes and a Guest returns from the same browser with the previous theme set: they will get the old theme not the new one.

Note on Device Themes: the following issue discovered with device level themes http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-35148 overriding category and course level themes.

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T22:27:18Z

Rwthornton: /* What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other? */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===

In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site, and that is the level of priority of appearance they have as well. You enable/disable these in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings Theme settings.] (It is possible to change this hierarchy in the config.php file - see [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings#Change_default_hierarchy change default hierarchy] for how.)

* Course: themes set at the course level trump (override) all other theme settings
* Category: themes set at the category level trump all themes except course level themes
* Session: session level themes set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name are trumped by course and category but trump lower levels
* User: themes set at the user profile level are trumped by course, category and session, and only trump the site theme
* Site: is trumped by any of the above themes

Note on Session Themes:

* It is important to note that Session level themes override the Site level theme ONLY for the user's current logged in session. When the user does log out however, they will then see the DEFAULT SITE theme, not the Session theme.
* You only have to set the theme once via the URL parameter and it will persist until the user logs out.

Note on Guest Access:

Courses with Guest access turned on will show a course level theme or category theme as usual. There is no user level theme for Guest since it has no profile or account in the usual sense.

You can use a Session level theme for Guest which will persist not only during the "session" but between sessions, too, in the same browser (i.e. same cookie). This is different than the experience of Authenticated users, who get the default site them upon log out even if they had a session theme. This will be an issue if your theme changes and a Guest returns from the same browser with the previous theme set: they will get the old theme not the new one.

Note on Device Themes: the following issue discovered with device level themes http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-35148 overriding category and course level themes.

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T21:28:52Z

Rwthornton: /* What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other? */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===

In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site, and that is the level of priority of appearance they have as well. You enable/disable these in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings Theme settings.] (It is possible to change this hierarchy in the config.php file - see [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings#Change_default_hierarchy change default hierarchy] for how.)

* Course: themes set at the course level trump (override) all other theme settings
* Category: themes set at the category level trump all themes except course level themes
* Session: session level themes set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name are trumped by course and category but trump lower levels
* User: themes set at the user profile level are trumped by course, category and session, and only trump the site theme
* Site: is trumped by any of the above themes

Note on Session Themes:

* It is important to note that Session level themes override the Site level theme ONLY for the user's current logged in session. When the user does log out however, they will then see the DEFAULT SITE theme, not the Session theme.
* You only have to set the theme once via the URL parameter and it will persist until the user logs out.

Note on Device Themes: the following issue discovered with device level themes http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-35148 overriding category and course level themes.

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T21:27:58Z

Rwthornton: /* What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other? */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===

In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site, and that is the level of priority of appearance they have as well. You enable course, category, and user in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings Theme settings.] (It is possible to change this hierarchy in the config.php file - see [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings#Change_default_hierarchy change default hierarchy] for how.)

* Course: themes set at the course level trump (override) all other theme settings
* Category: themes set at the category level trump all themes except course level themes
* Session: session level themes set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name are trumped by course and category but trump lower levels
* User: themes set at the user profile level are trumped by course, category and session, and only trump the site theme
* Site: is trumped by any of the above themes

Note on Session Themes:

* It is important to note that Session level themes override the Site level theme ONLY for the user's current logged in session. When the user does log out however, they will then see the DEFAULT SITE theme, not the Session theme.
* You only have to set the theme once via the URL parameter and it will persist until the user logs out.

Note on Device Themes: the following issue discovered with device level themes http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-35148 overriding category and course level themes.

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T21:27:42Z

Rwthornton: /* What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other? */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===

In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site, and that is the level of priority of appearance they have as well. You enable course, category, and user in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings Theme settings.] (It is possible to change this hierarchy in the config.php file - see [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings#Change_default_hierarchy change default hierarchy] for details.)

* Course: themes set at the course level trump (override) all other theme settings
* Category: themes set at the category level trump all themes except course level themes
* Session: session level themes set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name are trumped by course and category but trump lower levels
* User: themes set at the user profile level are trumped by course, category and session, and only trump the site theme
* Site: is trumped by any of the above themes

Note on Session Themes:

* It is important to note that Session level themes override the Site level theme ONLY for the user's current logged in session. When the user does log out however, they will then see the DEFAULT SITE theme, not the Session theme.
* You only have to set the theme once via the URL parameter and it will persist until the user logs out.

Note on Device Themes: the following issue discovered with device level themes http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-35148 overriding category and course level themes.

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T21:26:46Z

Rwthornton: /* What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other? */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===

In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site, and that is the level of priority of appearance they have as well. You enable course, category, and user in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings Theme settings.] (It is possible to change this hierarchy in the config.php file - see https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings#Change_default_hierarchy for details.)

* Course: themes set at the course level trump (override) all other theme settings
* Category: themes set at the category level trump all themes except course level themes
* Session: session level themes set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name are trumped by course and category but trump lower levels
* User: themes set at the user profile level are trumped by course, category and session, and only trump the site theme
* Site: is trumped by any of the above themes

Note on Session Themes:

* It is important to note that Session level themes override the Site level theme ONLY for the user's current logged in session. When the user does log out however, they will then see the DEFAULT SITE theme, not the Session theme.
* You only have to set the theme once via the URL parameter and it will persist until the user logs out.

Note on Device Themes: the following issue discovered with device level themes http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-35148 overriding category and course level themes.

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T19:05:14Z

Rwthornton: /* What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other? */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===

In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site, and that is the level of priority of appearance they have as well. You enable course, category, and user in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings Theme settings.]

* Course: themes set at the course level trump (override) all other theme settings
* Category: themes set at the category level trump all themes except course level themes
* Session: session level themes set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name are trumped by course and category but trump lower levels
* User: themes set at the user profile level are trumped by course, category and session, and only trump the site theme
* Site: Is trumped by any of the above themes

Note on Session Themes:

* It is important to note that Session level themes override the Site level theme ONLY for the user's current logged in session. When the user does log out however, they will then see the DEFAULT SITE theme, not the Session theme.
* You only have to set the theme once via the URL parameter and it will persist until the user logs out.

Note on Device Themes:

Note the following issue discovered with device level themes http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-35148 overriding category and course level themes.

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T19:04:53Z

Rwthornton: /* What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other? */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===

In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site, and that is the level of priority of appearance they have as well. You enable course, category, and user in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings Theme settings.]

* Course: themes set at the course level trump (override) all other theme settings
* Category: themes set at the category level trump all themes except course level themes
* Session: session level themes set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name are trumped by course and category but trump lower levels
* User: themes set at the user profile level are trumped by course, category and session, and only trump the site theme
* Site: Is trumped by any of the above themes

Note on Session Themes:

* It is important to note that Session level themes override the Site level theme ONLY for the user's current logged in session. When the user does log out however, they will then see the DEFAULT SITE theme, not the Session theme.
* You only have to set the theme once via the URL parameter and it will persist until the user logs out.

Note on Device Themes:

Note the following issue discovered with device level themes [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-35148 MDL-35148] overriding category and course level themes.

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T19:04:31Z

Rwthornton: /* What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other? */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===

In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site, and that is the level of priority of appearance they have as well. You enable course, category, and user in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings Theme settings.]

* Course: themes set at the course level trump (override) all other theme settings
* Category: themes set at the category level trump all themes except course level themes
* Session: session level themes set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name are trumped by course and category but trump lower levels
* User: themes set at the user profile level are trumped by course, category and session, and only trump the site theme
* Site: Is trumped by any of the above themes

Note on Session Themes:

* It is important to note that Session level themes override the Site level theme ONLY for the user's current logged in session. When the user does log out however, they will then see the DEFAULT SITE theme, not the Session theme.
* You only have to set the theme once via the URL parameter and it will persist until the user logs out.

Note on Device Themes:

Note the following issue discovered with device level themes [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-35148] overriding category and course level themes.

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T19:03:21Z

Rwthornton: /* What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other? */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===

In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site, and that is the level of priority of appearance they have as well. You enable course, category, and user in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings Theme settings.]

* Course: themes set at the course level trump (override) all other theme settings
* Category: themes set at the category level trump all themes except course level themes
* Session: session level themes set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name are trumped by course and category but trump lower levels
* User: themes set at the user profile level are trumped by course, category and session, and only trump the site theme
* Site: Is trumped by any of the above themes

Note on Session Themes:

* It is important to note that Session level themes override the Site level theme ONLY for the user's current logged in session. When the user does log out however, they will then see the DEFAULT SITE theme, not the Session theme.
* You only have to set the theme once via the URL parameter and it will persist until the user logs out.

Note on Device Themes:

Note the following issue discovered with device level themes [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-35148 MDL-35148.]

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T19:02:26Z

Rwthornton: /* What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other? */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===

In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site, and that is the level of priority of appearance they have as well. You enable course, category, and user in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Theme_settings Theme settings.]

* Course: themes set at the course level trump (override) all other theme settings
* Category: themes set at the category level trump all themes except course level themes
* Session: session level themes set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name are trumped by course and category but trump lower levels
* User: themes set at the user profile level are trumped by course, category and session, and only trump the site theme
* Site: Is trumped by any of the above themes

Note on Session Themes:

* It is important to note that Session level themes override the Site level theme ONLY for the user's current logged in session. When the user does log out however, they will then see the DEFAULT SITE theme, not the Session theme.
* You only have to set the theme once via the URL parameter and it will persist until the user logs out.

Note on Device Themes:

Note the following issue discovered with device level themes [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-35148 MDL-35148]

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T18:53:31Z

Rwthornton: /* What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other? */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===

In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site, and that is the level of priority of appearance they have as well.

* Course: themes set at the course level trump (override) all other theme settings
* Category: themes set at the category level trump all themes except course level themes
* Session: session level themes set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name are trumped by course and category but trump lower levels
* User: themes set at the user profile level are trumped by course, category and session, and only trump the site theme
* Site: Is trumped by any of the above themes

Note on Session Themes:

* It is important to note that Session level themes override the Site level theme ONLY for the user's current logged in session. When the user does log out however, they will then see the DEFAULT SITE theme, not the Session theme.
* You only have to set the theme once via the URL parameter and it will persist until the user logs out.

Note on Device Themes:

Note the following issue discovered with device level themes https://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-35148

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T18:50:07Z

Rwthornton: /* How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses? */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===

In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site, and that is the level of priority of appearance they have as well.

* Course: themes set at the course level trump (override) all other theme settings
* Category: themes set at the category level trump all themes except course level themes
* Session: session level themes set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name are trumped by course and category but trump lower levels
* User: themes set at the user profile level are trumped by course, category and session, and only trump the site theme
* Site: Is trumped by any of the above themes

Note: Session, Site and Public: it is important to note that Session level themes override the Site level theme ONLY for the user's current logged in session. You only have to set the theme once via the URL parameter and it will persist until the user logs out. When the user does log out however, they will then see the DEFAULT SITE theme, not the Session theme.

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T18:49:50Z

Rwthornton: /* What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other? */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===
#In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site, and that is the level of priority of appearance they have as well.

* Course: themes set at the course level trump (override) all other theme settings
* Category: themes set at the category level trump all themes except course level themes
* Session: session level themes set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name are trumped by course and category but trump lower levels
* User: themes set at the user profile level are trumped by course, category and session, and only trump the site theme
* Site: Is trumped by any of the above themes

Note: Session, Site and Public: it is important to note that Session level themes override the Site level theme ONLY for the user's current logged in session. You only have to set the theme once via the URL parameter and it will persist until the user logs out. When the user does log out however, they will then see the DEFAULT SITE theme, not the Session theme.

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Themes FAQ

2013-05-16T18:45:49Z

Rwthornton: /* How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses? */

{{Themes}}
==How do I install a new theme?==

# Unzip the .zip file to an empty local directory.
# Upload folder to your web server to the /moodle/theme/[Theme Name]. (Replace [Theme Name] with the name of the theme you have downloaded.) Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. Change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

=== How do I install a new theme when using cPanel? ===

# Upload your new theme .zip file to your web server via cPanel.
# Then using cPanel install the new theme to your Moodle theme's folder. The new theme will be installed into its own folder at /moodle/theme/[mytheme] (where [mytheme] is the name of your new theme.
# Ensure the new theme folder and its contents are readable by the webserver. If necessary change Read and Write permissions (CHMOD) for the files and folder to 755 - Owner read/write/execute, Group read/execute, Everyone read/execute. Incorrect permissions may prevent display of the newly installed theme.
# Choose your new theme from within Moodle via ''Administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''

=== Why is the new theme I uploaded not showing up in Theme Selector? ===

You probably forgot to do something correctly. Here are steps to create a "new" theme from an existing theme called "standard". Bold show places you must change for the theme to appear.
#Copy folder theme/standard and call it theme/new
#In theme/new/lang/en folder,
##'''Renamed theme_standard.php to theme_new.php'''
#Opened theme/new/lang/en/new.php, recommend you change 2 lines to read something like:
##$string['pluginname'] = 'New theme - Martin D';
##$string['chooseredme'] = 'New theme came from the Standard theme and is being changed by Martin D in 2011';
##Saved the file
#In theme/new/config.php
##Change '''$THEME->NAME = 'new'''';
#Went to ''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme settings'' > Theme designer mode (Checked)
#''Settings > Site Administration >Appearance > Theme selector''
##Clear theme caches
##Select theme

:''Tip:'' There could be a number of problems with the theme you uploaded, but one major problem reported in the Themes Forum all point to the way in which the theme is uploaded on certain servers. Using the cPanel method, as described in the FAQ [[Themes_FAQ#How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?|How do I install a new theme when using cPanel?]] will, in most cases, cure the problem.

== How do I control what themes show up where? ==

You can control which themes show up in which contexts by a series of settings in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings''

===How can I restrict the available themes to users and in courses?===
#In'' Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'', add the themes you want them to use in the Theme list. These will then restrict the theme choice lists in pull down menus the contexts (Course, Category, User) where you allow them.

===What is the hierarchy of contexts for themes to override each other?===

There are five contexts in which themes appear and can be set: courses, category, session, user, and site, and that is the level of priority of appearance they have as well.

* Course: themes set at the course level trump (override) all other theme settings
* Category: themes set at the category level trump all themes except course level themes
* Session: session level themes set with the URL parameter theme=theme_name are trumped by course and category but trump lower levels
* User: themes set at the user profile level are trumped by course, category and session, and only trump the site theme
* Site: Is trumped by any of the above themes

==How do I create a custom theme?==

See the developer documentation [[:dev:Theme development|Theme development]].

==Can I assign a specific theme to a course?==

Yes. In the course settings, use the "Force theme" dropdown box.

==Is it possible to customise language strings per theme?==
Not by default, as when strings are customised, they are customised for the whole site. However, it is possible to make a new language pack based on your main language and apply that pack to the course which has that theme. See this forum post for more information: https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=220671

==How can I get the links in my custom menu to open in new windows?==
It is possible to create your own fly out menu via the custom menu block in Settings>Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings. Copy the examples given below the box. If you want the links to open in a new window, use the following code:
Moodle|http://www.moodle.org" target="_blank"

== Where shall I put my custom CSS code? ==

Note that the standard themes Afterburner, Arialist, Formal White, Fusion, Nonzero, Overlay, Sky High and Splash all offer the possibility to add custom CSS in their page settings via ''Settings>Appearance>Themes>''.

Failing this, instead of modifying the theme's CSS files you better put your own code in a separate CSS file and make your theme aware of that file by modifying its config.php file (be sure add your own CSS file as the last one in the list so that you will override all prior settings). See this posting for [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599#p564055 detailed instructions].

See also the instructions on creating your own theme mentioned above.

==Will I lose my courses, language files, logo, etc. if I switch my theme?==
Switching themes only changes the appearance of your site, not the content within it. The logo is a part of the theme and will be lost when you switch.

Follow these instructions to [[:dev:Creating_a_custom_theme#Adding_a_Logo|add a logo]] to a theme.
:If you upgrade your Moodle site and tweaked an existing standard theme, you will lose your changes. Thus it is a good idea to create a custom theme which will not be changed when you upgrade.

==I can't access theme files on the server. Can I still add a logo to a theme?==
Yes. You have two choices:
**Either upload your logo to another place publicly available online and then copy the image's URL to paste into the logo field of the theme page you are editing (such as Afterburner)
**Or add the main menu block to your front page; upload the logo via Main menu>Add a resource. Get its URL and paste it into the logo field of the theme page you are editing. You can safely then hide or delete the main menu block; the logo will still be there. (''NOTE'' - your logo will appear in ''Navigation>Site pages'' as well.)

== Are there tools which help me creating and editing themes? ==

=== Clear Cache Button ===
This useful Firefox add-on let's you add a button to your tool bar for easily clearing your cache while working on your theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/1801

Please note that the following tools are only for development. They only change the way ''you'' see your Moodle site, not the Moodle site itself. Any changes you make using these tools will not be visible to anyone else who uses your site. For this you will have to make those changes permanent by changing your theme's CSS files for example.

=== Firebug ===
The single most useful tool is the [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] add-on for the [[:dev:Firefox|Firefox]] web browser. Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page... And there are additional add-ons for making Firebug an even more powerful tool.

==== Firebug enhancements ====
You can enhance Firebug even further. See [[:dev:Firebug|Firebug]] for more information.

=== Web Developer Toolbar ===
Another great tool for any web developer is the [[:dev:Web developer extension|Web developer extension]], another Firefox add-on. One very useful feature is the option to '''disable your browser's cache''' while working on your theme. That way you are sure you're always presented with your latest modifications and not with an older, cached version.

Now also available for Google's Chrome browser: [http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/23/chrome-web-developer-toolbar/ "The Web Developer Toolbar Comes to Chrome"]

=== Stylish ===
Modifications made with Firebug are lost when refreshing your page. If you want your CSS changes to be a bit more permanent, for example to try them with different pages of your Moodle installation, you can use another Firefox plugin: [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108 Stylish]. That way you can change your site's CSS with a simple mouse click without having to change Moodle code.

See [[:dev:Stylish|Stylish]] for detailed instructions and examples.

==== Stylish-Custom ====
This is an [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12105/ custom additions] to the Stylish extension which brings back features from 0.5.9 and adds new features.

== How do I check for cross-browser compatibility? ==
There are some tools (standalone and online) which can show you how your site looks in different browsers. See this [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=127746 forum discussion] for details. See the new device detection settings in [[Theme settings]] which will allow you to create a theme for those "special" browsers.

==How are the device types used in Moodle 2.4 ?==
If "Enabled device detection" has been turned on, Moodle 2.4 will automatically use the theme which has been set for the device in the [[Standard themes|Theme selector]] settings page. It is also possible to add additional types to the Theme selector page by using the "device detection regular expressions" fields.

Site administrators can find these enable device detection settings in Site administration > Appearance >Themes > [[Theme settings]] .

== Concrete examples for modifying Moodle themes ==

The following examples were taken from the former ''Theme Scrapbook'':
 
"The Moodle '''Theme Scrapbook''' is a collection of small how-to descriptions. You theme designers and Moodle users working with themes add your knowledge here to help new Moodle users with tips and tricks for their theme work.
 
Feel free to add to this list! Don't know how? Read our [[MoodleDocs:Guidelines_for_contributors|Guidelines for contributors]]."


=== Changing things ===

==== Colors ====
* [[:dev:Forcing the colour of the chat discussion pane (pop-up mode)]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=142765 Changing background colour of a topic box]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=152357 How to change the colour of the popup event's header and background]

==== Logo and icons ====
* [[:dev:Alternate Icon Set|Using an alternate icon set in Moodle]]
* [[Favicon|Change the favicon that shows in front of the web address]]
* [[Footer replacement|Replace the logo in the footer with your web address and/or or own logo]]
*[[:dev:Header logo|Replace the logo in the header]]

==== Layout ====
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=136546 Overriding the $menu / $button variables] using PHP regular expressions in header.html
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143411 Changing the view of course categories] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145077 Sub categories and courses layout] - work in progress
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151370 Tracker 'components' list too small]

=== Adding things ===
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=157935 How to add a different img-bullet to each category?]

=== Hiding things ===
* Hiding an element with CSS is generally achieved using the [http://reference.sitepoint.com/css/display display: none;] property on the element.
* See [[:dev:Print style]] and [[:dev:Stylish#Print style for Database records]] for an example how to hide parts of a page not meant for printing.

=== Moving things ===
* [[:dev:Center Forum Posts|Centre smaller forum posts on the page]]
* [[:dev:Footer positioning|Positioning the page footer]]
* [[:dev:Left-align quiz|Left align quiz questions and answers]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=121847 Indentation for nested categories]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=128599 Positioning login and choose language field]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=145179 Match question type - position answers nearer to the questions]
* [[:dev:Stylish#Fixed admin menue with CSS]]

=== Miscellaneous ===
* [[:dev:Fixed-width theme|Creating a fixed-width theme]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=146763 Is there a way to fix oversized HTML Editor using CSS?]
* [[:dev:Category Design|Modifying the design of specific categories with CSS]]

==How can I see theme changes when using the Windows Complete Installer package==
In the [http://download.moodle.org/windows/ Windows Complete Installer package], the eAccelerator in the XAMPP install can cause some issues with changes to your theme's CSS and HTML files from showing.

Open the php.ini file inside of the server\php folder from your install in notepad and search for "eAccelerator" you should see a line that reads:
extension=eaccelerator.dll

Insert a semi-colon (turns the line into a comment) at the start of this line so it now reads:
;extension=eaccelerator.dll

Restart the Moodle server using the "stop moodle" and then the "start moodle" programs in your server folder. You should now find that all of your changes to your CSS are reflected as soon as you save the file and refresh your browser cache (usually you can refresh your cache by pressing F5). This FAQ from a discussion at [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=151562#p663950 Deactivating caching with XAMPP installations]

== See also ==

* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=29 Themes forum]
* [[:dev:CSS FAQ]]
* [http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/oublog/view.php?user=155976 "Understanding Moodle Themes"] - Blog post by [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=78896&course=5 Christopher Douce] (Open University)
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=149534 Testing 2.0. Use for modern vs old browsers] forum discussion

[[Category:FAQ]]
[[de:Designs_FAQ]]

Course completion settings

2013-05-08T01:19:41Z

Rwthornton: /* Completion dependencies */

{{Course completion}}
In order to use the course completion features, it has to be enabled in the site administration settings before the course completion link will appear in the course administration menu. There are also settings which need to be reviewed in the course administration settings. You should also install the [[Course completion status block]] and the [[Self completion block]] to view reports and use some of the features of course completion.

==Completion tracking settings==
The following settings may be found in ''Settings > Course administration > Completion tracking'':

===Overall criteria type aggregation===
Choose here how you wish to mark the course complete -whether you want ''Any'' or ''All'' of the requirements that follow to count towards completion.

:'''All''' means just that, every condition that has been checked. The most restrictive setting.
: '''Any''' means any one of those conditions that have been specified.

===Completion dependencies===
*This setting allows you to have completion of another course as a condition for completing the course you are currently working in. This does not block the student from your current course; it simply means that the current course will not be marked complete until the first course has been marked complete. Thus, completion of the current course is dependent upon completion of an earlier course. You need to click on the course or courses in the "Courses available box" that you wish to use in order to select them.

*If completion tracking has not been set for any other courses yet then a message will appear as in (1). If completion tracking has been set elsewhere then the display changes to (2):

{|
|[[File:completionnotset.png|thumb|No other courses have completion tracking set]]
|[[File:completiondependencies.png|thumb|Available course to be completed before the current course is marked complete]]
|}

===Manual self completion===
If you check the box in this link, then students can mark the course as complete themselves. In order to do this, the [[Self completion block]] must also be added to the course.

===Manual completion by===
This setting allows users with selected roles to mark the course as complete. If used, put a check mark next to the role that can mark the course as complete. The roles listed are ones for which the capability [[Capabilities/moodle/course:markcomplete|Mark users as complete in course completion]] is allowed.

Select the Aggregation method "All" when every role that is marked here must put a check mark in the course completion report in order for the student's course to be marked complete.

Select the Aggregation method "Any" when one or more of the roles that are marked here have put a check mark in the course completion report in order for the student's course to be marked complete.

===Activities completed===
This setting will show a list of activities which have [[Activity completion]] setting defined. Put a check next to the ones which should count towards course completion.

The "All" aggregation method means that each of the checked activities must meet their Activity completion settings.

The "Any" aggregation method means that at least one of the checked activities must meet their Activity completion settings.

===Date===
If you check the ''Enable'' box you can then set a date, after which the course will be declared complete..

===Duration after enrolment===
If you check the ''Enable'' box you can then choose a number of days after enrolment upon which the course will be marked complete.

===Grade===
If you check the ''Enable'' box you can set a passing grade for the course.

===Unenrolment===
If you check the box ''Completion on unenrolment'' then the student's course will be complete once they have unenrolled.

==Course administration settings==
''Course administration > Edit settings''

*Student Progress
**Completion tracking must be enabled
**Completion tracking begins after enrollment (best practice is to check this).

==Site administration settings==
''Site administration > Advanced features > Enable completion tracking'' (check enabled).

The above settings can be set as defaults for the site in ''Settings > Site administration > Courses > Course default settings''.
:''Tip:'' The [[Cron]] trigger default for course completion is every 10 minutes. This is not usually what the Teachers and Students expect. The length of time can be impacted by the server cron schedule and by the code found in /lib/completionlib.php under "Cache expiry time".

==Course completion capabilities==

There are two capabilities, both of which are allowed for the default roles of manager, teacher and non-editing teacher:

*[[Capabilities/report/completion:view|View course completion report]]
*[[Capabilities/moodle/course:markcomplete|Mark users as complete in course completion]]

[[Category:Site administration]]

[[eu:Ikastaro-osaketaren_jarraipenaren_ezarpenak]]

Standard themes

2013-04-30T01:04:22Z

Rwthornton: /* Themes with right hand column(s) only */

{{Themes}}
==Theme selector==

An administrator can set a theme for the site in ''Settings > Site administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

Different themes may be set according to 'device type' - default, legacy (for older browsers), mobile and tablet.

Go to ''Settings > Site administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''
*Click on the "Select theme" button next to the type you wish to change
*Scroll down to see the previews of the available themes and click on the "Use theme" button to chose the theme
*The next screen will provide information about the theme. Click "Continue"

Note 1: Moodle caches themes so if you don't immediately see changed settings that you were expecting, click the "Clear theme caches" button at the top of the Theme selector page.

Note 2: The selected theme may be overridden if user/course or category themes have been allowed in the [[Theme settings]].

Tip: The [[MyMobile theme]] is especially designed for mobile devices.

[[File:Themeselector21.png|thumb|center|theme selector showing default and none selected in other theme types]]

==Notes on individual themes==

Arialist: does not display the logo at course/course level. This means it is not useful for branding at a category/course level.

===Themes that allow you to change a logo===
*Arialist (only at home page level) Code to change this: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=192409
*Brick
*Formal White
*Magazine
*Sky High
*Splash

===Themes that allow custom CSS===
*Arialist
*Fusion
*Non-zero
*Overlay
*Sky High
*Splash

===Themes with right hand column(s) only===
*Arialist
*Brick
*Fusion
*Nimble
*Non-zero (2 columns)
*Overlay (2 columns)
*Sky High (2 columns)

===Various forum help that may be useful===
#Changing logo height in Afterburner: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=197924
#Moving columns in Skyhigh: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=209626
#Tweaks to header area in Formal White: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=167544

==Standard themes==

In alphabetical order here are the standard themes in Moodle:
<gallery caption="Standard Themes - click on any to enlarge" widths="200px" heights="113px" perrow="3">
Image:theme_afterburner.png|Afterburner theme
Image:theme_anomaly.png|Anomaly theme
Image:theme_arialist.png|Arialist theme
Image:theme_binarius.png|Binarius theme
Image:theme_boxxie.png|Boxxie theme
Image:theme_brick.png|Brick theme
Image:theme_formalwhite.png|Formal white theme
Image:theme_formfactor.png|FormFactor theme
Image:theme_fusion.png|Fusion theme
Image:theme_leatherbound.png|Leatherbound theme
Image:theme_magazine.png|Magazine theme
Image:Mymobile_theme.png|MyMobile theme
Image:theme_nimble.png|Nimble theme
Image:theme_nonzero.png|Nonzero theme
Image:theme_overlay.png|Overlay theme
Image:theme_serenity.png|Serenity theme
Image:theme_skyhigh.png|Sky High theme
Image:theme_splash.png|Splash theme
Image:theme_standard.png|Standard theme
</gallery>

==See also==

* [[Theme credits]]
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=189573 What counts as a 'legacy' device type?] forum discussion

[[de:Standard-Designs]]
[[es:Temas estándar]]

Standard themes

2013-04-30T01:04:05Z

Rwthornton: /* Themes that allow custom CSS */

{{Themes}}
==Theme selector==

An administrator can set a theme for the site in ''Settings > Site administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

Different themes may be set according to 'device type' - default, legacy (for older browsers), mobile and tablet.

Go to ''Settings > Site administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''
*Click on the "Select theme" button next to the type you wish to change
*Scroll down to see the previews of the available themes and click on the "Use theme" button to chose the theme
*The next screen will provide information about the theme. Click "Continue"

Note 1: Moodle caches themes so if you don't immediately see changed settings that you were expecting, click the "Clear theme caches" button at the top of the Theme selector page.

Note 2: The selected theme may be overridden if user/course or category themes have been allowed in the [[Theme settings]].

Tip: The [[MyMobile theme]] is especially designed for mobile devices.

[[File:Themeselector21.png|thumb|center|theme selector showing default and none selected in other theme types]]

==Notes on individual themes==

Arialist: does not display the logo at course/course level. This means it is not useful for branding at a category/course level.

===Themes that allow you to change a logo===
*Arialist (only at home page level) Code to change this: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=192409
*Brick
*Formal White
*Magazine
*Sky High
*Splash

===Themes that allow custom CSS===
*Arialist
*Fusion
*Non-zero
*Overlay
*Sky High
*Splash

===Themes with right hand column(s) only===
*Arialist
*Brick
*Fusion
*Nimble
*Non-zero (2 columns)
*Overlay (2 columns)
*Skyhigh (2 columns)

===Various forum help that may be useful===
#Changing logo height in Afterburner: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=197924
#Moving columns in Skyhigh: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=209626
#Tweaks to header area in Formal White: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=167544

==Standard themes==

In alphabetical order here are the standard themes in Moodle:
<gallery caption="Standard Themes - click on any to enlarge" widths="200px" heights="113px" perrow="3">
Image:theme_afterburner.png|Afterburner theme
Image:theme_anomaly.png|Anomaly theme
Image:theme_arialist.png|Arialist theme
Image:theme_binarius.png|Binarius theme
Image:theme_boxxie.png|Boxxie theme
Image:theme_brick.png|Brick theme
Image:theme_formalwhite.png|Formal white theme
Image:theme_formfactor.png|FormFactor theme
Image:theme_fusion.png|Fusion theme
Image:theme_leatherbound.png|Leatherbound theme
Image:theme_magazine.png|Magazine theme
Image:Mymobile_theme.png|MyMobile theme
Image:theme_nimble.png|Nimble theme
Image:theme_nonzero.png|Nonzero theme
Image:theme_overlay.png|Overlay theme
Image:theme_serenity.png|Serenity theme
Image:theme_skyhigh.png|Sky High theme
Image:theme_splash.png|Splash theme
Image:theme_standard.png|Standard theme
</gallery>

==See also==

* [[Theme credits]]
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=189573 What counts as a 'legacy' device type?] forum discussion

[[de:Standard-Designs]]
[[es:Temas estándar]]

Standard themes

2013-04-30T01:03:49Z

Rwthornton: /* Themes that allow you to change a logo */

{{Themes}}
==Theme selector==

An administrator can set a theme for the site in ''Settings > Site administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''.

Different themes may be set according to 'device type' - default, legacy (for older browsers), mobile and tablet.

Go to ''Settings > Site administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector''
*Click on the "Select theme" button next to the type you wish to change
*Scroll down to see the previews of the available themes and click on the "Use theme" button to chose the theme
*The next screen will provide information about the theme. Click "Continue"

Note 1: Moodle caches themes so if you don't immediately see changed settings that you were expecting, click the "Clear theme caches" button at the top of the Theme selector page.

Note 2: The selected theme may be overridden if user/course or category themes have been allowed in the [[Theme settings]].

Tip: The [[MyMobile theme]] is especially designed for mobile devices.

[[File:Themeselector21.png|thumb|center|theme selector showing default and none selected in other theme types]]

==Notes on individual themes==

Arialist: does not display the logo at course/course level. This means it is not useful for branding at a category/course level.

===Themes that allow you to change a logo===
*Arialist (only at home page level) Code to change this: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=192409
*Brick
*Formal White
*Magazine
*Sky High
*Splash

===Themes that allow custom CSS===
*Arialist
*Fusion
*Non-zero
*Overlay
*Skyhigh
*Splash

===Themes with right hand column(s) only===
*Arialist
*Brick
*Fusion
*Nimble
*Non-zero (2 columns)
*Overlay (2 columns)
*Skyhigh (2 columns)

===Various forum help that may be useful===
#Changing logo height in Afterburner: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=197924
#Moving columns in Skyhigh: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=209626
#Tweaks to header area in Formal White: http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=167544

==Standard themes==

In alphabetical order here are the standard themes in Moodle:
<gallery caption="Standard Themes - click on any to enlarge" widths="200px" heights="113px" perrow="3">
Image:theme_afterburner.png|Afterburner theme
Image:theme_anomaly.png|Anomaly theme
Image:theme_arialist.png|Arialist theme
Image:theme_binarius.png|Binarius theme
Image:theme_boxxie.png|Boxxie theme
Image:theme_brick.png|Brick theme
Image:theme_formalwhite.png|Formal white theme
Image:theme_formfactor.png|FormFactor theme
Image:theme_fusion.png|Fusion theme
Image:theme_leatherbound.png|Leatherbound theme
Image:theme_magazine.png|Magazine theme
Image:Mymobile_theme.png|MyMobile theme
Image:theme_nimble.png|Nimble theme
Image:theme_nonzero.png|Nonzero theme
Image:theme_overlay.png|Overlay theme
Image:theme_serenity.png|Serenity theme
Image:theme_skyhigh.png|Sky High theme
Image:theme_splash.png|Splash theme
Image:theme_standard.png|Standard theme
</gallery>

==See also==

* [[Theme credits]]
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=189573 What counts as a 'legacy' device type?] forum discussion

[[de:Standard-Designs]]
[[es:Temas estándar]]

Configurable reports

2013-04-11T02:06:30Z

Rwthornton: /* Creating a SQL Report */

{{Infobox plugin
|type = Block
|entry = https://moodle.org/plugins/view.php?plugin=block_configurable_reports
|tracker = http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/CONTRIB/component/10753
|discussion = https://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=7979
|maintainer = [[User:Juan Leyva|Juan Leyva]]
|float = right
}}

== Installation ==

# Download the Configurable Reports installation file and unzip it to the '''\blocks''' directory in your Moodle folder.
# Be sure that the final name of the directory is: configurable_reports, the full path in your Moodle installation will be blocks/configurable_reports
# Login to Moodle as Administrator and click Notifications under Site Administration.

For more information see [[Installing contributed modules or plugins]]

== Overview ==

This block is a Moodle custom reports builder.

It is designed in a modular way to allow developers to create new plugins in less than an hour.

'''Who can create custom reports?'''

Anyone with block, managereports or manageownreports permissions at SITE level or COURSE level.

'''What type of reports can I create?'''

- Courses reports, with information regarding courses.

- Categories reports, with information regarding categories. A courses report can be embedded in this type of report.

- Users reports, with information regarding users and their activity in a course.

- Timeline reports, this is a special type of report that displays a timeline. A course or user report can be embedded in this timeline showing data depending on the start and end time of the current row.

- Custom SQL Reports, custom SQL queries. This block can use the same SQL queries as [http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=2884 Tim Hunt's Custom SQL queries] plugin.

Note for developers: You can create your own type of reports.

'''Who can view the reports?'''

When you create a report you can select which users can view it.

The reports are displayed in a block in the course or site frontpage.

== Creating a report ==

This is a very simple process.

If you are going to create a report for a course, you have to add the block in the course and click in the "Manage reports" link.

On the other hand, for site reports, add the block in the frontpage and click in the "Manage reports" link.

You must enter a name, an optional description, and you have to choose the type of report, pagination and exports formats.

Depending on the report choosen, there will be more or less tabs. These are the tabs for the courses and users report:

'''Columns''': Here you can choose the differents columns of your report depending on the type of report. (Course Name, User firstname, etc..)

'''Conditions''': Here you can define the conditions (i.e, only courses from this category, only users from Spain, etc.)

'''Ordering''': Here you can choose how to order the report using fields and directions.

'''Filters''': Here you can choose which filters will be displayed.

'''Template''': You can modify the report's layout by creating a template.

'''Permissions''': Here you can choose who can view a report.

'''Calculations''': Here you can add calculations for columns, i.e: average of number of users enrolled in courses

'''Plots''': Here you can add graphs to your report based on the report columns and values.

'''View report''': Self explanatory

== Tutorial ==

=== Creating a users' report ===

Requirements: ''Users from Spain, but not from Madrid, in this course. This report can be viewed only by users from Spain. A filter based on the user's city must be displayed. A pie plot showing the users' cities is required. A calculation table showing the total forum post views is required. The report must be ordered by users' lastname.''

Let's see how easy it is!

First of all, install the block.

Go to the course where the report will be created.

Add an instance of the Custom Reports block.

Click on "Manage reports"

Click on "Add report"

Enter a name, a description and choose "Users report" as Type of Report

The report will be saved and you will be redirected to the first Tab named "Columns".

'''Adding Columns'''

Here you can define the report table properties, width, align, cell padding, cell spacing, etc.

Add a Column called "User profile field"

Choose the field "firstname" and enter a name for the column in the text field. You can leave the rest of elements blank.

Repeat the process above for the lastname and city fields.

Add a Column called "User module actions".

Choose a module from the list, in this example, a forum.

'''Adding Conditions'''

Click on the Conditions Tab.

Add a Condition named "User field Condition".

Choose the column "Country", the Operator "=", and enter the value "ES" (this is the international code for Spain as Moodle stores it).

Add a Condition named "User field Condition".

Choose the column "city", the Operator "<>", and enter the value "Madrid".

Add a Condition named "Users in current report course".

These are the main conditions of the reports. Note that at the bottom there is a text box called condition, with this text:

"c2 and c1 and c3"

Here you can define a logic condition, in this case, we don't need to edit this condition but you can create complex expressions like:

(c1 and c2) or (c4 and c3)

'''Adding Ordering'''

Click on the Ordering Tab.

Add a ordering named "User field ordering".

Choose the column "Lastname" and the ordering "ASC" (Ascending).

'''Adding Filters'''

Click on the Filters Tab.

Add a filter named "User field filter".

Choose city.

'''Adding Permissions'''

Click on the Permissions Tab.

Choose "User field Value".

Choose the column "Country", and enter the value "ES".

Here you can add more permissions and a logic condition to be achieved.

'''Adding Calculations'''

Click on the Calculations tab.

Choose Sum.

Choose the column "User module actions".

'''Adding Plots'''

Click on the Plots tab.

Choose "Pie".

Choose the colum "City" as Name and Value.

Finally, add a few users in Moodle with the country Spain, and different cities, Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, etc. and test the report.

You can download the report in different formats (ods and xls), remember to check these options in the report page.

[[blocks/configurable_reports/#Users_report | See screenshot]]

=== Creating a SQL Report ===

You can find a lot of SQL Reports here: [[ad-hoc contributed reports]]

Since this block supports Tim Hunt's CustomSQL Queries Reports, you can use any query.

Remember to add a "Time filter" if you are going to use reports with time tokens.

First of all, install the block.

Go to the course where the report will be created.

Add an instance of the Custom Reports block.

Click on "Manage reports".

Click on "Add report

Enter a name, description, choose "SQL" as Type of Report

The report will be saved and you redirect to the first Tab named "Custom SQL"

Add this query (''Courses activity''):

<code sql>
SELECT COUNT(l.id) hits, l.course courseId, c.fullname coursename
FROM prefix_log l INNER JOIN prefix_course c ON l.course = c.id
GROUP BY courseId
ORDER BY hits DESC
</code>

''NOTE: use the generic term "prefix_" for your table names in queries, not the actual prefix in the database and config.php. E.g. prefix_course rather than mdl_course.''

Go to Calculations Tab

Add a Sum calculation, choose the hits column

Go to Plot

Add a Pie graph, choosing coursename as Name and hits as value

So, here you have a report with a Graph and calculations based on a SQL Query.

You can add a Course filter, it's very easy:

Go to filters, choose Courses

Edit the Custom SQL query:

<code sql>
SELECT COUNT(l.id) hits, l.course courseId, c.fullname coursename
FROM prefix_log l INNER JOIN prefix_course c ON l.course = c.id
%%FILTER_COURSES:l.course%%
GROUP BY courseId
ORDER BY hits DESC
</code>

Note that we are adding a token called: %%FILTER_COURSES:l.courseid%%

Go to View report, and you will see a Courses Filter, choose a Course and click on Add, here you have a report filtered.

You can also add a Starttime and endtime filter

Go to filters, choose Start / End date filter

Go to Custom SQL tab, this is the new query:

<code sql>
SELECT COUNT(l.id) hits, l.course courseId, c.fullname coursename
FROM prefix_log l INNER JOIN prefix_course c ON l.course = c.id
%%FILTER_COURSES:l.course%%
%%FILTER_STARTTIME:l.time:>%% %%FILTER_ENDTIME:l.time:<%%
GROUP BY courseId
ORDER BY hits DESC
</code>

One more example (for filtering a group of courses by category)
<code sql>
SELECT COUNT(l.id) hits, c.fullname as Course,c.id as CourseID
,(SELECT Count( ra.userid ) AS Users FROM prefix_role_assignments AS ra
JOIN prefix_context AS ctx ON ra.contextid = ctx.id
WHERE ra.roleid = 5 AND ctx.instanceid = c.id) AS Students
FROM prefix_log l INNER JOIN prefix_course c ON l.course = c.id
%%FILTER_CATEGORIES:c.category%%
GROUP BY l.course
ORDER BY hits DESC
</code>
Go to View report, now you can filter by time also

'''SQL variables'''
If you place this strings in your SQL queries, it will be replaced by the appropriate value (current course id, current user id, Moodle www root (url))

* %%COURSEID%%
* %%USERID%%
* %%WWWROOT%%

[[blocks/configurable_reports/#SQL_report | See screenshot]]

=== Creating a timeline report ===

''This report assumes that you have created at least one user or course report''

Timeline reports are a special type of reports. A timeline report displays a timeline in which a course report or user report can be embedded.

In this example we are going to create a report showing the user logins to the site during the last month (day per day).

Create a User report (see tutorial above) with three columns (firstname, lastname and user statistics)

Select the statistic (User logins)

Create a Timeline report, in the Timeline tab you can select the dates or days of the report (in this case, the last 30 days) and the interval of time for every row.

Add three "Other report column" columns, selecting all the previous user report columns.

And that's all, you can create a new type of plot (line graph). This graph is suitable for data depending on time.

== Advanced options ==

=== Templates ===

You can customize the report output using a template.

Just enable the Template option in the same name tab.

This is an example html code for displaying a list of users:

Header:

<code html4strict>
##reportname##
<table width="60%" align="center">
<tr>
<td>
</code>

Record:

<code html4strict>
<table width="100%">
<tr>
<td><img src="http://yourmoodle.com/user/pix.php/[[id]]/f1.jpg"></td>
<td><h2>[[Firstname]] [[Lastname]]</h2>
City: [[City]]
</td>
</tr>
</table>
 
</code>

Footer:

<code html4strict>
</td>
<td valign="top">
##graphs##
 
##exportoptions##
</td>
</table>
</code>

=== Embedded reports ===

An embedded report consists in a report's set of columns that are embedded in another report.

You can embed a user report into a course report, in this case, the resulting rows will be expanded duplicating each row for each user.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Type of report
! Reports that can be embedded
|-
| Courses
| Users
|-
| Categories
| Courses
|-
| Timeline
| Users, courses
|}

Imagine you have a courses report, you can embed a user report, every row of the course report will be cloned for each user.

To embed a report just add a "Other report" column, a list of your reports will be showed.

Inside a course report you can embed a user report and the other way.

==== Timeline reports ====

Timeline reports are a special type of reports. A timeline report displays a timeline in which a courses report or users report can be embedded.

Timeline reports should be used when your user or course report includes statistics (course stats or user stats columns). I.e: you can create a report showing the number of user logins to the site during a week or month.

== Developers documentation ==

It's very easy to create new report types, components and plugins.

'''Report''': A report plugin is a folder located at /report.
This folder contains a .class.php file with the child - class of the report_base.

You only need to modify a few methods to add a new report type.
Please, take a look at any of the current reports. The SQL report is an example of a non-typical report,
meanwhile the users and courses reports are standard reports.

The best way to create a report is to duplicate an existing one.

'''Component''': A component is part of a report, a component may be used by more than one report.
The main Component is the component Columns, that is used to add the columns of a report.

Others components are filters, permissions, plot, calculations..

The best way to create a component is to duplicate an existing one.

'''Plugin''': A plugin is a component module. The component column has a few of plugins (coursefield, userfield, etc.)
A plugin usually works for a unique report, but there are plugins that work for more than one report.
The best way to create a plugin is to duplicate an existing one.

== How to request a new feature ==

* Go to the Plugin Tracker http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/CONTRIB/component/10753
* Check in the open issues if your feature have been already requested http://tracker.moodle.org/secure/IssueNavigator.jspa?reset=true&jqlQuery=project+%3D+CONTRIB+AND+component+%3D+%22Block%3A+Configurable+report%22+AND+status+%3D+Open+ORDER+BY+priority+DESC&mode=hide
* If not, create a New issue (Component: Non-core contributed modules Issue type: New feature) (You have to register yourself in the tracker)
* Select the component Block: Configurable Reports and your Moodle version
* Explain in the Description field your needs
* If you have funding, you can contact me using the forum or the moodle internal messaging system, since I work for a Moodle Partner I can work on your request.
* Vote and Watch the issue you have created

== Credits ==

Juan Leyva [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=49568&course=1 Moodle profile]

[http://twitter.com/jleyvadelgado Follow me in Twitter]

== Screenshots ==

=== Users report ===
[[Image:block_custom_reports_sample_user_report.png|600px]]

=== SQL report ===
[[Image:block_custom_reports_sample_sql_report.png|600px]]

== See Also ==

CONTRIB-2386

[http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/CONTRIB/component/10753 Block: Configurable reports] Tracker component

[http://moodle.org/plugins/view.php?plugin=block_configurable_reports Modules & Plugins] database entry

[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=159820 Help forum]

[[ad-hoc_contributed_reports|contributed reports]] (in plain SQL)

[[es:blocks/configurable_reports/]]

Configurable reports

2013-04-11T01:59:47Z

Rwthornton: /* Creating a SQL Report */

{{Infobox plugin
|type = Block
|entry = https://moodle.org/plugins/view.php?plugin=block_configurable_reports
|tracker = http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/CONTRIB/component/10753
|discussion = https://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=7979
|maintainer = [[User:Juan Leyva|Juan Leyva]]
|float = right
}}

== Installation ==

# Download the Configurable Reports installation file and unzip it to the '''\blocks''' directory in your Moodle folder.
# Be sure that the final name of the directory is: configurable_reports, the full path in your Moodle installation will be blocks/configurable_reports
# Login to Moodle as Administrator and click Notifications under Site Administration.

For more information see [[Installing contributed modules or plugins]]

== Overview ==

This block is a Moodle custom reports builder.

It is designed in a modular way to allow developers to create new plugins in less than an hour.

'''Who can create custom reports?'''

Anyone with block, managereports or manageownreports permissions at SITE level or COURSE level.

'''What type of reports can I create?'''

- Courses reports, with information regarding courses.

- Categories reports, with information regarding categories. A courses report can be embedded in this type of report.

- Users reports, with information regarding users and their activity in a course.

- Timeline reports, this is a special type of report that displays a timeline. A course or user report can be embedded in this timeline showing data depending on the start and end time of the current row.

- Custom SQL Reports, custom SQL queries. This block can use the same SQL queries as [http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=2884 Tim Hunt's Custom SQL queries] plugin.

Note for developers: You can create your own type of reports.

'''Who can view the reports?'''

When you create a report you can select which users can view it.

The reports are displayed in a block in the course or site frontpage.

== Creating a report ==

This is a very simple process.

If you are going to create a report for a course, you have to add the block in the course and click in the "Manage reports" link.

On the other hand, for site reports, add the block in the frontpage and click in the "Manage reports" link.

You must enter a name, an optional description, and you have to choose the type of report, pagination and exports formats.

Depending on the report choosen, there will be more or less tabs. These are the tabs for the courses and users report:

'''Columns''': Here you can choose the differents columns of your report depending on the type of report. (Course Name, User firstname, etc..)

'''Conditions''': Here you can define the conditions (i.e, only courses from this category, only users from Spain, etc.)

'''Ordering''': Here you can choose how to order the report using fields and directions.

'''Filters''': Here you can choose which filters will be displayed.

'''Template''': You can modify the report's layout by creating a template.

'''Permissions''': Here you can choose who can view a report.

'''Calculations''': Here you can add calculations for columns, i.e: average of number of users enrolled in courses

'''Plots''': Here you can add graphs to your report based on the report columns and values.

'''View report''': Self explanatory

== Tutorial ==

=== Creating a users' report ===

Requirements: ''Users from Spain, but not from Madrid, in this course. This report can be viewed only by users from Spain. A filter based on the user's city must be displayed. A pie plot showing the users' cities is required. A calculation table showing the total forum post views is required. The report must be ordered by users' lastname.''

Let's see how easy it is!

First of all, install the block.

Go to the course where the report will be created.

Add an instance of the Custom Reports block.

Click on "Manage reports"

Click on "Add report"

Enter a name, a description and choose "Users report" as Type of Report

The report will be saved and you will be redirected to the first Tab named "Columns".

'''Adding Columns'''

Here you can define the report table properties, width, align, cell padding, cell spacing, etc.

Add a Column called "User profile field"

Choose the field "firstname" and enter a name for the column in the text field. You can leave the rest of elements blank.

Repeat the process above for the lastname and city fields.

Add a Column called "User module actions".

Choose a module from the list, in this example, a forum.

'''Adding Conditions'''

Click on the Conditions Tab.

Add a Condition named "User field Condition".

Choose the column "Country", the Operator "=", and enter the value "ES" (this is the international code for Spain as Moodle stores it).

Add a Condition named "User field Condition".

Choose the column "city", the Operator "<>", and enter the value "Madrid".

Add a Condition named "Users in current report course".

These are the main conditions of the reports. Note that at the bottom there is a text box called condition, with this text:

"c2 and c1 and c3"

Here you can define a logic condition, in this case, we don't need to edit this condition but you can create complex expressions like:

(c1 and c2) or (c4 and c3)

'''Adding Ordering'''

Click on the Ordering Tab.

Add a ordering named "User field ordering".

Choose the column "Lastname" and the ordering "ASC" (Ascending).

'''Adding Filters'''

Click on the Filters Tab.

Add a filter named "User field filter".

Choose city.

'''Adding Permissions'''

Click on the Permissions Tab.

Choose "User field Value".

Choose the column "Country", and enter the value "ES".

Here you can add more permissions and a logic condition to be achieved.

'''Adding Calculations'''

Click on the Calculations tab.

Choose Sum.

Choose the column "User module actions".

'''Adding Plots'''

Click on the Plots tab.

Choose "Pie".

Choose the colum "City" as Name and Value.

Finally, add a few users in Moodle with the country Spain, and different cities, Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, etc. and test the report.

You can download the report in different formats (ods and xls), remember to check these options in the report page.

[[blocks/configurable_reports/#Users_report | See screenshot]]

=== Creating a SQL Report ===

You can find a lot of SQL Reports here: [[ad-hoc contributed reports]]

Since this block supports Tim Hunt's CustomSQL Queries Reports, you can use any query.

Remember to add a "Time filter" if you are going to use reports with time tokens.

First of all, install the block.

Go to the course where the report will be created.

Add an instance of the Custom Reports block.

Click on "Manage reports".

Click on "Add report

Enter a name, description, choose "SQL" as Type of Report

The report will be saved and you redirect to the first Tab named "Custom SQL"

Add this query (''Courses activity''):

<code sql>
SELECT COUNT(l.id) hits, l.course courseId, c.fullname coursename
FROM prefix_log l INNER JOIN prefix_course c ON l.course = c.id
GROUP BY courseId
ORDER BY hits DESC
</code>

''NOTE: use the generic term "prefix_" for your queries, not the actual prefix in the database and config.php. E.g. prefix_course rather than mdl_course.''

Go to Calculations Tab

Add a Sum calculation, choose the hits column

Go to Plot

Add a Pie graph, choosing coursename as Name and hits as value

So, here you have a report with a Graph and calculations based on a SQL Query.

You can add a Course filter, it's very easy:

Go to filters, choose Courses

Edit the Custom SQL query:

<code sql>
SELECT COUNT(l.id) hits, l.course courseId, c.fullname coursename
FROM prefix_log l INNER JOIN prefix_course c ON l.course = c.id
%%FILTER_COURSES:l.course%%
GROUP BY courseId
ORDER BY hits DESC
</code>

Note that we are adding a token called: %%FILTER_COURSES:l.courseid%%

Go to View report, and you will see a Courses Filter, choose a Course and click on Add, here you have a report filtered.

You can also add a Starttime and endtime filter

Go to filters, choose Start / End date filter

Go to Custom SQL tab, this is the new query:

<code sql>
SELECT COUNT(l.id) hits, l.course courseId, c.fullname coursename
FROM prefix_log l INNER JOIN prefix_course c ON l.course = c.id
%%FILTER_COURSES:l.course%%
%%FILTER_STARTTIME:l.time:>%% %%FILTER_ENDTIME:l.time:<%%
GROUP BY courseId
ORDER BY hits DESC
</code>

One more example (for filtering a group of courses by category)
<code sql>
SELECT COUNT(l.id) hits, c.fullname as Course,c.id as CourseID
,(SELECT Count( ra.userid ) AS Users FROM prefix_role_assignments AS ra
JOIN prefix_context AS ctx ON ra.contextid = ctx.id
WHERE ra.roleid = 5 AND ctx.instanceid = c.id) AS Students
FROM prefix_log l INNER JOIN prefix_course c ON l.course = c.id
%%FILTER_CATEGORIES:c.category%%
GROUP BY l.course
ORDER BY hits DESC
</code>
Go to View report, now you can filter by time also

'''SQL variables'''
If you place this strings in your SQL queries, it will be replaced by the appropriate value (current course id, current user id, Moodle www root (url))

* %%COURSEID%%
* %%USERID%%
* %%WWWROOT%%

[[blocks/configurable_reports/#SQL_report | See screenshot]]

=== Creating a timeline report ===

''This report assumes that you have created at least one user or course report''

Timeline reports are a special type of reports. A timeline report displays a timeline in which a course report or user report can be embedded.

In this example we are going to create a report showing the user logins to the site during the last month (day per day).

Create a User report (see tutorial above) with three columns (firstname, lastname and user statistics)

Select the statistic (User logins)

Create a Timeline report, in the Timeline tab you can select the dates or days of the report (in this case, the last 30 days) and the interval of time for every row.

Add three "Other report column" columns, selecting all the previous user report columns.

And that's all, you can create a new type of plot (line graph). This graph is suitable for data depending on time.

== Advanced options ==

=== Templates ===

You can customize the report output using a template.

Just enable the Template option in the same name tab.

This is an example html code for displaying a list of users:

Header:

<code html4strict>
##reportname##
<table width="60%" align="center">
<tr>
<td>
</code>

Record:

<code html4strict>
<table width="100%">
<tr>
<td><img src="http://yourmoodle.com/user/pix.php/[[id]]/f1.jpg"></td>
<td><h2>[[Firstname]] [[Lastname]]</h2>
City: [[City]]
</td>
</tr>
</table>
 
</code>

Footer:

<code html4strict>
</td>
<td valign="top">
##graphs##
 
##exportoptions##
</td>
</table>
</code>

=== Embedded reports ===

An embedded report consists in a report's set of columns that are embedded in another report.

You can embed a user report into a course report, in this case, the resulting rows will be expanded duplicating each row for each user.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Type of report
! Reports that can be embedded
|-
| Courses
| Users
|-
| Categories
| Courses
|-
| Timeline
| Users, courses
|}

Imagine you have a courses report, you can embed a user report, every row of the course report will be cloned for each user.

To embed a report just add a "Other report" column, a list of your reports will be showed.

Inside a course report you can embed a user report and the other way.

==== Timeline reports ====

Timeline reports are a special type of reports. A timeline report displays a timeline in which a courses report or users report can be embedded.

Timeline reports should be used when your user or course report includes statistics (course stats or user stats columns). I.e: you can create a report showing the number of user logins to the site during a week or month.

== Developers documentation ==

It's very easy to create new report types, components and plugins.

'''Report''': A report plugin is a folder located at /report.
This folder contains a .class.php file with the child - class of the report_base.

You only need to modify a few methods to add a new report type.
Please, take a look at any of the current reports. The SQL report is an example of a non-typical report,
meanwhile the users and courses reports are standard reports.

The best way to create a report is to duplicate an existing one.

'''Component''': A component is part of a report, a component may be used by more than one report.
The main Component is the component Columns, that is used to add the columns of a report.

Others components are filters, permissions, plot, calculations..

The best way to create a component is to duplicate an existing one.

'''Plugin''': A plugin is a component module. The component column has a few of plugins (coursefield, userfield, etc.)
A plugin usually works for a unique report, but there are plugins that work for more than one report.
The best way to create a plugin is to duplicate an existing one.

== How to request a new feature ==

* Go to the Plugin Tracker http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/CONTRIB/component/10753
* Check in the open issues if your feature have been already requested http://tracker.moodle.org/secure/IssueNavigator.jspa?reset=true&jqlQuery=project+%3D+CONTRIB+AND+component+%3D+%22Block%3A+Configurable+report%22+AND+status+%3D+Open+ORDER+BY+priority+DESC&mode=hide
* If not, create a New issue (Component: Non-core contributed modules Issue type: New feature) (You have to register yourself in the tracker)
* Select the component Block: Configurable Reports and your Moodle version
* Explain in the Description field your needs
* If you have funding, you can contact me using the forum or the moodle internal messaging system, since I work for a Moodle Partner I can work on your request.
* Vote and Watch the issue you have created

== Credits ==

Juan Leyva [http://moodle.org/user/view.php?id=49568&course=1 Moodle profile]

[http://twitter.com/jleyvadelgado Follow me in Twitter]

== Screenshots ==

=== Users report ===
[[Image:block_custom_reports_sample_user_report.png|600px]]

=== SQL report ===
[[Image:block_custom_reports_sample_sql_report.png|600px]]

== See Also ==

CONTRIB-2386

[http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/CONTRIB/component/10753 Block: Configurable reports] Tracker component

[http://moodle.org/plugins/view.php?plugin=block_configurable_reports Modules & Plugins] database entry

[http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=159820 Help forum]

[[ad-hoc_contributed_reports|contributed reports]] (in plain SQL)

[[es:blocks/configurable_reports/]]

Feedback templates

2013-03-07T22:25:45Z

Rwthornton: /* Import Questions */

{{Feedback}}
Within the Feedback Module you can create and re-use sets of Feedback questions using the Template tool.

The Templates tab provides the following template features:

==Use a template==

Previously saved Templates will be listed in this area and can be selected using the dropdown menu.

After selecting a Template, Moodle will display a preview of the Feedback questions contained within the Template and confirm Are you sure you want to use this template?

You will also be required to select one of two options:

;Delete old items
:Remove any questions/text types previously added to the Feedback Activity you are viewing before importing items from the selected Template

;Append new items
:Add items stored within the selected template to the current Feedback activity, to any existing questions/text types.

Once you have made your selection click Save changes to copy across the Feedback items or press Cancel to exit from the template copy process.

== Save these questions as a new template ==

After creating a new Feedback activity and populating it with questions, you can save it as a Template for re-use by yourself or others.

When saving a new Template enter a descriptive title in the Name field and choose whether you wish to make this Template available for use by others via the Public tickbox . A Public template may be viewed and re-used by users with appropriate access rights such as administrators and teacher/trainers. When a Public template is used as a basis for a new Feedback, the activity settings and questions within it may be edited by the teacher/trainer, however the original Template remains unchanged.

== Delete Template... ==

To remove a Template you have created or have appropriate permissions to edit, from your Moodle site, use the Delete template... link and click the delete icon next to the corresponding template name.

==Export Questions==

The Export Questions tool allows you to save the questions/text types within your Feedback Activity in .xml format. Clicking the Export questions link will prompt you to Save or Open this file.

==Import Questions==

Where you have previously exported and saved questions from a Feedback activity in .xml format, you can reimport them into a new Feedback activity.

The Import questions tool is particularly useful where you need to import questions from a different instance of Moodle and the Template tool is not applicable.

Tip: You can also use the Import/Export ability to combine multiple Imports from multiple templates; also it can be used to avoid creating duplicates when using Append.

After clicking on the Import questions link you will be prompted to select one of the following options:

;Delete old items
:The current questions and all your user's responses will be deleted within the current Feedback activity

;Append new items
:All old questions and the assigned values will be preserved within the current Feedback activity and the imported questions will be added to the existing questions.

Use the Choose a file button to navigate to the course Files area and upload and/or select the relevant .xml file. Once selected use the Import from this file button to import the questions or use Cancel to return to the Templates general tab.

[[de:Feedback-Vorlagen]]

Question bank

2012-08-24T17:50:52Z

Rwthornton:

{{Managing questions}}
This feature allows a teacher to create, preview, and edit questions in a database of question categories. The categories can be limited to being used on the site, course or quiz level. The questions in a category can be added to a [[Quiz module|Quiz]] or to a [[Lesson module|lesson activity]] via an export process. The teacher enters the question bank by creating or editing a quiz activity or via ''Settings > Course administration > Question bank''.

==Select a category==
Questions are organised into categories. Initially each course has only one category called "Default". It is good practice to create more categories to organize your questions. This not only makes it easier to find questions, but makes the use of random questions and matching question easier. You can create a hierarchy of categories because you can create subcategories inside parent categories. To add or edit categories click on the "[[Question categories|Categories]]" tab.

The question editing screen shows the questions from the currently selected category. You choose this category from the '''Category:''' drop-down menu. Using the tick box below that menu you determine whether to also show the questions from all subcategories.

===Categories are shared in contexts===

There are separate question category trees in each different 'context' in which questions are shared. The contexts available to you depend on whether you access the question bank from an activity or from a course and depend on the permissions assigned you for access to questions. See [[Question contexts]] for more information on these contexts.

==Add a new question==
# Click the ''Questions'' tab to access the Question Bank page, if not there already.
# From the '''Category''' drop-down menu, select a category you want to add a question to.
# The page will change to show the questions already in that category
# Select the question type you want to create from the '''Create new question''' drop-down menu.
# Fill in the form for the question type you are creating. Each [[Question types|question type]] has its own form and has its own options.
# Click ''Save Changes'' at the bottom of the form.

==Preview, Edit, Delete, and Move==
The first column in the list of questions contains a number of icons and a selection box.

Clicking on the '''Preview''' icon will open a preview window in which you can test the question. The '''Edit''' icon allows you to edit the question via the same form that you used to create it. The '''Delete''' icon deletes the question, provided it is not already in use in some activity. The selection box allows you to select a subset of questions that you can then move to another category using the controls below the list of questions. The '''move''' icon allows you to move one question at a time.

==Tips and tricks==
*Put the answer into the question name so you can quickly see the answers when students are asking for answers. This is especially useful if you're dealing with large sets of questions! (No option yet for viewing category or answer of question in the list of questions.)
*Export questions in GIFT or Moodle XML formats, then import them into a Lesson. (Future versions of Moodle will make Question bank available to both Lesson and Quiz activities.)
*Remember that while some of the same question types can be found in both the Quiz and Lesson modules, they can be very different. Scoring and grading each student's choice is more robust in a Quiz. On the other hand, each Lesson question answer also has a [[Jumps|jump]] associated it.
*Use GIFT or other export modes to print questions and answers in a category. Hint, clever use of word processor macros, using search and replace, can tidy up a GIFT file for printing.
*The question title is useful in sorting and making notes. For example, "ZZ remove 2010-3 Why did the Moodler cross", will put this question at the bottom of the list. Or where you want a 'the' questions in a category to appear in a specific order, use letters or numbers, knowing that AA will come first, AB will be second in the list.
*Do a copy and paste from a PDF file into the question content area. Reduces "other" hidden code which Word, Open Office and other programs can insert.

==Sharing and Managing Question banks==

Be default, teachers can manage only the questions in the context of the courses they are in. You can set up a role to allow teachers to share and manager questions on a larger scale.

You can also use this role to create a special system-wide "Question bank Manager" instead of giving admin level or site-wide Manager access to a person managing the Questions.

See:

*[[How to let teachers share questions between courses]]

[[de:Fragensammlung]]
[[es:Banco de Preguntas]]
[[eu:Galdera-bankua]]
[[fr:Questions]]
[[ja:問題バンク]]

Question bank

2012-08-24T17:49:54Z

Rwthornton:

{{Managing questions}}
This feature allows a teacher to create, preview, and edit questions in a database of question categories. The categories can be limited to being used on the site, course or quiz level. The questions in a category can be added to a [[Quiz module|Quiz]] or to a [[Lesson module|lesson activity]] via an export process. The teacher enters the question bank by creating or editing a quiz activity or via ''Settings > Course administration > Question bank''.

==Select a category==
Questions are organised into categories. Initially each course has only one category called "Default". It is good practice to create more categories to organize your questions. This not only makes it easier to find questions, but makes the use of random questions and matching question easier. You can create a hierarchy of categories because you can create subcategories inside parent categories. To add or edit categories click on the "[[Question categories|Categories]]" tab.

The question editing screen shows the questions from the currently selected category. You choose this category from the '''Category:''' drop-down menu. Using the tick box below that menu you determine whether to also show the questions from all subcategories.

===Categories are shared in contexts===

There are separate question category trees in each different 'context' in which questions are shared. The contexts available to you depend on whether you access the question bank from an activity or from a course and depend on the permissions assigned you for access to questions. See [[Question contexts]] for more information on these contexts.

==Add a new question==
# Click the ''Questions'' tab to access the Question Bank page, if not there already.
# From the '''Category''' drop-down menu, select a category you want to add a question to.
# The page will change to show the questions already in that category
# Select the question type you want to create from the '''Create new question''' drop-down menu.
# Fill in the form for the question type you are creating. Each [[Question types|question type]] has its own form and has its own options.
# Click ''Save Changes'' at the bottom of the form.

==Preview, Edit, Delete, and Move==
The first column in the list of questions contains a number of icons and a selection box.

Clicking on the '''Preview''' icon will open a preview window in which you can test the question. The '''Edit''' icon allows you to edit the question via the same form that you used to create it. The '''Delete''' icon deletes the question, provided it is not already in use in some activity. The selection box allows you to select a subset of questions that you can then move to another category using the controls below the list of questions. The '''move''' icon allows you to move one question at a time.

==Tips and tricks==
*Put the answer into the question name so you can quickly see the answers when students are asking for answers. This is especially useful if you're dealing with large sets of questions! (No option yet for viewing category or answer of question in the list of questions.)
*Export questions in GIFT or Moodle XML formats, then import them into a Lesson. (Future versions of Moodle will make Question bank available to both Lesson and Quiz activities.)
*Remember that while some of the same question types can be found in both the Quiz and Lesson modules, they can be very different. Scoring and grading each student's choice is more robust in a Quiz. On the other hand, each Lesson question answer also has a [[Jumps|jump]] associated it.
*Use GIFT or other export modes to print questions and answers in a category. Hint, clever use of word processor macros, using search and replace, can tidy up a GIFT file for printing.
*The question title is useful in sorting and making notes. For example, "ZZ remove 2010-3 Why did the Moodler cross", will put this question at the bottom of the list. Or where you want a 'the' questions in a category to appear in a specific order, use letters or numbers, knowing that AA will come first, AB will be second in the list.
*Do a copy and paste from a PDF file into the question content area. Reduces "other" hidden code which Word, Open Office and other programs can insert.

==See also==

Be default, teachers can manage only the questions in the context of the courses they are in. You can set up a role to allow teachers to share and manager questions on a larger scale.

You can also use this role to create a special system-wide "Question bank Manager" instead of giving admin level or site-wide Manager access to a person managing the Questions.

See:

*[[How to let teachers share questions between courses]]

[[de:Fragensammlung]]
[[es:Banco de Preguntas]]
[[eu:Galdera-bankua]]
[[fr:Questions]]
[[ja:問題バンク]]

Usuari:Randy Thornton

2012-08-02T20:56:06Z

Rwthornton: Created page with "I am an independent Moodle consultant in the U.S., working in Moodle since 2006 (version 1.6). I consult on Moodle set up, configuration, administration, integrations, and cour..."

I am an independent Moodle consultant in the U.S., working in Moodle since 2006 (version 1.6).

I consult on Moodle set up, configuration, administration, integrations, and course design and delivery, knowledge transfer and documentation, mostly in higher edu, non-profits and small companies.

I am a former Moodlerooms employee, where I worked as a configuration consultant, and also was a Moodle administrator at a University for four years. I also have experience in Blackboard and Sakai administration and support, and college teaching experience.

Messaging settings

2012-07-27T22:38:47Z

Rwthornton: /* List of message outputs */

{{Messaging}}
==Enabling / disabling instant messaging sitewide==

The instant messaging system in Moodle is enabled by default. It may be disabled by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Advanced features > Enable messaging system''.

==Site administration settings==

=== Manage Message outputs===

There are three default types of output methods for messaging: popup notices, Jabber IM type messages, and messages sent as email.

Each of these can be enabled or disabled independently by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Message outputs > Manage message outputs''.

By default Popup and Email are both enabled, though email will only work of course if the site has been properly configured to deliver email. Jabber is off by default and needs to be configured first.

[[File:moodle23-manage-message-outputs.png]]

===Default message outputs===

The user defaults for these are set in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Message outputs > Default message outputs''.

====Permittedness====

You can also set to what degree each type of message is enabled, and whether users are able to change these default settings in their profiles:

* ''Disallowed'' - the message of chosen type will never be delivered through the chosen output, user is not allowed to change the personal preference for this combination of message type and output.
* ''Permitted'' - the message of chosen type is allowed to be delivered through the chosen output, default preferences can be set by administrator using the checkboxes below, user can control this preference on the messaging preferences page (and change the suggested defaults the most preferable way).
* ''Forced'' - the message of chosen type will be delivered through the chosen output, user is not allowed to change the personal preference for this combination of message type and output.

====Online/Not online====

You can set whether each of these will be sent when the user is online through the messaging system interface available to users in their profiles, and/or whether each output is sent via email.

==== List of message outputs====

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Output Name !! Description !! Recipients
|-
| Assignment (2.2) notifications || Student has submitted an assignment (in older 2.2 Assignment module) || Teacher
|-
| Assignment notifications || Student has submitted an assignment (in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Assignment_FAQ 2.3+ version] of Assignment module)|| Teacher
|-
| Warning when your quiz attempt becomes overdue || ||
|-
| Available update notifications || New in 2.3 - See [https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Available_update_notifications dev page] || Site admins
|-
| Backup notifications || Automated backup schedule run completed || Site admins
|-
| Confirmation of your own quiz submissions || Notice your quiz was successfully submitted || Student
|-
| Course creation request approval notification || Notice a requested course has been approved || Defined in ''Site admin > Courses > Course request > Course request notification''
|-
| Course creation request notification || Notice a course has been requested - See [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Course_request#Course_requests course requests] || Defined in ''Site admin > Courses > Course request > Course request notification''
|-
| Course creation request rejection notification || Notice a requested course has been rejected || Defined in ''Site admin > Courses > Course request > Course request notification''
|-
| Important errors with the site || || Site admins
|-
| Essay graded notification || Notify students a teacher has graded an essay question || Student
|-
| Personal messages between users || Using the Messaging interface in a user's Profile || Authenticated Users
|-
| Feedback reminder || ||
|-
| Notices about minor problems || || Site admins
|-
| Subscribed forum posts || Master switch for forum subscription handling || Anyone subscribed to a forum
|-
| Feedback notifications || ||
|-
| Notification of quiz submissions || Message that student has submitted a quiz || Teacher
|}

Except for '''Personal messages between users''' which refers to the interaction messaging tool on a user profile, the other messages are generated by events in Moodle.

Screenshot of all settings and their default settings:

[[File:m32-messageoutputs-defaults.png|center|thumb]]

=== Jabber message===

Jabber must be configured before use.

''(Could someone with working settings fill this out with example?)''

*Host - The server to connect to to send jabber message notifications - full hostname (e.g. jabber.org)
*Server - XMPP host ID (can be left empty if the same as Jabber host)
*Username - The user name to use when connecting to the Jabber server
*Password - The password to use when connecting to the Jabber server
*Port - defaults to 5222

===Email settings===

====SMTP hosts====

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. The SMTP host is an email relay that will take the email from Moodle and send it to users. You will need to set this only if your server does not allow mail relay. Otherwise, PHP will send out the mail using its built-in mail server. All the email sent by forums and other modules will be sent through this host.

Most SMTP hosts make use of the default port 25 to for listening email traffic. However, occasionally a non-default port is used. In such cases, entering an SMTP host followed by a colon (i.e. :) and the port number should work. For example, if my SMTP host is myemailserver.com and it listens on port 587 or 465 (most common) instead of port 25 I would enter the SMTP host as myemailserver.com:587. Currently, the parameter check is too strict to allow this via the Moodle UI; however, MDL-15923 has been created and resolved to address this. Until then, it can be set via phpMyAdmin using a query statement like:
<code mysql> UPDATE mdl_config SET value='myemailserver.com:587' WHERE name='smtphosts';</code>

====SMTP security====

{{New features}}If the SMTP server requires a secure connection, the correct protocol type, SSL or TSL, may be set.

====Configure HTTPD/SELinux on CentOS/Red Hat (RHEL) 6.2/6.1/6====

Most new installations of Centos/Red Hat have SELinux activated and is configured by default, rather strictly. In this state SELinux does not allow Apache (httpd,phpmailer) to use the sendmail function and make any sort of network connection.

If you continue to have problems with sending/authenticating use the '''getsebool''' command to find out if SELinux is one of the culprits. When the '''getsebool''' command is issued it returns ''on'' or ''off''.

Type to check if your Apache is allowed to send mail and make a connection over the network
*''getsebool httpd_can_sendmail''
*''getsebool httpd_can_network_connect''

You will receive the values of ''httpd_can_sendmail'' and ''httpd_can_network_connect''. Let's assume both options are off:
*''httpd_can_sendmail -->off''
*''httpd_can_network_connect -->off''

We need to change the values from ''off'' to ''on'' by using '''setsebool'''. Number 1 = on and 0 = off. Type the following:
*''setsebool -P httpd_can_sendmail 1''
*''setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect 1''

You will not receive a response. You can double check if the '''setsebool''' command worked by using '''getsebool''' and see if the values changed from ''-->off'' to ''-->on''.

==Messaging capabilities==

The following capabilities can be applied as permissions to make custom changes to roles affecting messaging.

* [[Capabilities/moodle/course:bulkmessaging|course:bulkmessaging - Send a message to many people]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/site:readallmessages|site:readallmessages - Read all messages on site]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/site:sendmessage|site:sendmessage - Send messages to any user]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/user:editownmessageprofile|user:editownmessageprofile - Edit own user messaging profile]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/user:editmessageprofile|user:editmessageprofile - Edit user messaging profile]]

=User profile settings=

Users can receive message alerts for a number of different reasons and can also send and receive instant messages. How a user receives notification of incoming messages can be set in ''Settings > My profile > Messaging''.

This brings up a screen with check boxes where users can choose how they wish to be notified both when logged in and logged out. They can choose between a pop up,Jabber message or an email.

[[File:Messagingnotifications.png]]

'''Note:''' The choices a user has on this screen depends on their role and permissions within Moodle. For example, an administrator would see options for notifications about backups or important errors with the site.

{{New features}}An administrator can receive update notifications for both Moodle core code and any contributed plugins installed on the site if the automatic check for available updates is enabled in ''Settings > Site Administration > Server > [[Notifications|Update notifications]]''.

===Pop up===
When a user is logged into Moodle, the message will pop up from the bottom right corner of the page. The user can choose to read the message immediately or to ignore it. If they choose to ignore it, the message returns until it is read.

===Jabber===
If the Jabber server has been configured, Jabber messages can be sent.The Jabber ID can be set at the bottom of the screen.

===Email===
{{New features}}Users cannot by default automatically choose to have notifications sent to a different email address from their official Moodle email. However, the administrator has the option to override this so that users can have an alternative email. This is done from ''Settings>Site administration>Advanced features'' and when activated, a box will appear for users to enter another email address.

===Prevent non-contacts from messaging me===
Non-contacts can be prevented from sending messages by ticking this box in General Settings at the bottom of the screen.

=See also=

*[[:dev:Messaging 2.0|Messaging developer documentation]]

[[de:Mitteilungen konfigurieren]]

Messaging settings

2012-07-27T22:36:28Z

Rwthornton: /* List of message outputs */

{{Messaging}}
==Enabling / disabling instant messaging sitewide==

The instant messaging system in Moodle is enabled by default. It may be disabled by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Advanced features > Enable messaging system''.

==Site administration settings==

=== Manage Message outputs===

There are three default types of output methods for messaging: popup notices, Jabber IM type messages, and messages sent as email.

Each of these can be enabled or disabled independently by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Message outputs > Manage message outputs''.

By default Popup and Email are both enabled, though email will only work of course if the site has been properly configured to deliver email. Jabber is off by default and needs to be configured first.

[[File:moodle23-manage-message-outputs.png]]

===Default message outputs===

The user defaults for these are set in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Message outputs > Default message outputs''.

====Permittedness====

You can also set to what degree each type of message is enabled, and whether users are able to change these default settings in their profiles:

* ''Disallowed'' - the message of chosen type will never be delivered through the chosen output, user is not allowed to change the personal preference for this combination of message type and output.
* ''Permitted'' - the message of chosen type is allowed to be delivered through the chosen output, default preferences can be set by administrator using the checkboxes below, user can control this preference on the messaging preferences page (and change the suggested defaults the most preferable way).
* ''Forced'' - the message of chosen type will be delivered through the chosen output, user is not allowed to change the personal preference for this combination of message type and output.

====Online/Not online====

You can set whether each of these will be sent when the user is online through the messaging system interface available to users in their profiles, and/or whether each output is sent via email.

==== List of message outputs====

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Output Name !! Description !! Recipients
|-
| Assignment (2.2) notifications || Student has submitted an assignment (in older 2.2 Assignment module) || Teacher
|-
| Assignment notifications || Student has submitted an assignment (in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Assignment_FAQ 2.3+ version] of Assignment module)|| Teacher
|-
| Warning when your quiz attempt becomes overdue || ||
|-
| Available update notifications || New in 2.3 - See [https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Available_update_notifications dev page] || Site admins
|-
| Backup notifications || Automated backup schedule run completed || Site admins
|-
| Confirmation of your own quiz submissions || Notice your quiz was successfully submitted || Student
|-
| Course creation request approval notification || Notice a requested course has been approved || Defined in ''Site admin > Courses > Course request > Course request notification''
|-
| Course creation request notification || See [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Course_request#Course_requests on course request] setup || Defined in ''Site admin > Courses > Course request > Course request notification''
|-
| Course creation request rejection notification || Notice a requested course has been rejected || Defined in ''Site admin > Courses > Course request > Course request notification''
|-
| Important errors with the site || || Site admins
|-
| Essay graded notification || Notify students a teacher has graded an essay question || Student
|-
| Personal messages between users || Using the Messaging interface in a user's Profile || Authenticated Users
|-
| Feedback reminder || ||
|-
| Notices about minor problems || || Site admins
|-
| Subscribed forum posts || Master switch for forum subscription handling || Anyone subscribed to a forum
|-
| Feedback notifications || ||
|-
| Notification of quiz submissions || Message that student has submitted a quiz || Teacher
|}

Except for '''Personal messages between users''' which refers to the interaction messaging tool on a user profile, the other messages are generated by events in Moodle.

Screenshot of all settings and their default settings:

[[File:m32-messageoutputs-defaults.png|center|thumb]]

=== Jabber message===

Jabber must be configured before use.

''(Could someone with working settings fill this out with example?)''

*Host - The server to connect to to send jabber message notifications - full hostname (e.g. jabber.org)
*Server - XMPP host ID (can be left empty if the same as Jabber host)
*Username - The user name to use when connecting to the Jabber server
*Password - The password to use when connecting to the Jabber server
*Port - defaults to 5222

===Email settings===

====SMTP hosts====

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. The SMTP host is an email relay that will take the email from Moodle and send it to users. You will need to set this only if your server does not allow mail relay. Otherwise, PHP will send out the mail using its built-in mail server. All the email sent by forums and other modules will be sent through this host.

Most SMTP hosts make use of the default port 25 to for listening email traffic. However, occasionally a non-default port is used. In such cases, entering an SMTP host followed by a colon (i.e. :) and the port number should work. For example, if my SMTP host is myemailserver.com and it listens on port 587 or 465 (most common) instead of port 25 I would enter the SMTP host as myemailserver.com:587. Currently, the parameter check is too strict to allow this via the Moodle UI; however, MDL-15923 has been created and resolved to address this. Until then, it can be set via phpMyAdmin using a query statement like:
<code mysql> UPDATE mdl_config SET value='myemailserver.com:587' WHERE name='smtphosts';</code>

====SMTP security====

{{New features}}If the SMTP server requires a secure connection, the correct protocol type, SSL or TSL, may be set.

====Configure HTTPD/SELinux on CentOS/Red Hat (RHEL) 6.2/6.1/6====

Most new installations of Centos/Red Hat have SELinux activated and is configured by default, rather strictly. In this state SELinux does not allow Apache (httpd,phpmailer) to use the sendmail function and make any sort of network connection.

If you continue to have problems with sending/authenticating use the '''getsebool''' command to find out if SELinux is one of the culprits. When the '''getsebool''' command is issued it returns ''on'' or ''off''.

Type to check if your Apache is allowed to send mail and make a connection over the network
*''getsebool httpd_can_sendmail''
*''getsebool httpd_can_network_connect''

You will receive the values of ''httpd_can_sendmail'' and ''httpd_can_network_connect''. Let's assume both options are off:
*''httpd_can_sendmail -->off''
*''httpd_can_network_connect -->off''

We need to change the values from ''off'' to ''on'' by using '''setsebool'''. Number 1 = on and 0 = off. Type the following:
*''setsebool -P httpd_can_sendmail 1''
*''setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect 1''

You will not receive a response. You can double check if the '''setsebool''' command worked by using '''getsebool''' and see if the values changed from ''-->off'' to ''-->on''.

==Messaging capabilities==

The following capabilities can be applied as permissions to make custom changes to roles affecting messaging.

* [[Capabilities/moodle/course:bulkmessaging|course:bulkmessaging - Send a message to many people]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/site:readallmessages|site:readallmessages - Read all messages on site]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/site:sendmessage|site:sendmessage - Send messages to any user]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/user:editownmessageprofile|user:editownmessageprofile - Edit own user messaging profile]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/user:editmessageprofile|user:editmessageprofile - Edit user messaging profile]]

=User profile settings=

Users can receive message alerts for a number of different reasons and can also send and receive instant messages. How a user receives notification of incoming messages can be set in ''Settings > My profile > Messaging''.

This brings up a screen with check boxes where users can choose how they wish to be notified both when logged in and logged out. They can choose between a pop up,Jabber message or an email.

[[File:Messagingnotifications.png]]

'''Note:''' The choices a user has on this screen depends on their role and permissions within Moodle. For example, an administrator would see options for notifications about backups or important errors with the site.

{{New features}}An administrator can receive update notifications for both Moodle core code and any contributed plugins installed on the site if the automatic check for available updates is enabled in ''Settings > Site Administration > Server > [[Notifications|Update notifications]]''.

===Pop up===
When a user is logged into Moodle, the message will pop up from the bottom right corner of the page. The user can choose to read the message immediately or to ignore it. If they choose to ignore it, the message returns until it is read.

===Jabber===
If the Jabber server has been configured, Jabber messages can be sent.The Jabber ID can be set at the bottom of the screen.

===Email===
{{New features}}Users cannot by default automatically choose to have notifications sent to a different email address from their official Moodle email. However, the administrator has the option to override this so that users can have an alternative email. This is done from ''Settings>Site administration>Advanced features'' and when activated, a box will appear for users to enter another email address.

===Prevent non-contacts from messaging me===
Non-contacts can be prevented from sending messages by ticking this box in General Settings at the bottom of the screen.

=See also=

*[[:dev:Messaging 2.0|Messaging developer documentation]]

[[de:Mitteilungen konfigurieren]]

Messaging settings

2012-07-27T22:29:40Z

Rwthornton: /* List of message outputs */

{{Messaging}}
==Enabling / disabling instant messaging sitewide==

The instant messaging system in Moodle is enabled by default. It may be disabled by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Advanced features > Enable messaging system''.

==Site administration settings==

=== Manage Message outputs===

There are three default types of output methods for messaging: popup notices, Jabber IM type messages, and messages sent as email.

Each of these can be enabled or disabled independently by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Message outputs > Manage message outputs''.

By default Popup and Email are both enabled, though email will only work of course if the site has been properly configured to deliver email. Jabber is off by default and needs to be configured first.

[[File:moodle23-manage-message-outputs.png]]

===Default message outputs===

The user defaults for these are set in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Message outputs > Default message outputs''.

====Permittedness====

You can also set to what degree each type of message is enabled, and whether users are able to change these default settings in their profiles:

* ''Disallowed'' - the message of chosen type will never be delivered through the chosen output, user is not allowed to change the personal preference for this combination of message type and output.
* ''Permitted'' - the message of chosen type is allowed to be delivered through the chosen output, default preferences can be set by administrator using the checkboxes below, user can control this preference on the messaging preferences page (and change the suggested defaults the most preferable way).
* ''Forced'' - the message of chosen type will be delivered through the chosen output, user is not allowed to change the personal preference for this combination of message type and output.

====Online/Not online====

You can set whether each of these will be sent when the user is online through the messaging system interface available to users in their profiles, and/or whether each output is sent via email.

==== List of message outputs====

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Output Name !! Description !! Recipients
|-
| Assignment (2.2) notifications || Student has submitted an assignment (in older 2.2 Assignment module) || Teacher
|-
| Assignment notifications || Student has submitted an assignment (in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Assignment_FAQ 2.3+ version] of Assignment module)|| Teacher
|-
| Warning when your quiz attempt becomes overdue || ||
|-
| Available update notifications || New in 2.3 - See [https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Available_update_notifications dev page] || Site admins
|-
| Backup notifications || Automated backup schedule run completed || Site admins
|-
| Confirmation of your own quiz submissions || Notice your quiz was successfully submitted || Student
|-
| Course creation request approval notification || See [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Course_request#Course_requests] ||
|-
| Course creation request notification || If enabled, to whom course requests go || Those defined in ''Site admin > Courses > Course request > Course request notification'' (??)
|-
| Course creation request rejection notification || Notice a requested course has been rejected ||
|-
| Important errors with the site || || Site admins
|-
| Essay graded notification || Notify students a teacher has graded an essay question || Student
|-
| Personal messages between users || Using the Messaging interface in a user's Profile || Authenticated Users
|-
| Feedback reminder || ||
|-
| Notices about minor problems || || Site admins
|-
| Subscribed forum posts || Master switch for forum subscription handling || Anyone subscribed to a forum
|-
| Feedback notifications || ||
|-
| Notification of quiz submissions || Message that student has submitted a quiz || Teacher
|}

Except for '''Personal messages between users''' which refers to the interaction messaging tool on a user profile, the other messages are generated by events in Moodle.

Screenshot of all settings and their default settings:

[[File:m32-messageoutputs-defaults.png|center|thumb]]

=== Jabber message===

Jabber must be configured before use.

''(Could someone with working settings fill this out with example?)''

*Host - The server to connect to to send jabber message notifications - full hostname (e.g. jabber.org)
*Server - XMPP host ID (can be left empty if the same as Jabber host)
*Username - The user name to use when connecting to the Jabber server
*Password - The password to use when connecting to the Jabber server
*Port - defaults to 5222

===Email settings===

====SMTP hosts====

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. The SMTP host is an email relay that will take the email from Moodle and send it to users. You will need to set this only if your server does not allow mail relay. Otherwise, PHP will send out the mail using its built-in mail server. All the email sent by forums and other modules will be sent through this host.

Most SMTP hosts make use of the default port 25 to for listening email traffic. However, occasionally a non-default port is used. In such cases, entering an SMTP host followed by a colon (i.e. :) and the port number should work. For example, if my SMTP host is myemailserver.com and it listens on port 587 or 465 (most common) instead of port 25 I would enter the SMTP host as myemailserver.com:587. Currently, the parameter check is too strict to allow this via the Moodle UI; however, MDL-15923 has been created and resolved to address this. Until then, it can be set via phpMyAdmin using a query statement like:
<code mysql> UPDATE mdl_config SET value='myemailserver.com:587' WHERE name='smtphosts';</code>

====SMTP security====

{{New features}}If the SMTP server requires a secure connection, the correct protocol type, SSL or TSL, may be set.

====Configure HTTPD/SELinux on CentOS/Red Hat (RHEL) 6.2/6.1/6====

Most new installations of Centos/Red Hat have SELinux activated and is configured by default, rather strictly. In this state SELinux does not allow Apache (httpd,phpmailer) to use the sendmail function and make any sort of network connection.

If you continue to have problems with sending/authenticating use the '''getsebool''' command to find out if SELinux is one of the culprits. When the '''getsebool''' command is issued it returns ''on'' or ''off''.

Type to check if your Apache is allowed to send mail and make a connection over the network
*''getsebool httpd_can_sendmail''
*''getsebool httpd_can_network_connect''

You will receive the values of ''httpd_can_sendmail'' and ''httpd_can_network_connect''. Let's assume both options are off:
*''httpd_can_sendmail -->off''
*''httpd_can_network_connect -->off''

We need to change the values from ''off'' to ''on'' by using '''setsebool'''. Number 1 = on and 0 = off. Type the following:
*''setsebool -P httpd_can_sendmail 1''
*''setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect 1''

You will not receive a response. You can double check if the '''setsebool''' command worked by using '''getsebool''' and see if the values changed from ''-->off'' to ''-->on''.

==Messaging capabilities==

The following capabilities can be applied as permissions to make custom changes to roles affecting messaging.

* [[Capabilities/moodle/course:bulkmessaging|course:bulkmessaging - Send a message to many people]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/site:readallmessages|site:readallmessages - Read all messages on site]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/site:sendmessage|site:sendmessage - Send messages to any user]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/user:editownmessageprofile|user:editownmessageprofile - Edit own user messaging profile]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/user:editmessageprofile|user:editmessageprofile - Edit user messaging profile]]

=User profile settings=

Users can receive message alerts for a number of different reasons and can also send and receive instant messages. How a user receives notification of incoming messages can be set in ''Settings > My profile > Messaging''.

This brings up a screen with check boxes where users can choose how they wish to be notified both when logged in and logged out. They can choose between a pop up,Jabber message or an email.

[[File:Messagingnotifications.png]]

'''Note:''' The choices a user has on this screen depends on their role and permissions within Moodle. For example, an administrator would see options for notifications about backups or important errors with the site.

{{New features}}An administrator can receive update notifications for both Moodle core code and any contributed plugins installed on the site if the automatic check for available updates is enabled in ''Settings > Site Administration > Server > [[Notifications|Update notifications]]''.

===Pop up===
When a user is logged into Moodle, the message will pop up from the bottom right corner of the page. The user can choose to read the message immediately or to ignore it. If they choose to ignore it, the message returns until it is read.

===Jabber===
If the Jabber server has been configured, Jabber messages can be sent.The Jabber ID can be set at the bottom of the screen.

===Email===
{{New features}}Users cannot by default automatically choose to have notifications sent to a different email address from their official Moodle email. However, the administrator has the option to override this so that users can have an alternative email. This is done from ''Settings>Site administration>Advanced features'' and when activated, a box will appear for users to enter another email address.

===Prevent non-contacts from messaging me===
Non-contacts can be prevented from sending messages by ticking this box in General Settings at the bottom of the screen.

=See also=

*[[:dev:Messaging 2.0|Messaging developer documentation]]

[[de:Mitteilungen konfigurieren]]

Messaging settings

2012-07-27T22:28:11Z

Rwthornton: /* List of message outputs */

{{Messaging}}
==Enabling / disabling instant messaging sitewide==

The instant messaging system in Moodle is enabled by default. It may be disabled by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Advanced features > Enable messaging system''.

==Site administration settings==

=== Manage Message outputs===

There are three default types of output methods for messaging: popup notices, Jabber IM type messages, and messages sent as email.

Each of these can be enabled or disabled independently by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Message outputs > Manage message outputs''.

By default Popup and Email are both enabled, though email will only work of course if the site has been properly configured to deliver email. Jabber is off by default and needs to be configured first.

[[File:moodle23-manage-message-outputs.png]]

===Default message outputs===

The user defaults for these are set in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Message outputs > Default message outputs''.

====Permittedness====

You can also set to what degree each type of message is enabled, and whether users are able to change these default settings in their profiles:

* ''Disallowed'' - the message of chosen type will never be delivered through the chosen output, user is not allowed to change the personal preference for this combination of message type and output.
* ''Permitted'' - the message of chosen type is allowed to be delivered through the chosen output, default preferences can be set by administrator using the checkboxes below, user can control this preference on the messaging preferences page (and change the suggested defaults the most preferable way).
* ''Forced'' - the message of chosen type will be delivered through the chosen output, user is not allowed to change the personal preference for this combination of message type and output.

====Online/Not online====

You can set whether each of these will be sent when the user is online through the messaging system interface available to users in their profiles, and/or whether each output is sent via email.

==== List of message outputs====

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Output Name !! Description !! Recipients
|-
| Assignment (2.2) notifications || Student has submitted an assignment (in older 2.2 Assignment module) || Teacher
|-
| Assignment notifications || Student has submitted an assignment (in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Assignment_FAQ 2.3+ version] of Assignment module)|| Teacher
|-
| Warning when your quiz attempt becomes overdue || ||
|-
| Available update notifications || New in 2.3 - See [https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Available_update_notifications dev page] || Site admins
|-
| Backup notifications || Automated backup scheduled run || Site admins
|-
| Confirmation of your own quiz submissions || Notice your quiz was successfully submitted || Student
|-
| Course creation request approval notification || See [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Course_request#Course_requests] ||
|-
| Course creation request notification || If enabled, to whom course requests go || Those defined in ''Site admin > Courses > Course request > Course request notification'' (??)
|-
| Course creation request rejection notification || Notice a requested course has been rejected ||
|-
| Important errors with the site || || Site admins
|-
| Essay graded notification || Notify students a teacher has graded an essay question || Student
|-
| Personal messages between users || Using the Messaging interface in a user's Profile || Authenticated Users
|-
| Feedback reminder || ||
|-
| Notices about minor problems || || Site admins
|-
| Subscribed forum posts || Master switch for forum subscription handling || Anyone subscribed to a forum
|-
| Feedback notifications || ||
|-
| Notification of quiz submissions || Message that student has submitted a quiz || Teacher
|}

Except for '''Personal messages between users''' which refers to the interaction messaging tool on a user profile, the other messages are generated by events in Moodle.

Screenshot of all settings and their default settings:

[[File:m32-messageoutputs-defaults.png|center|thumb]]

=== Jabber message===

Jabber must be configured before use.

''(Could someone with working settings fill this out with example?)''

*Host - The server to connect to to send jabber message notifications - full hostname (e.g. jabber.org)
*Server - XMPP host ID (can be left empty if the same as Jabber host)
*Username - The user name to use when connecting to the Jabber server
*Password - The password to use when connecting to the Jabber server
*Port - defaults to 5222

===Email settings===

====SMTP hosts====

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. The SMTP host is an email relay that will take the email from Moodle and send it to users. You will need to set this only if your server does not allow mail relay. Otherwise, PHP will send out the mail using its built-in mail server. All the email sent by forums and other modules will be sent through this host.

Most SMTP hosts make use of the default port 25 to for listening email traffic. However, occasionally a non-default port is used. In such cases, entering an SMTP host followed by a colon (i.e. :) and the port number should work. For example, if my SMTP host is myemailserver.com and it listens on port 587 or 465 (most common) instead of port 25 I would enter the SMTP host as myemailserver.com:587. Currently, the parameter check is too strict to allow this via the Moodle UI; however, MDL-15923 has been created and resolved to address this. Until then, it can be set via phpMyAdmin using a query statement like:
<code mysql> UPDATE mdl_config SET value='myemailserver.com:587' WHERE name='smtphosts';</code>

====SMTP security====

{{New features}}If the SMTP server requires a secure connection, the correct protocol type, SSL or TSL, may be set.

====Configure HTTPD/SELinux on CentOS/Red Hat (RHEL) 6.2/6.1/6====

Most new installations of Centos/Red Hat have SELinux activated and is configured by default, rather strictly. In this state SELinux does not allow Apache (httpd,phpmailer) to use the sendmail function and make any sort of network connection.

If you continue to have problems with sending/authenticating use the '''getsebool''' command to find out if SELinux is one of the culprits. When the '''getsebool''' command is issued it returns ''on'' or ''off''.

Type to check if your Apache is allowed to send mail and make a connection over the network
*''getsebool httpd_can_sendmail''
*''getsebool httpd_can_network_connect''

You will receive the values of ''httpd_can_sendmail'' and ''httpd_can_network_connect''. Let's assume both options are off:
*''httpd_can_sendmail -->off''
*''httpd_can_network_connect -->off''

We need to change the values from ''off'' to ''on'' by using '''setsebool'''. Number 1 = on and 0 = off. Type the following:
*''setsebool -P httpd_can_sendmail 1''
*''setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect 1''

You will not receive a response. You can double check if the '''setsebool''' command worked by using '''getsebool''' and see if the values changed from ''-->off'' to ''-->on''.

==Messaging capabilities==

The following capabilities can be applied as permissions to make custom changes to roles affecting messaging.

* [[Capabilities/moodle/course:bulkmessaging|course:bulkmessaging - Send a message to many people]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/site:readallmessages|site:readallmessages - Read all messages on site]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/site:sendmessage|site:sendmessage - Send messages to any user]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/user:editownmessageprofile|user:editownmessageprofile - Edit own user messaging profile]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/user:editmessageprofile|user:editmessageprofile - Edit user messaging profile]]

=User profile settings=

Users can receive message alerts for a number of different reasons and can also send and receive instant messages. How a user receives notification of incoming messages can be set in ''Settings > My profile > Messaging''.

This brings up a screen with check boxes where users can choose how they wish to be notified both when logged in and logged out. They can choose between a pop up,Jabber message or an email.

[[File:Messagingnotifications.png]]

'''Note:''' The choices a user has on this screen depends on their role and permissions within Moodle. For example, an administrator would see options for notifications about backups or important errors with the site.

{{New features}}An administrator can receive update notifications for both Moodle core code and any contributed plugins installed on the site if the automatic check for available updates is enabled in ''Settings > Site Administration > Server > [[Notifications|Update notifications]]''.

===Pop up===
When a user is logged into Moodle, the message will pop up from the bottom right corner of the page. The user can choose to read the message immediately or to ignore it. If they choose to ignore it, the message returns until it is read.

===Jabber===
If the Jabber server has been configured, Jabber messages can be sent.The Jabber ID can be set at the bottom of the screen.

===Email===
{{New features}}Users cannot by default automatically choose to have notifications sent to a different email address from their official Moodle email. However, the administrator has the option to override this so that users can have an alternative email. This is done from ''Settings>Site administration>Advanced features'' and when activated, a box will appear for users to enter another email address.

===Prevent non-contacts from messaging me===
Non-contacts can be prevented from sending messages by ticking this box in General Settings at the bottom of the screen.

=See also=

*[[:dev:Messaging 2.0|Messaging developer documentation]]

[[de:Mitteilungen konfigurieren]]

Messaging settings

2012-07-27T22:27:40Z

Rwthornton: /* List of message outputs */

{{Messaging}}
==Enabling / disabling instant messaging sitewide==

The instant messaging system in Moodle is enabled by default. It may be disabled by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Advanced features > Enable messaging system''.

==Site administration settings==

=== Manage Message outputs===

There are three default types of output methods for messaging: popup notices, Jabber IM type messages, and messages sent as email.

Each of these can be enabled or disabled independently by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Message outputs > Manage message outputs''.

By default Popup and Email are both enabled, though email will only work of course if the site has been properly configured to deliver email. Jabber is off by default and needs to be configured first.

[[File:moodle23-manage-message-outputs.png]]

===Default message outputs===

The user defaults for these are set in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Message outputs > Default message outputs''.

====Permittedness====

You can also set to what degree each type of message is enabled, and whether users are able to change these default settings in their profiles:

* ''Disallowed'' - the message of chosen type will never be delivered through the chosen output, user is not allowed to change the personal preference for this combination of message type and output.
* ''Permitted'' - the message of chosen type is allowed to be delivered through the chosen output, default preferences can be set by administrator using the checkboxes below, user can control this preference on the messaging preferences page (and change the suggested defaults the most preferable way).
* ''Forced'' - the message of chosen type will be delivered through the chosen output, user is not allowed to change the personal preference for this combination of message type and output.

====Online/Not online====

You can set whether each of these will be sent when the user is online through the messaging system interface available to users in their profiles, and/or whether each output is sent via email.

==== List of message outputs====

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Output Name !! Description !! Recipients
|-
| Assignment (2.2) notifications || Student has submitted an assignment (in older 2.2 Assignment module) || Teacher
|-
| Assignment notifications || Student has submitted an assignment (in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Assignment_FAQ 2.3+ version] of Assignment module)|| Teacher
|-
| Warning when your quiz attempt becomes overdue || ||
|-
| Available update notifications || See [https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Available_update_notifications dev page] || Site admins
|-
| Backup notifications || Automated backup scheduled run || Site admins
|-
| Confirmation of your own quiz submissions || Notice your quiz was successfully submitted || Student
|-
| Course creation request approval notification || See [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Course_request#Course_requests] ||
|-
| Course creation request notification || If enabled, to whom course requests go || Those defined in ''Site admin > Courses > Course request > Course request notification'' (??)
|-
| Course creation request rejection notification || Notice a requested course has been rejected ||
|-
| Important errors with the site || || Site admins
|-
| Essay graded notification || Notify students a teacher has graded an essay question || Student
|-
| Personal messages between users || Using the Messaging interface in a user's Profile || Authenticated Users
|-
| Feedback reminder || ||
|-
| Notices about minor problems || || Site admins
|-
| Subscribed forum posts || Master switch for forum subscription handling || Anyone subscribed to a forum
|-
| Feedback notifications || ||
|-
| Notification of quiz submissions || Message that student has submitted a quiz || Teacher
|}

Except for '''Personal messages between users''' which refers to the interaction messaging tool on a user profile, the other messages are generated by events in Moodle.

Screenshot of all settings and their default settings:

[[File:m32-messageoutputs-defaults.png|center|thumb]]

=== Jabber message===

Jabber must be configured before use.

''(Could someone with working settings fill this out with example?)''

*Host - The server to connect to to send jabber message notifications - full hostname (e.g. jabber.org)
*Server - XMPP host ID (can be left empty if the same as Jabber host)
*Username - The user name to use when connecting to the Jabber server
*Password - The password to use when connecting to the Jabber server
*Port - defaults to 5222

===Email settings===

====SMTP hosts====

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. The SMTP host is an email relay that will take the email from Moodle and send it to users. You will need to set this only if your server does not allow mail relay. Otherwise, PHP will send out the mail using its built-in mail server. All the email sent by forums and other modules will be sent through this host.

Most SMTP hosts make use of the default port 25 to for listening email traffic. However, occasionally a non-default port is used. In such cases, entering an SMTP host followed by a colon (i.e. :) and the port number should work. For example, if my SMTP host is myemailserver.com and it listens on port 587 or 465 (most common) instead of port 25 I would enter the SMTP host as myemailserver.com:587. Currently, the parameter check is too strict to allow this via the Moodle UI; however, MDL-15923 has been created and resolved to address this. Until then, it can be set via phpMyAdmin using a query statement like:
<code mysql> UPDATE mdl_config SET value='myemailserver.com:587' WHERE name='smtphosts';</code>

====SMTP security====

{{New features}}If the SMTP server requires a secure connection, the correct protocol type, SSL or TSL, may be set.

====Configure HTTPD/SELinux on CentOS/Red Hat (RHEL) 6.2/6.1/6====

Most new installations of Centos/Red Hat have SELinux activated and is configured by default, rather strictly. In this state SELinux does not allow Apache (httpd,phpmailer) to use the sendmail function and make any sort of network connection.

If you continue to have problems with sending/authenticating use the '''getsebool''' command to find out if SELinux is one of the culprits. When the '''getsebool''' command is issued it returns ''on'' or ''off''.

Type to check if your Apache is allowed to send mail and make a connection over the network
*''getsebool httpd_can_sendmail''
*''getsebool httpd_can_network_connect''

You will receive the values of ''httpd_can_sendmail'' and ''httpd_can_network_connect''. Let's assume both options are off:
*''httpd_can_sendmail -->off''
*''httpd_can_network_connect -->off''

We need to change the values from ''off'' to ''on'' by using '''setsebool'''. Number 1 = on and 0 = off. Type the following:
*''setsebool -P httpd_can_sendmail 1''
*''setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect 1''

You will not receive a response. You can double check if the '''setsebool''' command worked by using '''getsebool''' and see if the values changed from ''-->off'' to ''-->on''.

==Messaging capabilities==

The following capabilities can be applied as permissions to make custom changes to roles affecting messaging.

* [[Capabilities/moodle/course:bulkmessaging|course:bulkmessaging - Send a message to many people]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/site:readallmessages|site:readallmessages - Read all messages on site]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/site:sendmessage|site:sendmessage - Send messages to any user]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/user:editownmessageprofile|user:editownmessageprofile - Edit own user messaging profile]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/user:editmessageprofile|user:editmessageprofile - Edit user messaging profile]]

=User profile settings=

Users can receive message alerts for a number of different reasons and can also send and receive instant messages. How a user receives notification of incoming messages can be set in ''Settings > My profile > Messaging''.

This brings up a screen with check boxes where users can choose how they wish to be notified both when logged in and logged out. They can choose between a pop up,Jabber message or an email.

[[File:Messagingnotifications.png]]

'''Note:''' The choices a user has on this screen depends on their role and permissions within Moodle. For example, an administrator would see options for notifications about backups or important errors with the site.

{{New features}}An administrator can receive update notifications for both Moodle core code and any contributed plugins installed on the site if the automatic check for available updates is enabled in ''Settings > Site Administration > Server > [[Notifications|Update notifications]]''.

===Pop up===
When a user is logged into Moodle, the message will pop up from the bottom right corner of the page. The user can choose to read the message immediately or to ignore it. If they choose to ignore it, the message returns until it is read.

===Jabber===
If the Jabber server has been configured, Jabber messages can be sent.The Jabber ID can be set at the bottom of the screen.

===Email===
{{New features}}Users cannot by default automatically choose to have notifications sent to a different email address from their official Moodle email. However, the administrator has the option to override this so that users can have an alternative email. This is done from ''Settings>Site administration>Advanced features'' and when activated, a box will appear for users to enter another email address.

===Prevent non-contacts from messaging me===
Non-contacts can be prevented from sending messages by ticking this box in General Settings at the bottom of the screen.

=See also=

*[[:dev:Messaging 2.0|Messaging developer documentation]]

[[de:Mitteilungen konfigurieren]]

Messaging settings

2012-07-27T22:22:57Z

Rwthornton: /* List of message outputs */

{{Messaging}}
==Enabling / disabling instant messaging sitewide==

The instant messaging system in Moodle is enabled by default. It may be disabled by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Advanced features > Enable messaging system''.

==Site administration settings==

=== Manage Message outputs===

There are three default types of output methods for messaging: popup notices, Jabber IM type messages, and messages sent as email.

Each of these can be enabled or disabled independently by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Message outputs > Manage message outputs''.

By default Popup and Email are both enabled, though email will only work of course if the site has been properly configured to deliver email. Jabber is off by default and needs to be configured first.

[[File:moodle23-manage-message-outputs.png]]

===Default message outputs===

The user defaults for these are set in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Message outputs > Default message outputs''.

====Permittedness====

You can also set to what degree each type of message is enabled, and whether users are able to change these default settings in their profiles:

* ''Disallowed'' - the message of chosen type will never be delivered through the chosen output, user is not allowed to change the personal preference for this combination of message type and output.
* ''Permitted'' - the message of chosen type is allowed to be delivered through the chosen output, default preferences can be set by administrator using the checkboxes below, user can control this preference on the messaging preferences page (and change the suggested defaults the most preferable way).
* ''Forced'' - the message of chosen type will be delivered through the chosen output, user is not allowed to change the personal preference for this combination of message type and output.

====Online/Not online====

You can set whether each of these will be sent when the user is online through the messaging system interface available to users in their profiles, and/or whether each output is sent via email.

==== List of message outputs====

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Output Name !! Description !! Recipients
|-
| Assignment (2.2) notifications || Student has submitted an assignment (in older 2.2 Assignment module) || Teacher
|-
| Assignment notifications || Student has submitted an assignment (in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Assignment_FAQ 2.3+ version] of Assignment module)|| Teacher
|-
| Warning when your quiz attempt becomes overdue || ||
|-
| Available update notifications || See [https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Available_update_notifications dev page] || Site admins
|-
| Backup notifications || Automated backup scheduled run || Site admins
|-
| Confirmation of your own quiz submissions || Notice your quiz was successfully submitted || Student
|-
| Course creation request approval notification || See [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Course_request#Course_requests|here] ||
|-
| Course creation request notification || If enabled, to whom course requests go || Those defined in ''Site admin > Courses > Course request > Course request notification'' (??)
|-
| Course creation request rejection notification || Notice a requested course has been rejected ||
|-
| Important errors with the site || || Site admins
|-
| Essay graded notification || Notify students a teacher has graded an essay question || Student
|-
| Personal messages between users || Using the Messaging interface in a user's Profile || Authenticated Users
|-
| Feedback reminder || ||
|-
| Notices about minor problems || || Site admins
|-
| Subscribed forum posts || Master switch for forum subscription handling || Anyone subscribed to a forum
|-
| Feedback notifications || ||
|-
| Notification of quiz submissions || Message that student has submitted a quiz || Teacher
|}

Except for '''Personal messages between users''' which refers to the interaction messaging tool on a user profile, the other messages are generated by events in Moodle.

Screenshot of all settings and their default settings:

[[File:m32-messageoutputs-defaults.png|center|thumb]]

=== Jabber message===

Jabber must be configured before use.

''(Could someone with working settings fill this out with example?)''

*Host - The server to connect to to send jabber message notifications - full hostname (e.g. jabber.org)
*Server - XMPP host ID (can be left empty if the same as Jabber host)
*Username - The user name to use when connecting to the Jabber server
*Password - The password to use when connecting to the Jabber server
*Port - defaults to 5222

===Email settings===

====SMTP hosts====

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. The SMTP host is an email relay that will take the email from Moodle and send it to users. You will need to set this only if your server does not allow mail relay. Otherwise, PHP will send out the mail using its built-in mail server. All the email sent by forums and other modules will be sent through this host.

Most SMTP hosts make use of the default port 25 to for listening email traffic. However, occasionally a non-default port is used. In such cases, entering an SMTP host followed by a colon (i.e. :) and the port number should work. For example, if my SMTP host is myemailserver.com and it listens on port 587 or 465 (most common) instead of port 25 I would enter the SMTP host as myemailserver.com:587. Currently, the parameter check is too strict to allow this via the Moodle UI; however, MDL-15923 has been created and resolved to address this. Until then, it can be set via phpMyAdmin using a query statement like:
<code mysql> UPDATE mdl_config SET value='myemailserver.com:587' WHERE name='smtphosts';</code>

====SMTP security====

{{New features}}If the SMTP server requires a secure connection, the correct protocol type, SSL or TSL, may be set.

====Configure HTTPD/SELinux on CentOS/Red Hat (RHEL) 6.2/6.1/6====

Most new installations of Centos/Red Hat have SELinux activated and is configured by default, rather strictly. In this state SELinux does not allow Apache (httpd,phpmailer) to use the sendmail function and make any sort of network connection.

If you continue to have problems with sending/authenticating use the '''getsebool''' command to find out if SELinux is one of the culprits. When the '''getsebool''' command is issued it returns ''on'' or ''off''.

Type to check if your Apache is allowed to send mail and make a connection over the network
*''getsebool httpd_can_sendmail''
*''getsebool httpd_can_network_connect''

You will receive the values of ''httpd_can_sendmail'' and ''httpd_can_network_connect''. Let's assume both options are off:
*''httpd_can_sendmail -->off''
*''httpd_can_network_connect -->off''

We need to change the values from ''off'' to ''on'' by using '''setsebool'''. Number 1 = on and 0 = off. Type the following:
*''setsebool -P httpd_can_sendmail 1''
*''setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect 1''

You will not receive a response. You can double check if the '''setsebool''' command worked by using '''getsebool''' and see if the values changed from ''-->off'' to ''-->on''.

==Messaging capabilities==

The following capabilities can be applied as permissions to make custom changes to roles affecting messaging.

* [[Capabilities/moodle/course:bulkmessaging|course:bulkmessaging - Send a message to many people]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/site:readallmessages|site:readallmessages - Read all messages on site]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/site:sendmessage|site:sendmessage - Send messages to any user]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/user:editownmessageprofile|user:editownmessageprofile - Edit own user messaging profile]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/user:editmessageprofile|user:editmessageprofile - Edit user messaging profile]]

=User profile settings=

Users can receive message alerts for a number of different reasons and can also send and receive instant messages. How a user receives notification of incoming messages can be set in ''Settings > My profile > Messaging''.

This brings up a screen with check boxes where users can choose how they wish to be notified both when logged in and logged out. They can choose between a pop up,Jabber message or an email.

[[File:Messagingnotifications.png]]

'''Note:''' The choices a user has on this screen depends on their role and permissions within Moodle. For example, an administrator would see options for notifications about backups or important errors with the site.

{{New features}}An administrator can receive update notifications for both Moodle core code and any contributed plugins installed on the site if the automatic check for available updates is enabled in ''Settings > Site Administration > Server > [[Notifications|Update notifications]]''.

===Pop up===
When a user is logged into Moodle, the message will pop up from the bottom right corner of the page. The user can choose to read the message immediately or to ignore it. If they choose to ignore it, the message returns until it is read.

===Jabber===
If the Jabber server has been configured, Jabber messages can be sent.The Jabber ID can be set at the bottom of the screen.

===Email===
{{New features}}Users cannot by default automatically choose to have notifications sent to a different email address from their official Moodle email. However, the administrator has the option to override this so that users can have an alternative email. This is done from ''Settings>Site administration>Advanced features'' and when activated, a box will appear for users to enter another email address.

===Prevent non-contacts from messaging me===
Non-contacts can be prevented from sending messages by ticking this box in General Settings at the bottom of the screen.

=See also=

*[[:dev:Messaging 2.0|Messaging developer documentation]]

[[de:Mitteilungen konfigurieren]]

Messaging settings

2012-07-27T22:21:23Z

Rwthornton: /* List of message outputs */

{{Messaging}}
==Enabling / disabling instant messaging sitewide==

The instant messaging system in Moodle is enabled by default. It may be disabled by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Advanced features > Enable messaging system''.

==Site administration settings==

=== Manage Message outputs===

There are three default types of output methods for messaging: popup notices, Jabber IM type messages, and messages sent as email.

Each of these can be enabled or disabled independently by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Message outputs > Manage message outputs''.

By default Popup and Email are both enabled, though email will only work of course if the site has been properly configured to deliver email. Jabber is off by default and needs to be configured first.

[[File:moodle23-manage-message-outputs.png]]

===Default message outputs===

The user defaults for these are set in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Message outputs > Default message outputs''.

====Permittedness====

You can also set to what degree each type of message is enabled, and whether users are able to change these default settings in their profiles:

* ''Disallowed'' - the message of chosen type will never be delivered through the chosen output, user is not allowed to change the personal preference for this combination of message type and output.
* ''Permitted'' - the message of chosen type is allowed to be delivered through the chosen output, default preferences can be set by administrator using the checkboxes below, user can control this preference on the messaging preferences page (and change the suggested defaults the most preferable way).
* ''Forced'' - the message of chosen type will be delivered through the chosen output, user is not allowed to change the personal preference for this combination of message type and output.

====Online/Not online====

You can set whether each of these will be sent when the user is online through the messaging system interface available to users in their profiles, and/or whether each output is sent via email.

==== List of message outputs====

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Output Name !! Description !! Recipients
|-
| Assignment (2.2) notifications || Student has submitted an assignment (in older 2.2 Assignment module) || Teacher
|-
| Assignment notifications || Student has submitted an assignment (in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Assignment_FAQ 2.3+ version] of Assignment module)|| Teacher
|-
| Warning when your quiz attempt becomes overdue || ||
|-
| Available update notifications || See [https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Available_update_notifications dev page] || Site admins
|-
| Backup notifications || Automated backup scheduled run || Site admins
|-
| Confirmation of your own quiz submissions || Notice your quiz was successfully submitted || Student
|-
| Course creation request approval notification || See [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Course_request#Course_requests|here] ||
| Course creation request notification || If enabled, to whom course requests go || Those defined in ''Site admin > Courses > Course request > Course request notification'' (??)
|-
| Course creation request rejection notification || Notice a requested course has been rejected ||
|-
| Important errors with the site || || Site admins
|-
| Essay graded notification || Notify students a teacher has graded an essay question || Student
|-
| Personal messages between users || Using the Messaging interface in a user's Profile || Authenticated Users
|-
| Feedback reminder || ||
|-
| Notices about minor problems || || Site admins
|-
| Subscribed forum posts || Master switch for forum subscription handling || Anyone subscribed to a forum
|-
| Feedback notifications || ||
|-
| Notification of quiz submissions || Message that student has submitted a quiz || Teacher
|}

Except for '''Personal messages between users''' which refers to the interaction messaging tool on a user profile, the other messages are generated by events in Moodle.

Screenshot of all settings and their default settings:

[[File:m32-messageoutputs-defaults.png|center|thumb]]

=== Jabber message===

Jabber must be configured before use.

''(Could someone with working settings fill this out with example?)''

*Host - The server to connect to to send jabber message notifications - full hostname (e.g. jabber.org)
*Server - XMPP host ID (can be left empty if the same as Jabber host)
*Username - The user name to use when connecting to the Jabber server
*Password - The password to use when connecting to the Jabber server
*Port - defaults to 5222

===Email settings===

====SMTP hosts====

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. The SMTP host is an email relay that will take the email from Moodle and send it to users. You will need to set this only if your server does not allow mail relay. Otherwise, PHP will send out the mail using its built-in mail server. All the email sent by forums and other modules will be sent through this host.

Most SMTP hosts make use of the default port 25 to for listening email traffic. However, occasionally a non-default port is used. In such cases, entering an SMTP host followed by a colon (i.e. :) and the port number should work. For example, if my SMTP host is myemailserver.com and it listens on port 587 or 465 (most common) instead of port 25 I would enter the SMTP host as myemailserver.com:587. Currently, the parameter check is too strict to allow this via the Moodle UI; however, MDL-15923 has been created and resolved to address this. Until then, it can be set via phpMyAdmin using a query statement like:
<code mysql> UPDATE mdl_config SET value='myemailserver.com:587' WHERE name='smtphosts';</code>

====SMTP security====

{{New features}}If the SMTP server requires a secure connection, the correct protocol type, SSL or TSL, may be set.

====Configure HTTPD/SELinux on CentOS/Red Hat (RHEL) 6.2/6.1/6====

Most new installations of Centos/Red Hat have SELinux activated and is configured by default, rather strictly. In this state SELinux does not allow Apache (httpd,phpmailer) to use the sendmail function and make any sort of network connection.

If you continue to have problems with sending/authenticating use the '''getsebool''' command to find out if SELinux is one of the culprits. When the '''getsebool''' command is issued it returns ''on'' or ''off''.

Type to check if your Apache is allowed to send mail and make a connection over the network
*''getsebool httpd_can_sendmail''
*''getsebool httpd_can_network_connect''

You will receive the values of ''httpd_can_sendmail'' and ''httpd_can_network_connect''. Let's assume both options are off:
*''httpd_can_sendmail -->off''
*''httpd_can_network_connect -->off''

We need to change the values from ''off'' to ''on'' by using '''setsebool'''. Number 1 = on and 0 = off. Type the following:
*''setsebool -P httpd_can_sendmail 1''
*''setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect 1''

You will not receive a response. You can double check if the '''setsebool''' command worked by using '''getsebool''' and see if the values changed from ''-->off'' to ''-->on''.

==Messaging capabilities==

The following capabilities can be applied as permissions to make custom changes to roles affecting messaging.

* [[Capabilities/moodle/course:bulkmessaging|course:bulkmessaging - Send a message to many people]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/site:readallmessages|site:readallmessages - Read all messages on site]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/site:sendmessage|site:sendmessage - Send messages to any user]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/user:editownmessageprofile|user:editownmessageprofile - Edit own user messaging profile]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/user:editmessageprofile|user:editmessageprofile - Edit user messaging profile]]

=User profile settings=

Users can receive message alerts for a number of different reasons and can also send and receive instant messages. How a user receives notification of incoming messages can be set in ''Settings > My profile > Messaging''.

This brings up a screen with check boxes where users can choose how they wish to be notified both when logged in and logged out. They can choose between a pop up,Jabber message or an email.

[[File:Messagingnotifications.png]]

'''Note:''' The choices a user has on this screen depends on their role and permissions within Moodle. For example, an administrator would see options for notifications about backups or important errors with the site.

{{New features}}An administrator can receive update notifications for both Moodle core code and any contributed plugins installed on the site if the automatic check for available updates is enabled in ''Settings > Site Administration > Server > [[Notifications|Update notifications]]''.

===Pop up===
When a user is logged into Moodle, the message will pop up from the bottom right corner of the page. The user can choose to read the message immediately or to ignore it. If they choose to ignore it, the message returns until it is read.

===Jabber===
If the Jabber server has been configured, Jabber messages can be sent.The Jabber ID can be set at the bottom of the screen.

===Email===
{{New features}}Users cannot by default automatically choose to have notifications sent to a different email address from their official Moodle email. However, the administrator has the option to override this so that users can have an alternative email. This is done from ''Settings>Site administration>Advanced features'' and when activated, a box will appear for users to enter another email address.

===Prevent non-contacts from messaging me===
Non-contacts can be prevented from sending messages by ticking this box in General Settings at the bottom of the screen.

=See also=

*[[:dev:Messaging 2.0|Messaging developer documentation]]

[[de:Mitteilungen konfigurieren]]

Messaging settings

2012-07-27T22:08:21Z

Rwthornton: /* Messaging capabilities */

{{Messaging}}
==Enabling / disabling instant messaging sitewide==

The instant messaging system in Moodle is enabled by default. It may be disabled by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Advanced features > Enable messaging system''.

==Site administration settings==

=== Manage Message outputs===

There are three default types of output methods for messaging: popup notices, Jabber IM type messages, and messages sent as email.

Each of these can be enabled or disabled independently by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Message outputs > Manage message outputs''.

By default Popup and Email are both enabled, though email will only work of course if the site has been properly configured to deliver email. Jabber is off by default and needs to be configured first.

[[File:moodle23-manage-message-outputs.png]]

===Default message outputs===

The user defaults for these are set in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Message outputs > Default message outputs''.

====Permittedness====

You can also set to what degree each type of message is enabled, and whether users are able to change these default settings in their profiles:

* ''Disallowed'' - the message of chosen type will never be delivered through the chosen output, user is not allowed to change the personal preference for this combination of message type and output.
* ''Permitted'' - the message of chosen type is allowed to be delivered through the chosen output, default preferences can be set by administrator using the checkboxes below, user can control this preference on the messaging preferences page (and change the suggested defaults the most preferable way).
* ''Forced'' - the message of chosen type will be delivered through the chosen output, user is not allowed to change the personal preference for this combination of message type and output.

====Online/Not online====

You can set whether each of these will be sent when the user is online through the messaging system interface available to users in their profiles, and/or whether each output is sent via email.

==== List of message outputs====

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Output Name !! Description !! Recipients
|-
| Assignment (2.2) notifications || Student has submitted an assignment (in older 2.2 Assignment module) || Teacher
|-
| Assignment notifications || Student has submitted an assignment (in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Assignment_FAQ 2.3+ version] of Assignment module)|| Teacher
|-
| Warning when your quiz attempt becomes overdue || ||
|-
| Available update notifications || See [https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Available_update_notifications dev page] || Site admins
|-
| Backup notifications || ||
|-
| Confirmation of your own quiz submissions || Extra notice your quiz was successfully submitted || Student
|-
| Course creation request approval notification || Notice a requested course has been approved - See [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Course_request#Course_requests|here] || user who request course
|-
| Course creation request notification || If enabled, to whom course requests go || Those defined in ''Site admin > Courses > Course request > Course request notification''
|-
| Course creation request rejection notification || Notice a requested course has been rejected || User who request course
|-
| Important errors with the site || ||
|-
| Essay graded notification || ||
|-
| Personal messages between users || Using the Messaging interface in a user's Profile || Authenticated Users
|-
| Feedback reminder || ||
|-
| Notices about minor problems || ||
|-
| Subscribed forum posts || || Anyone subscribe to a forum
|-
| Feedback notifications || ||
|-
| Notification of quiz submissions || Message that student has finished and submitted a quiz || Teacher
|}

Except for '''Personal messages between users''' which refers to the interaction messaging tool on a user profile, the other messages are generated by events in Moodle.

Screenshot of all settings and their default settings:

[[File:m32-messageoutputs-defaults.png|center|thumb]]

=== Jabber message===

Jabber must be configured before use.

''(Could someone with working settings fill this out with example?)''

*Host - The server to connect to to send jabber message notifications - full hostname (e.g. jabber.org)
*Server - XMPP host ID (can be left empty if the same as Jabber host)
*Username - The user name to use when connecting to the Jabber server
*Password - The password to use when connecting to the Jabber server
*Port - defaults to 5222

===Email settings===

====SMTP hosts====

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. The SMTP host is an email relay that will take the email from Moodle and send it to users. You will need to set this only if your server does not allow mail relay. Otherwise, PHP will send out the mail using its built-in mail server. All the email sent by forums and other modules will be sent through this host.

Most SMTP hosts make use of the default port 25 to for listening email traffic. However, occasionally a non-default port is used. In such cases, entering an SMTP host followed by a colon (i.e. :) and the port number should work. For example, if my SMTP host is myemailserver.com and it listens on port 587 or 465 (most common) instead of port 25 I would enter the SMTP host as myemailserver.com:587. Currently, the parameter check is too strict to allow this via the Moodle UI; however, MDL-15923 has been created and resolved to address this. Until then, it can be set via phpMyAdmin using a query statement like:
<code mysql> UPDATE mdl_config SET value='myemailserver.com:587' WHERE name='smtphosts';</code>

====SMTP security====

{{New features}}If the SMTP server requires a secure connection, the correct protocol type, SSL or TSL, may be set.

====Configure HTTPD/SELinux on CentOS/Red Hat (RHEL) 6.2/6.1/6====

Most new installations of Centos/Red Hat have SELinux activated and is configured by default, rather strictly. In this state SELinux does not allow Apache (httpd,phpmailer) to use the sendmail function and make any sort of network connection.

If you continue to have problems with sending/authenticating use the '''getsebool''' command to find out if SELinux is one of the culprits. When the '''getsebool''' command is issued it returns ''on'' or ''off''.

Type to check if your Apache is allowed to send mail and make a connection over the network
*''getsebool httpd_can_sendmail''
*''getsebool httpd_can_network_connect''

You will receive the values of ''httpd_can_sendmail'' and ''httpd_can_network_connect''. Let's assume both options are off:
*''httpd_can_sendmail -->off''
*''httpd_can_network_connect -->off''

We need to change the values from ''off'' to ''on'' by using '''setsebool'''. Number 1 = on and 0 = off. Type the following:
*''setsebool -P httpd_can_sendmail 1''
*''setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect 1''

You will not receive a response. You can double check if the '''setsebool''' command worked by using '''getsebool''' and see if the values changed from ''-->off'' to ''-->on''.

==Messaging capabilities==

The following capabilities can be applied as permissions to make custom changes to roles affecting messaging.

* [[Capabilities/moodle/course:bulkmessaging|course:bulkmessaging - Send a message to many people]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/site:readallmessages|site:readallmessages - Read all messages on site]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/site:sendmessage|site:sendmessage - Send messages to any user]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/user:editownmessageprofile|user:editownmessageprofile - Edit own user messaging profile]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/user:editmessageprofile|user:editmessageprofile - Edit user messaging profile]]

=User profile settings=

Users can receive message alerts for a number of different reasons and can also send and receive instant messages. How a user receives notification of incoming messages can be set in ''Settings > My profile > Messaging''.

This brings up a screen with check boxes where users can choose how they wish to be notified both when logged in and logged out. They can choose between a pop up,Jabber message or an email.

[[File:Messagingnotifications.png]]

'''Note:''' The choices a user has on this screen depends on their role and permissions within Moodle. For example, an administrator would see options for notifications about backups or important errors with the site.

{{New features}}An administrator can receive update notifications for both Moodle core code and any contributed plugins installed on the site if the automatic check for available updates is enabled in ''Settings > Site Administration > Server > [[Notifications|Update notifications]]''.

===Pop up===
When a user is logged into Moodle, the message will pop up from the bottom right corner of the page. The user can choose to read the message immediately or to ignore it. If they choose to ignore it, the message returns until it is read.

===Jabber===
If the Jabber server has been configured, Jabber messages can be sent.The Jabber ID can be set at the bottom of the screen.

===Email===
{{New features}}Users cannot by default automatically choose to have notifications sent to a different email address from their official Moodle email. However, the administrator has the option to override this so that users can have an alternative email. This is done from ''Settings>Site administration>Advanced features'' and when activated, a box will appear for users to enter another email address.

===Prevent non-contacts from messaging me===
Non-contacts can be prevented from sending messages by ticking this box in General Settings at the bottom of the screen.

=See also=

*[[:dev:Messaging 2.0|Messaging developer documentation]]

[[de:Mitteilungen konfigurieren]]

Messaging settings

2012-07-27T22:07:05Z

Rwthornton: /* List of message outputs */

{{Messaging}}
==Enabling / disabling instant messaging sitewide==

The instant messaging system in Moodle is enabled by default. It may be disabled by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Advanced features > Enable messaging system''.

==Site administration settings==

=== Manage Message outputs===

There are three default types of output methods for messaging: popup notices, Jabber IM type messages, and messages sent as email.

Each of these can be enabled or disabled independently by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Message outputs > Manage message outputs''.

By default Popup and Email are both enabled, though email will only work of course if the site has been properly configured to deliver email. Jabber is off by default and needs to be configured first.

[[File:moodle23-manage-message-outputs.png]]

===Default message outputs===

The user defaults for these are set in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Message outputs > Default message outputs''.

====Permittedness====

You can also set to what degree each type of message is enabled, and whether users are able to change these default settings in their profiles:

* ''Disallowed'' - the message of chosen type will never be delivered through the chosen output, user is not allowed to change the personal preference for this combination of message type and output.
* ''Permitted'' - the message of chosen type is allowed to be delivered through the chosen output, default preferences can be set by administrator using the checkboxes below, user can control this preference on the messaging preferences page (and change the suggested defaults the most preferable way).
* ''Forced'' - the message of chosen type will be delivered through the chosen output, user is not allowed to change the personal preference for this combination of message type and output.

====Online/Not online====

You can set whether each of these will be sent when the user is online through the messaging system interface available to users in their profiles, and/or whether each output is sent via email.

==== List of message outputs====

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Output Name !! Description !! Recipients
|-
| Assignment (2.2) notifications || Student has submitted an assignment (in older 2.2 Assignment module) || Teacher
|-
| Assignment notifications || Student has submitted an assignment (in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Assignment_FAQ 2.3+ version] of Assignment module)|| Teacher
|-
| Warning when your quiz attempt becomes overdue || ||
|-
| Available update notifications || See [https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Available_update_notifications dev page] || Site admins
|-
| Backup notifications || ||
|-
| Confirmation of your own quiz submissions || Extra notice your quiz was successfully submitted || Student
|-
| Course creation request approval notification || Notice a requested course has been approved - See [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Course_request#Course_requests|here] || user who request course
|-
| Course creation request notification || If enabled, to whom course requests go || Those defined in ''Site admin > Courses > Course request > Course request notification''
|-
| Course creation request rejection notification || Notice a requested course has been rejected || User who request course
|-
| Important errors with the site || ||
|-
| Essay graded notification || ||
|-
| Personal messages between users || Using the Messaging interface in a user's Profile || Authenticated Users
|-
| Feedback reminder || ||
|-
| Notices about minor problems || ||
|-
| Subscribed forum posts || || Anyone subscribe to a forum
|-
| Feedback notifications || ||
|-
| Notification of quiz submissions || Message that student has finished and submitted a quiz || Teacher
|}

Except for '''Personal messages between users''' which refers to the interaction messaging tool on a user profile, the other messages are generated by events in Moodle.

Screenshot of all settings and their default settings:

[[File:m32-messageoutputs-defaults.png|center|thumb]]

=== Jabber message===

Jabber must be configured before use.

''(Could someone with working settings fill this out with example?)''

*Host - The server to connect to to send jabber message notifications - full hostname (e.g. jabber.org)
*Server - XMPP host ID (can be left empty if the same as Jabber host)
*Username - The user name to use when connecting to the Jabber server
*Password - The password to use when connecting to the Jabber server
*Port - defaults to 5222

===Email settings===

====SMTP hosts====

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. The SMTP host is an email relay that will take the email from Moodle and send it to users. You will need to set this only if your server does not allow mail relay. Otherwise, PHP will send out the mail using its built-in mail server. All the email sent by forums and other modules will be sent through this host.

Most SMTP hosts make use of the default port 25 to for listening email traffic. However, occasionally a non-default port is used. In such cases, entering an SMTP host followed by a colon (i.e. :) and the port number should work. For example, if my SMTP host is myemailserver.com and it listens on port 587 or 465 (most common) instead of port 25 I would enter the SMTP host as myemailserver.com:587. Currently, the parameter check is too strict to allow this via the Moodle UI; however, MDL-15923 has been created and resolved to address this. Until then, it can be set via phpMyAdmin using a query statement like:
<code mysql> UPDATE mdl_config SET value='myemailserver.com:587' WHERE name='smtphosts';</code>

====SMTP security====

{{New features}}If the SMTP server requires a secure connection, the correct protocol type, SSL or TSL, may be set.

====Configure HTTPD/SELinux on CentOS/Red Hat (RHEL) 6.2/6.1/6====

Most new installations of Centos/Red Hat have SELinux activated and is configured by default, rather strictly. In this state SELinux does not allow Apache (httpd,phpmailer) to use the sendmail function and make any sort of network connection.

If you continue to have problems with sending/authenticating use the '''getsebool''' command to find out if SELinux is one of the culprits. When the '''getsebool''' command is issued it returns ''on'' or ''off''.

Type to check if your Apache is allowed to send mail and make a connection over the network
*''getsebool httpd_can_sendmail''
*''getsebool httpd_can_network_connect''

You will receive the values of ''httpd_can_sendmail'' and ''httpd_can_network_connect''. Let's assume both options are off:
*''httpd_can_sendmail -->off''
*''httpd_can_network_connect -->off''

We need to change the values from ''off'' to ''on'' by using '''setsebool'''. Number 1 = on and 0 = off. Type the following:
*''setsebool -P httpd_can_sendmail 1''
*''setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect 1''

You will not receive a response. You can double check if the '''setsebool''' command worked by using '''getsebool''' and see if the values changed from ''-->off'' to ''-->on''.

==Messaging capabilities==

The following capabilities can be applied as permissions to make custom changes to roles.

* [[Capabilities/moodle/course:bulkmessaging|course:bulkmessaging - Send a message to many people]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/site:readallmessages|site:readallmessages - Read all messages on site]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/site:sendmessage|site:sendmessage - Send messages to any user]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/user:editownmessageprofile|user:editownmessageprofile - Edit own user messaging profile]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/user:editmessageprofile|user:editmessageprofile - Edit user messaging profile]]

=User profile settings=

Users can receive message alerts for a number of different reasons and can also send and receive instant messages. How a user receives notification of incoming messages can be set in ''Settings > My profile > Messaging''.

This brings up a screen with check boxes where users can choose how they wish to be notified both when logged in and logged out. They can choose between a pop up,Jabber message or an email.

[[File:Messagingnotifications.png]]

'''Note:''' The choices a user has on this screen depends on their role and permissions within Moodle. For example, an administrator would see options for notifications about backups or important errors with the site.

{{New features}}An administrator can receive update notifications for both Moodle core code and any contributed plugins installed on the site if the automatic check for available updates is enabled in ''Settings > Site Administration > Server > [[Notifications|Update notifications]]''.

===Pop up===
When a user is logged into Moodle, the message will pop up from the bottom right corner of the page. The user can choose to read the message immediately or to ignore it. If they choose to ignore it, the message returns until it is read.

===Jabber===
If the Jabber server has been configured, Jabber messages can be sent.The Jabber ID can be set at the bottom of the screen.

===Email===
{{New features}}Users cannot by default automatically choose to have notifications sent to a different email address from their official Moodle email. However, the administrator has the option to override this so that users can have an alternative email. This is done from ''Settings>Site administration>Advanced features'' and when activated, a box will appear for users to enter another email address.

===Prevent non-contacts from messaging me===
Non-contacts can be prevented from sending messages by ticking this box in General Settings at the bottom of the screen.

=See also=

*[[:dev:Messaging 2.0|Messaging developer documentation]]

[[de:Mitteilungen konfigurieren]]

Messaging settings

2012-07-27T22:06:03Z

Rwthornton: /* List of message outputs */

{{Messaging}}
==Enabling / disabling instant messaging sitewide==

The instant messaging system in Moodle is enabled by default. It may be disabled by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Advanced features > Enable messaging system''.

==Site administration settings==

=== Manage Message outputs===

There are three default types of output methods for messaging: popup notices, Jabber IM type messages, and messages sent as email.

Each of these can be enabled or disabled independently by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Message outputs > Manage message outputs''.

By default Popup and Email are both enabled, though email will only work of course if the site has been properly configured to deliver email. Jabber is off by default and needs to be configured first.

[[File:moodle23-manage-message-outputs.png]]

===Default message outputs===

The user defaults for these are set in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Message outputs > Default message outputs''.

====Permittedness====

You can also set to what degree each type of message is enabled, and whether users are able to change these default settings in their profiles:

* ''Disallowed'' - the message of chosen type will never be delivered through the chosen output, user is not allowed to change the personal preference for this combination of message type and output.
* ''Permitted'' - the message of chosen type is allowed to be delivered through the chosen output, default preferences can be set by administrator using the checkboxes below, user can control this preference on the messaging preferences page (and change the suggested defaults the most preferable way).
* ''Forced'' - the message of chosen type will be delivered through the chosen output, user is not allowed to change the personal preference for this combination of message type and output.

====Online/Not online====

You can set whether each of these will be sent when the user is online through the messaging system interface available to users in their profiles, and/or whether each output is sent via email.

==== List of message outputs====

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Output Name !! Description !! Recipients
|-
| Assignment (2.2) notifications || Student has submitted an assignment (in older 2.2 Assignment module) || Teacher
|-
| Assignment notifications || Student has submitted an assignment (in [[Assignment_FAQ 2.3+ version] of Assignment module)|| Teacher
|-
| Warning when your quiz attempt becomes overdue || ||
|-
| Available update notifications || See [https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Available_update_notifications|dev page] || Site admins
|-
| Backup notifications || ||
|-
| Confirmation of your own quiz submissions || Extra notice your quiz was successfully submitted || Student
|-
| Course creation request approval notification || Notice a requested course has been approved - See [[https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Course_request#Course_requests|here]] || user who request course
|-
| Course creation request notification || If enabled, to whom course requests go || Those defined in ''Site admin > Courses > Course request > Course request notification''
|-
| Course creation request rejection notification || Notice a requested course has been rejected || User who request course
|-
| Important errors with the site || ||
|-
| Essay graded notification || ||
|-
| Personal messages between users || Using the Messaging interface in a user's Profile || Authenticated Users
|-
| Feedback reminder || ||
|-
| Notices about minor problems || ||
|-
| Subscribed forum posts || || Anyone subscribe to a forum
|-
| Feedback notifications || ||
|-
| Notification of quiz submissions || Message that student has finished and submitted a quiz || Teacher
|}

Except for '''Personal messages between users''' which refers to the interaction messaging tool on a user profile, the other messages are generated by events in Moodle.

Screenshot of all settings and their default settings:

[[File:m32-messageoutputs-defaults.png|center|thumb]]

=== Jabber message===

Jabber must be configured before use.

''(Could someone with working settings fill this out with example?)''

*Host - The server to connect to to send jabber message notifications - full hostname (e.g. jabber.org)
*Server - XMPP host ID (can be left empty if the same as Jabber host)
*Username - The user name to use when connecting to the Jabber server
*Password - The password to use when connecting to the Jabber server
*Port - defaults to 5222

===Email settings===

====SMTP hosts====

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. The SMTP host is an email relay that will take the email from Moodle and send it to users. You will need to set this only if your server does not allow mail relay. Otherwise, PHP will send out the mail using its built-in mail server. All the email sent by forums and other modules will be sent through this host.

Most SMTP hosts make use of the default port 25 to for listening email traffic. However, occasionally a non-default port is used. In such cases, entering an SMTP host followed by a colon (i.e. :) and the port number should work. For example, if my SMTP host is myemailserver.com and it listens on port 587 or 465 (most common) instead of port 25 I would enter the SMTP host as myemailserver.com:587. Currently, the parameter check is too strict to allow this via the Moodle UI; however, MDL-15923 has been created and resolved to address this. Until then, it can be set via phpMyAdmin using a query statement like:
<code mysql> UPDATE mdl_config SET value='myemailserver.com:587' WHERE name='smtphosts';</code>

====SMTP security====

{{New features}}If the SMTP server requires a secure connection, the correct protocol type, SSL or TSL, may be set.

====Configure HTTPD/SELinux on CentOS/Red Hat (RHEL) 6.2/6.1/6====

Most new installations of Centos/Red Hat have SELinux activated and is configured by default, rather strictly. In this state SELinux does not allow Apache (httpd,phpmailer) to use the sendmail function and make any sort of network connection.

If you continue to have problems with sending/authenticating use the '''getsebool''' command to find out if SELinux is one of the culprits. When the '''getsebool''' command is issued it returns ''on'' or ''off''.

Type to check if your Apache is allowed to send mail and make a connection over the network
*''getsebool httpd_can_sendmail''
*''getsebool httpd_can_network_connect''

You will receive the values of ''httpd_can_sendmail'' and ''httpd_can_network_connect''. Let's assume both options are off:
*''httpd_can_sendmail -->off''
*''httpd_can_network_connect -->off''

We need to change the values from ''off'' to ''on'' by using '''setsebool'''. Number 1 = on and 0 = off. Type the following:
*''setsebool -P httpd_can_sendmail 1''
*''setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect 1''

You will not receive a response. You can double check if the '''setsebool''' command worked by using '''getsebool''' and see if the values changed from ''-->off'' to ''-->on''.

==Messaging capabilities==

The following capabilities can be applied as permissions to make custom changes to roles.

* [[Capabilities/moodle/course:bulkmessaging|course:bulkmessaging - Send a message to many people]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/site:readallmessages|site:readallmessages - Read all messages on site]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/site:sendmessage|site:sendmessage - Send messages to any user]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/user:editownmessageprofile|user:editownmessageprofile - Edit own user messaging profile]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/user:editmessageprofile|user:editmessageprofile - Edit user messaging profile]]

=User profile settings=

Users can receive message alerts for a number of different reasons and can also send and receive instant messages. How a user receives notification of incoming messages can be set in ''Settings > My profile > Messaging''.

This brings up a screen with check boxes where users can choose how they wish to be notified both when logged in and logged out. They can choose between a pop up,Jabber message or an email.

[[File:Messagingnotifications.png]]

'''Note:''' The choices a user has on this screen depends on their role and permissions within Moodle. For example, an administrator would see options for notifications about backups or important errors with the site.

{{New features}}An administrator can receive update notifications for both Moodle core code and any contributed plugins installed on the site if the automatic check for available updates is enabled in ''Settings > Site Administration > Server > [[Notifications|Update notifications]]''.

===Pop up===
When a user is logged into Moodle, the message will pop up from the bottom right corner of the page. The user can choose to read the message immediately or to ignore it. If they choose to ignore it, the message returns until it is read.

===Jabber===
If the Jabber server has been configured, Jabber messages can be sent.The Jabber ID can be set at the bottom of the screen.

===Email===
{{New features}}Users cannot by default automatically choose to have notifications sent to a different email address from their official Moodle email. However, the administrator has the option to override this so that users can have an alternative email. This is done from ''Settings>Site administration>Advanced features'' and when activated, a box will appear for users to enter another email address.

===Prevent non-contacts from messaging me===
Non-contacts can be prevented from sending messages by ticking this box in General Settings at the bottom of the screen.

=See also=

*[[:dev:Messaging 2.0|Messaging developer documentation]]

[[de:Mitteilungen konfigurieren]]

Messaging settings

2012-07-27T22:02:42Z

Rwthornton: /* List of message outputs */

{{Messaging}}
==Enabling / disabling instant messaging sitewide==

The instant messaging system in Moodle is enabled by default. It may be disabled by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Advanced features > Enable messaging system''.

==Site administration settings==

=== Manage Message outputs===

There are three default types of output methods for messaging: popup notices, Jabber IM type messages, and messages sent as email.

Each of these can be enabled or disabled independently by a site administrator in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Message outputs > Manage message outputs''.

By default Popup and Email are both enabled, though email will only work of course if the site has been properly configured to deliver email. Jabber is off by default and needs to be configured first.

[[File:moodle23-manage-message-outputs.png]]

===Default message outputs===

The user defaults for these are set in ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Message outputs > Default message outputs''.

====Permittedness====

You can also set to what degree each type of message is enabled, and whether users are able to change these default settings in their profiles:

* ''Disallowed'' - the message of chosen type will never be delivered through the chosen output, user is not allowed to change the personal preference for this combination of message type and output.
* ''Permitted'' - the message of chosen type is allowed to be delivered through the chosen output, default preferences can be set by administrator using the checkboxes below, user can control this preference on the messaging preferences page (and change the suggested defaults the most preferable way).
* ''Forced'' - the message of chosen type will be delivered through the chosen output, user is not allowed to change the personal preference for this combination of message type and output.

====Online/Not online====

You can set whether each of these will be sent when the user is online through the messaging system interface available to users in their profiles, and/or whether each output is sent via email.

==== List of message outputs====

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Output Name !! Description !! Recipients
|-
| Assignment (2.2) notifications || Student has submitted an assignment (in older 2.2 Assignment module) || Teacher
|-
| Assignment notifications || Student has submitted an assignment (in [https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Assignment_FAQ 2.3+ version] of Assignment module)|| Teacher
|-
| Warning when your quiz attempt becomes overdue || ||
|-
| Available update notifications || See [[Available update notifications]] || Site admins
|-
| Backup notifications || ||
|-
| Confirmation of your own quiz submissions || Extra notice your quiz was successfully submitted || Student
|-
| Course creation request approval notification || Notice a requested course has been approved - See [[https://docs.moodle.org/24/en/Course_request#Course_requests|here]] || user who request course
|-
| Course creation request notification || If enabled, to whom course requests go || Those defined in ''Site admin > Courses > Course request > Course request notification''
|-
| Course creation request rejection notification || Notice a requested course has been rejected || User who request course
|-
| Important errors with the site || ||
|-
| Essay graded notification || ||
|-
| Personal messages between users || Using the Messaging interface in a user's Profile || Authenticated Users
|-
| Feedback reminder || ||
|-
| Notices about minor problems || ||
|-
| Subscribed forum posts || || Anyone subscribe to a forum
|-
| Feedback notifications || ||
|-
| Notification of quiz submissions || Message that student has finished and submitted a quiz || Teacher
|}

Except for '''Personal messages between users''' which refers to the interaction messaging tool on a user profile, the other messages are generated by events in Moodle.

Screenshot of all settings and their default settings:

[[File:m32-messageoutputs-defaults.png|center|thumb]]

=== Jabber message===

Jabber must be configured before use.

''(Could someone with working settings fill this out with example?)''

*Host - The server to connect to to send jabber message notifications - full hostname (e.g. jabber.org)
*Server - XMPP host ID (can be left empty if the same as Jabber host)
*Username - The user name to use when connecting to the Jabber server
*Password - The password to use when connecting to the Jabber server
*Port - defaults to 5222

===Email settings===

====SMTP hosts====

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. The SMTP host is an email relay that will take the email from Moodle and send it to users. You will need to set this only if your server does not allow mail relay. Otherwise, PHP will send out the mail using its built-in mail server. All the email sent by forums and other modules will be sent through this host.

Most SMTP hosts make use of the default port 25 to for listening email traffic. However, occasionally a non-default port is used. In such cases, entering an SMTP host followed by a colon (i.e. :) and the port number should work. For example, if my SMTP host is myemailserver.com and it listens on port 587 or 465 (most common) instead of port 25 I would enter the SMTP host as myemailserver.com:587. Currently, the parameter check is too strict to allow this via the Moodle UI; however, MDL-15923 has been created and resolved to address this. Until then, it can be set via phpMyAdmin using a query statement like:
<code mysql> UPDATE mdl_config SET value='myemailserver.com:587' WHERE name='smtphosts';</code>

====SMTP security====

{{New features}}If the SMTP server requires a secure connection, the correct protocol type, SSL or TSL, may be set.

====Configure HTTPD/SELinux on CentOS/Red Hat (RHEL) 6.2/6.1/6====

Most new installations of Centos/Red Hat have SELinux activated and is configured by default, rather strictly. In this state SELinux does not allow Apache (httpd,phpmailer) to use the sendmail function and make any sort of network connection.

If you continue to have problems with sending/authenticating use the '''getsebool''' command to find out if SELinux is one of the culprits. When the '''getsebool''' command is issued it returns ''on'' or ''off''.

Type to check if your Apache is allowed to send mail and make a connection over the network
*''getsebool httpd_can_sendmail''
*''getsebool httpd_can_network_connect''

You will receive the values of ''httpd_can_sendmail'' and ''httpd_can_network_connect''. Let's assume both options are off:
*''httpd_can_sendmail -->off''
*''httpd_can_network_connect -->off''

We need to change the values from ''off'' to ''on'' by using '''setsebool'''. Number 1 = on and 0 = off. Type the following:
*''setsebool -P httpd_can_sendmail 1''
*''setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect 1''

You will not receive a response. You can double check if the '''setsebool''' command worked by using '''getsebool''' and see if the values changed from ''-->off'' to ''-->on''.

==Messaging capabilities==

The following capabilities can be applied as permissions to make custom changes to roles.

* [[Capabilities/moodle/course:bulkmessaging|course:bulkmessaging - Send a message to many people]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/site:readallmessages|site:readallmessages - Read all messages on site]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/site:sendmessage|site:sendmessage - Send messages to any user]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/user:editownmessageprofile|user:editownmessageprofile - Edit own user messaging profile]]
* [[Capabilities/moodle/user:editmessageprofile|user:editmessageprofile - Edit user messaging profile]]

=User profile settings=

Users can receive message alerts for a number of different reasons and can also send and receive instant messages. How a user receives notification of incoming messages can be set in ''Settings > My profile > Messaging''.

This brings up a screen with check boxes where users can choose how they wish to be notified both when logged in and logged out. They can choose between a pop up,Jabber message or an email.

[[File:Messagingnotifications.png]]

'''Note:''' The choices a user has on this screen depends on their role and permissions within Moodle. For example, an administrator would see options for notifications about backups or important errors with the site.

{{New features}}An administrator can receive update notifications for both Moodle core code and any contributed plugins installed on the site if the automatic check for available updates is enabled in ''Settings > Site Administration > Server > [[Notifications|Update notifications]]''.

===Pop up===
When a user is logged into Moodle, the message will pop up from the bottom right corner of the page. The user can choose to read the message immediately or to ignore it. If they choose to ignore it, the message returns until it is read.

===Jabber===
If the Jabber server has been configured, Jabber messages can be sent.The Jabber ID can be set at the bottom of the screen.

===Email===
{{New features}}Users cannot by default automatically choose to have notifications sent to a different email address from their official Moodle email. However, the administrator has the option to override this so that users can have an alternative email. This is done from ''Settings>Site administration>Advanced features'' and when activated, a box will appear for users to enter another email address.

===Prevent non-contacts from messaging me===
Non-contacts can be prevented from sending messages by ticking this box in General Settings at the bottom of the screen.

=See also=

*[[:dev:Messaging 2.0|Messaging developer documentation]]

[[de:Mitteilungen konfigurieren]]